For some time I have been interseted in a polytunnel, The article in the December and January issues have been very interesting.
This year I have been delighted with being able to provide flowers for the house as late as the 3rd week in Novwmber, Will a tunnel prolong the season or would the plants give up the ghost due to old age!
Black pig ray
Polytunnel
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black pig ray
- KG Regular
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Wed Nov 30, 2005 2:21 pm
- Location: Yaxley Peterborough
As some people know I do more gardening inside my 7 polytunnels than I do outside.The short answer is that the season is extended by about a month both ends. In more detail, the protection from the elements can be especially useful, far less spoiling as stere isn't the same wind and rain, fewer predators and you can work inside regardless of weather conditions outside. You obviously have to take total responsibility for watering which is a mixed blessing but there are ways to capture the run-off from outside.
Yes, polytunnels have to be the way forward for nearly all crops, even the humble rhubarb is far more prolific.
I ca't say everything about them in one short mailing but maybe we can build on this topic in future right here.
Allan
polytunnels-chat is on Yahoo groups.
Yes, polytunnels have to be the way forward for nearly all crops, even the humble rhubarb is far more prolific.
I ca't say everything about them in one short mailing but maybe we can build on this topic in future right here.
Allan
polytunnels-chat is on Yahoo groups.
I purchased Bernard Salt's 'Gardening under plastic', which is very comprehensive for polytunnel selection & management and available online at Amazon etc. It also covers cloches, i'd recommend it.
The general rule is that just about anything that will grow outside will grow better in a polytunnel, the chief exception being any crop that would find it too hot inside. Certain advantages come from the covering apart from extension of season both ends. Tomatoes should escape blight butternut squashes get a longer season but with the downside that they may be too vigorous, grapes are highly successful, carrot escape the fly, you name the crop and I'll tell you what happens if I know.
[ you name the crop and I'll tell you what happens if I know.[/quote]
That's a generous offer.I've just acquired a Northern 21 x 42 in which I hope to do about 80% of my veg. growing. I've read everything I can get my hands on re. organic raised beds but, apart from the excellent book by the late Bernard Salt, there's little I can find that's on polytunnel growing specifically. I am, therefore, brimming with questions! As regards cultivars: are there any that don't do well under plastic? I'm concerned in particular about broad beans, broccoli and swiss chard.
That's a generous offer.I've just acquired a Northern 21 x 42 in which I hope to do about 80% of my veg. growing. I've read everything I can get my hands on re. organic raised beds but, apart from the excellent book by the late Bernard Salt, there's little I can find that's on polytunnel growing specifically. I am, therefore, brimming with questions! As regards cultivars: are there any that don't do well under plastic? I'm concerned in particular about broad beans, broccoli and swiss chard.
i allways put afew broad beans in in the new year often a month before i can get them in outside, so we get early beans in the tunnel long before the outside ones are ready. its been homesaved seed for several years, i think it was something green longpod. theres a swiss chard clomp about 3 foot in the tunnel at the moment.
Sow The Sutton in the autumn e.g. November I prefer small pots but if you sow in situ put a cut-off drinks bottle over them and bury several inches to stop mice eating the seedling bean. You may prefer yo sow in pots and when the plant is big enough remove the remains of the bean.
Any other bean is too tall as they grow strongly in the tunnel.
In the spring you will see many flowers which are too early to get pollinated, don't worry as you will get a heavy crop off the later beans when the plants sprawl out.
Any other bean is too tall as they grow strongly in the tunnel.
In the spring you will see many flowers which are too early to get pollinated, don't worry as you will get a heavy crop off the later beans when the plants sprawl out.
Both these crops are worthwhile. I have grown calabrese actually but I see no problem there.
Re. Swiss Chard, this is an important crop inside as the outside crop becomes very poor quality and grows slowly in the winter months. Keep picking it over including the small leaves on the stem when it eventually goes to seed. Variety White Silver, Fothergill & others.
On polytunel work for most crops the general rule is to sow in pots and plant out as soon as you can after the preceding crop is cleared so as to make full use of the tunnel.
Re. Swiss Chard, this is an important crop inside as the outside crop becomes very poor quality and grows slowly in the winter months. Keep picking it over including the small leaves on the stem when it eventually goes to seed. Variety White Silver, Fothergill & others.
On polytunel work for most crops the general rule is to sow in pots and plant out as soon as you can after the preceding crop is cleared so as to make full use of the tunnel.
I am rather stuck on this one at the moment. I don't think many of the oriental crops would be happy in the summer as they mostly prefer cooler conditions but neither are they successful outside as flea beetle can be a real trouble and many go to seed readily in hot weather. It's more a case of growing outside what grows sufficiently well such as sprouts, beans, maincrop carrots and beetroot, leeks, potatoes, large onions,marrows and squashes, potatoes etc. so as to have room for the more valuable crops inside.
Thanks Richard, and thanks Allan. Much appreciated. Allan, you refer to the more valuable crops (for which the polytunnel should be reserved.) Do you mean tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, melons? Anything else? Though at 21x42 mine is a fair size for a hobby tunnel, I'm growing just for my wife and I, so I don't need a LARGE quantity of anything.That's why I planned to grow only runner beans,broad beans, broccoli (cv's recommended by Johnboy ), lettuces, radishes, leeks, welsh onions outdoors in our northern climate. And some of these I was intending to grow in the tunnel as well,early in the season and again at the end when temperatures are lower. e.g. broad bean, lettuce, beetroot, cabbage. Make sense?
I don't propose to tackle all these crops in detail at one go. I'm not even sure if you intended that shopping list to be totally outdoors or totally indoors. I think it would be s shrewd move to make two plans, one for outdoors and one for indoors, bearing in mind that to get a decent coverage for all seasons there will be 'travellers' i.e. crops that have both treatments at different times of the year. The most prominent ambiguity is runner beans which just won't work as a totally indoor crop and therefore would be outdoors in the summer, nevertheless to extend the season one can start them off under cover either as pot plants or direct sown under a temporary cover.
Regarding lettuces, they can be grown at all seasons but many won't suit outdoors in the winter, or on the other side they have to be a catch crop indoors in spring and autumn, even so they can go to seed extremely easily. In my opinion you should consider the chicories and endives as a viable substitute, they can be grown with the very minimum of bitterness if managed correctly and in particular Sugar Loaf is hardy and extermely easy to grow.
Your list of valuable crops for inside is totally for the summer crops, I suggest you address yourself to the subject of what you will grow in the autumn to spring time when fresh vegetables are relatively scarce and prices high, many such items will be started in late summer to be planted as room becomes available inside.I think you ought to study joy Larcom's books "Grow your own vegetables" and "Salads for small gardens" which are the best resources that I know of for planning to cope with the seasonality problem. See Feed The Family page 183 in the former.
Regarding lettuces, they can be grown at all seasons but many won't suit outdoors in the winter, or on the other side they have to be a catch crop indoors in spring and autumn, even so they can go to seed extremely easily. In my opinion you should consider the chicories and endives as a viable substitute, they can be grown with the very minimum of bitterness if managed correctly and in particular Sugar Loaf is hardy and extermely easy to grow.
Your list of valuable crops for inside is totally for the summer crops, I suggest you address yourself to the subject of what you will grow in the autumn to spring time when fresh vegetables are relatively scarce and prices high, many such items will be started in late summer to be planted as room becomes available inside.I think you ought to study joy Larcom's books "Grow your own vegetables" and "Salads for small gardens" which are the best resources that I know of for planning to cope with the seasonality problem. See Feed The Family page 183 in the former.
We must both realise thet what goes for Monmouth doesn't necessarily go for Scotland. Even in Scotland there are huge variations in microclimate so all this has to be taken into account. You will get longer days than us in summer, in winter you will be even more deprived of daylight than us.
The other point is that Joy's book is not about polytunnels as such but most of her suggestions for alternative salad crops would be better off in your polytunnels.
I haven't said anything about watering, that is another subject altogether, For that size of tunnel it can be quite a burden on your gardening time and not at all satisfactory on some crops to use a can. We have most of our crops watered automatically, we have to as we are not there every day, also at times the mains pressure can disappear during daytime so the watering has to happen at night. If you opt for automatic watering have a look at Interploy Irrigation website, prices a lot more realistic than Hozelock or Gardena at your average GC.
The other point is that Joy's book is not about polytunnels as such but most of her suggestions for alternative salad crops would be better off in your polytunnels.
I haven't said anything about watering, that is another subject altogether, For that size of tunnel it can be quite a burden on your gardening time and not at all satisfactory on some crops to use a can. We have most of our crops watered automatically, we have to as we are not there every day, also at times the mains pressure can disappear during daytime so the watering has to happen at night. If you opt for automatic watering have a look at Interploy Irrigation website, prices a lot more realistic than Hozelock or Gardena at your average GC.
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Mr Potato Head
Here's a link for the Bernard Salt book
Gardening Under Plastic
plus of course, you can now buy back issues of KG online, with the Tom Barber articles...
Kitchen Garden Back Issues (Polytunnel issues)
Hope this is of use!
Leigh
Gardening Under Plastic
plus of course, you can now buy back issues of KG online, with the Tom Barber articles...
Kitchen Garden Back Issues (Polytunnel issues)
Hope this is of use!
Leigh