Inner sanctum for polytunnel?

[Guest]

Hi all-relatively new to the forum and certainly a polytunnel virgin-bought & installed my first small one (14x25) in October last year. Does seem to 'work' in that my broad beans & peas are flowering merrily & my runner beans are about 2 feet high!

Need some suggestions as to

a) whether its worth creating a 'tunnel within a tunnel' as its already blooming hot on a sunny day, even with the doors open. My Nepenthes (which I use to keep some of the flying bugs from the manure under control) seems to love it so far!

and b) how I might go about it-I have 2 4ft linkaboard deep beds running the length of the tunnel-paths either side & in the middle.

Any suggestions-outlandish,(somebody suggested those mini greenhouse things which I'm going to investigate further) (un) reasoned etc. gratefully received. I'm not a great DIYer, it took me a while to put the polytunnel up singlehanded-thought I was going to end up like Winnie the Pooh and the balloon incident when putting the poly over!!

Presumably needs to be readily collapsable/rollerupable with the onset of much higher temperatures?

Many thanks


Pamperedpet

[Tigger]

I've got 2 tunnels (just showing off!), one of which has electricity and in this one I have an inner sanctum. It's constructed from a treated timber frame over which is stapled commercial bubblewrap. It's the height of the tunnel at the front and the roof slopes to accomodate the line of the tunnel, so it's a bit like a see through shed with an angled roof. There's staging inside and the floor is lined and gravelled, as are both of the tunnels. The 'door' is like a drop down blind of bubble wrap which can be rolled up on hot days.

The original intention was to dismantle it in the summer, but it's been so useful, we haven't.

We have a frostguard heater in there so we don't have to heat an entire tunnel in the winter. We overwinter our pelargoniums, daturas, fuschias in it, grow early spuds in tubs for Easter in it. Keep herbs going. Then we use it to make an early start on everything and it houses the propogators too.

Let me know if you want more details/photos/whatever.

We also have a number of the mini greenhouses you refer to, but we use them as additionals - well pinned down! However, I have used one of them in the other tunnel this year to give a bit of extra protection to chitting potatoes and things moved out of the inner sanctum.

[Pamperedpet]

Thanks Tigger for your suggestions-how do you keep the 'shedunnel' cool enough?-mine has got up to 85-90 with the doors open the last few sunny days and its only April!

I thought about just partitioning off say 15ft by using a tarp rolled around one set of hoops, which I could roll up/down, so like you, wouldn't have to try & heat a whole tunnel. Not really sure what I can grow 'frost free' overwinter-miners lettuce, jap greens etc, but it seems a bit dull inside on a winters day.

Thanks


Pamperedpet

[Tigger]

As long as it's warm and gets some light, even if only 6 hours a day, you can grow lettuce, parsley, chard, pak choi, mizuna, rocket, other herbs. You can extend the season for tomatoes and peppers, grow potatoes for Christmas and Easter. It soon fills up!

This summer, once all the overwintered stuff and seedlings have been moved out, I'm going to grow bananas in pots in the inner sactum 'cos Bob Floweredew grows his in a double skinned tunnel. If that works, I might be tempted to add a few other hot housers!

[Pamperedpet]

Thanks again Tigger-hot bananas now's there's exotic!

I guess I'didn't realise that it would get quite so hot & sweaty in there-brings back memories of going to Kew plant houses when the entrance fee was 1 new penny!

I'll have to look out for something unusual (& tropical-ish!) instead. I thought I'd just have a few runner & climbing french beans and tommies that bit earlier, rather than something where the climate is akin to the jungles of Borneo! Perhaps the local ape sanctuary can lend me an orangutang just to complete the picture!