Flossing is Fun

I volunteer for a local community gardening initiative and a group of us has been helping out at a special school.  The building is a former ‘grand’ house and is set in large grounds with lovely views of the countryside.  There is a wooded area, play area, raised beds, fruit trees and a two large polytunnels which provide interest and produce for the children.

When we were planning our own garden, Doc and I never considered installing a polytunnel instead of a greenhouse because at the time we associated them with agriculture.  However, they have become more popular over the years, probably because they are cheaper than greenhouses and there isn’t all that glass to worry about.  From an aesthetic point of view polytunnels look much less ‘industrial’ than they used to and I am impressed how effective they are.

Just as our greenhouse gradually develops a layer of green algae, so do Polytunnels.  Autumn is the time of year when clearing up and getting on with some outdoor cleaning edges its way to the top of the To Do list.  Unless the algae is removed, the light won’t reach the plants and although it is probably better to do the cleaning in the spring, after several months of damp weather, there is too much else to do in the garden.  As long as it is done once a year (or every other year!) we can keep on top of the green invader.

At the school, soft mops and sponges were pretty effective at cleaning the walls inside and outside of the plastic tunnels.  However, since the tunnels are very wide, there is no way that anyone could reach across the top without using a bit more ingenuity.  And we were introduced to the art of ‘flossing a polytunnel’.  Or should I say, ‘flossing a polytunnel with excited children’...

The process is simple – in theory.  Two people are required, along with a couple of long lengths of soft ropes and an old bed sheet.  We rolled up the sheet and tied a length of rope to each end.  Then the sheet was soaked in a large bucket of plant-safe detergent.

One person was tasked to toss the floss over the polytunnel and the other person had to catch the rope the other side.  This took a bit of practise because it takes skill and effort to throw a wet sheet over a high wall of plastic!  Finally though, with the floss in position, the two people then took it in turns to pull, dragging the sheet backwards and forwards over the plastic cover.

So far so good, except the tunnel needed rinsing as the flossers moved back and forth across the tunnel.  Cue some children, a hosepipe and a tap.  I had forgotten to take a waterproof anorak and when it was my turn to floss, I soon learned that some children never quite get the hang of spraying a polytunnel roof 'gently' with water.  As a result, I enjoyed (!) a good soaking.

We found it was more efficient to have 3 people involved in the flossing.  This is because someone was needed to co-ordinate the ‘flossers’ and check for any areas they had missed.  After a few pulls, the flossers seemed to forget whose turn it is to pull!

Anyway, a good time was had by all.  It was only water and I needed my hair washing anyway.  The children had a great afternoon and now the school has two very clean and tidy polytunnels.  I only wish we could wash our greenhouse in the same way. It takes me ages to clean the panes of glass!