Kitchen Garden Forum

Good morning,

I am about to buy a poly tunnel and have the option of including various types of cover, netting around the lower portion and a wind up poly curtain to cover the netting when necessary. As these extras more than double the price of a 14'x30' tunnel do any of you think that it's worth it or would double doors at each end be a better option?
I have a glasshouse for propogation and, at this time, think that the tunnel will be used in the main for growing tomatoes and some veg.
Any help will be gratefully received.

Regards, Gerry.

Hi Gerry

I have had a 35 x 14 foot tunnel for the past 5 years. No fancy additions - just opening doors at either end. It has always served me well for growing tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and salads in summer, plus salads and herbs all year round, and strawberries, brassicas etc and for propagating.
Your decision will depend on your finances, but for a polytunnel of the dimensions you state, I think simple may be best.

Alan

Hi Alan,

Thanks for the prompt reply. Sound advise I'm sure and you have convinced me that that is the way to go.
I really was in a quandary because the extras looked somewhat appealing but the cost was high. On the other hand I wanted to avoid the possibility of having to say "I wish I had/hadn't got this or that." You looked at it in a sensible way and so
I think I will go for the better anti-fog cover and double doors at both ends.
Thanks again,
Best regards, Gerry.

Hi Gerry,
I have several tunnels and they have all been used to raise vegetable plants. My Tunnels have a 1M skirt of Anti White Fly netting and the complete ends on four of them is also clad in AWF netting.
As some protection has been needed against wind I made my own protection panels which slot on the outside as the wind up version also winds up the price. This system works very well as the one big problem with tunnels is overheating due to lack of ventilation. I accept what Alan has said but open doors invite all manner of unwanted pests from White Fly and Aphids to Birds and Bats. If caught in a tunnel birds have a habit of panicking and can do an enormous amount of damage. My tunnels are 60'x30'
have served me well and have only had to re-clad one in the 16 years that they have been with me here.
(They used to be on another site owned by me.)
JB.

Gerry

Useful warning from Johnboy about birds.

I have pieces of 25mm plastic fence netting hooked over the door openings. This was entirely to keep out my own hens and ducks. But it does mean that the only birds that get in are sparrows and they know the way out easily enough by now.

A bigger problem here, less than a mile from the sea, is seagulls trying to land on the tunnel - they have fearsome claws and can soon shred a polythene cover. My tunnel is protected (successfully) by a network of baler twine over the top. I feared at first that birds might get tangled in it and do more damage - but they seem to steer clear of the presence of orange twine. This drawing - top view and end view - should save a lot of explanation.

Hi Alan,
A very wise precaution. At 60 feet long I found that in the central part of the tunnels the heat collected and descended to the benches with devastating consequences. Prior to putting the AWF netting around the skirt I had to have extractor fans to take the heat away from the canopy.
I mean each tunnel held many thousand plants which were my livelihood so perhaps I view the problem in a slightly different light to you. Plants grown in the tunnel soil direct are an entirely different
proposition but plug plants are very fragile where excess heat is concerned.
JB.
BTW the only tunnel that had to be re-clad was shredded by cats. I have quite a feral population!

HiJohnboy and Alan again,
Alan the baler twine over the top is a good idea especially as I'm only a few hundred yards from the sea, seagulls and all.
Johnboy, in your opinion, if double doors at each end are covered with netting would this be OK for tomatoes or would netting all round on the lower portion be better? Bearing in mind that I will use my glasshouse for propagating the plants.
First Tunnels do a vent ridge kit but I don't know what this entails or how successful it would be.
Sorry if I'm being a pain but I want to be as right as possible.
Thanks for your input and sound advise. As you say the wind up curtain certainly winds up the price.

Best regards, Gerry.