Newbie with a poly tunnel

[Can the Man]

Hi I’m a newbie to his forum, but not to growing my own veggies. I just had a poly tunnel erected 14ft x 24ft, it’s a present to myself from my mum who passed away 2 years ago last month.
I’ve been growing out doors in the garden for a few years now, growing potatoes, curly kale, onions, shallots, cauliflower, sprouts which I hate but the missus loves, beetroot, tried carrots with mixed success parsnips and swede with no success.

I got myself the tunnel to try some chillies, tomatoes cucumbers squash, and strawberries, but at the moment I’ve just filled the raised beds with Nicola potatoes (2nd earlies) that I had chitted in the shed and they have taken off like wildfire.

[Mr Bones]

Hello Can the Man and welcome. Your poly tunnel sounds great, I bet you'll have some fun in there

[Jay-ell]

Hello and welcome. If you chit your spuds in December and plant them in the polytunnel in dec/Jan you should get an early crop of new potatoes.

Next month is the time to start sowing for the winter crops for the polytunnel

[Bren In Pots]

Hello and welcome to the vine I'm also a back garden grower oddly I can't grow swede either.

[bario1]

Welcome to the forum. Tunnels are great for tomatoes, cucumbers and chillies in summer, but don't let it sit empty all winter - sow some Spring greens next month (i grow 'Greensleeves'), and plant half the seedlings in the tunnel in October to overwinter. Plant the other half outdoors, and you'll get a staggered crop.

[Small pumpkin]

Welcome to the vine
Your going to love your polytunnel. I wouldn’t be without mine.

[Can the Man]

Hello Can the Man and welcome. Your poly tunnel sounds great, I bet you'll have some fun in there

Thanks Mr Bones, I’m looking forward to getting some veg growing in it at the moment I have some spuds and lettuce

[Can the Man]

Hello and welcome. If you chit your spuds in December and plant them in the polytunnel in dec/Jan you should get an early crop of new potatoes.

Next month is the time to start sowing for the winter crops for the polytunnel

Thanks Jay-ell, that’s a great idea, I’ll try that. I tried planting potatoes for Christmas before but they got hit with frost as they were outside

[Can the Man]

Hello and welcome to the vine I'm also a back garden grower oddly I can't grow swede either.

Hi Bren

I don’t like swede anyway, but my missus does, we call them turnips over here and like sprouts I hate the smell of them cooking. They looked good but when we cut them open they were rotten inside

[Can the Man]

Welcome to the forum. Tunnels are great for tomatoes, cucumbers and chillies in summer, but don't let it sit empty all winter - sow some Spring greens next month (i grow 'Greensleeves'), and plant half the seedlings in the tunnel in October to overwinter. Plant the other half outdoors, and you'll get a staggered crop.

Thanks Bario that’s a great idea, I’ll look into trying that.

[Can the Man]

Welcome to the vine
Your going to love your polytunnel. I wouldn’t be without mine.

Thanks small pumpkin, I’m really looking forward to it. We used to have 2 homemade greenhouses made from old windows and frames when I was a lad growing up. We even grew pumpkins in them, I’m hoping to try butternut squash, if you have any hints or tips please.

[Small pumpkin]

Thanks small pumpkin, I’m really looking forward to it. We used to have 2 homemade greenhouses made from old windows and frames when I was a lad growing up. We even grew pumpkins in them, I’m hoping to try butternut squash, if you have any hints or tips please.

Be very careful your trying a couple of chilli plants doesn’t turn into an obsession!
I grow a Tromboncino courgette in my tunnel so you’ll do fine with a squash. You might have to do a bit of hand pollinating.
What ever size tunnel you have, by the end of the season you’ll wish it was bigger or you had another one
That’s my experience

[Can the Man]

Be very careful your trying a couple of chilli plants doesn’t turn into an obsession!
I grow a Tromboncino courgette in my tunnel so you’ll do fine with a squash. You might have to do a bit of hand pollinating.
What ever size tunnel you have, by the end of the season you’ll wish it was bigger or you had another one
That’s my experience

The tunnel is 14ft wide x 24ft long and about 10ft high. I have raised beds around the sides and back. I will try post some photos soon.

[Small pumpkin]

The tunnel is 14ft wide x 24ft long and about 10ft high. I have raised beds around the sides and back. I will try post some photos soon.

That’s a good size. Same size as my chilli tunnel ( like I said obsession ).
I also have a 12ft x 20ft and a 10ft x 10ft.
You know what’s coming now don’t you ....................I need more tunnel space .

I’ll let you into a little secret, I’ve not told anyone this yet. I think next year I’ll be turning my 10 x 10 tunnel over to chilli growing as well !

Have a look here you’ll see what we all do in our tunnels / greenhouses
https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...9-a_98352.html

[BlazeRavenwolf]

wow thats a big polytunnel, mine is 6ft by 10ft