Is this polytunnel any good?

[liam14]

HI

Would anyone recomend this polytunnel.
I would like to grow vegetables all year in it.

13ft 4m Polytunnel Garden Greenhouse Outdoor Pollytunnel Grow your own Kit - Feel Good UK

best regards liam

[chris]

All year round?.... it'd depend on where are you based?

Personally, I'd say save up some more and buy a "proper" polytunnel that's anchored into the ground, the cover will last much longer than the one on that linked tunnel.

[Shadylane]

Hi liam and welcome
There's quite a few threads out there about polytunnels similar to this and it's a commonly asked question. It does seem to be one of the sturdier framed ones and I noticed from the comments that you can buy an anchor kit for it so that's good. The main problem would be the cover I reckon. Those mesh covers don't last more than a couple of seasons I think, as the squares pop out.

We have one similar to this from Gardman. It doesn't have the storm bracing poles on it but the frame is pretty sturdy. The cover which was a clear one ripped at the seams after a week. We eventually got another one free of charge from Gardman and it was one of the green reinforced ones. It was a lot better and lasted us all summer until we took it off late autumn to store over winter.

There are already a few holes in it and the zips on one of the doors are knackered. I had to get some eyelets to rope up the doors. We took ours off for the winter to be safe and so hopefully it would last longer. I don't know how it would last in winter gales but at a guess I'd say not very well.

If you can secure the frame well you'll probably get a couple of years out of the cover and then you'll have to replace. We intend to build a wooden door frame and buy some decent polythene from a polytunnel company eventually, that way hopefully we can leave it up all winter.

So to round up, if wou're wanting something long term, then maybe you'd be better splashing out on a proper tunnel. It just depends on what your expectations are but if you're planning on growing all year round, then I doubt that cover would last very long.

[liam14]

I would like to grow all year round.I live in West Sussex and am only 14 so this is all i can afford at the moment.Thanks for the advice.

[Currysniffa]

Hi liam welcome to the vine You could keep an eye on your local freecycle website and see if you can pick up a free greenhouse, I managed to get one a couple of months ago, now I have two freebie GH's Good luck

[veggiechicken]

Hi Liam and welcome. As Currysniffa says, Freecycle is a good source of free Greenhouses and other gardening bits and pieces. You could try putting a Wanted notice on there and see if anything comes up. It would be a shame to spend £100 on a polytunnel that may not last very long. I hope you find something suitable soon.

[Aberdeenplotter]

All year round?.... it'd depend on where are you based?

Personally, I'd say save up some more and buy a "proper" polytunnel that's anchored into the ground, the cover will last much longer than the one on that linked tunnel.

Be lucky if it lasted a half hour up here today. The wind is howling.

[Snadger]

..........think I just spotted one flying past me on the way to the allotments! Thats not a polytunnel...................its a kite!

[veggiechicken]

After it Snadger. I'm sure we can get it to Liam somehow.

[chris]

Well, you had more money than I had when I was 14

If you do buy it, you'll need to either brace it yourself, or get someone to help you do it. You might get a couple of seasons use out of it - I'd probably start by building a timber frame up inside it to help sturdy it. I'd bury it slightly in the ground, too, and weight down all around the bottom.

As above, you'd probably want to remove the cover in the winter (sorry - but you won't be able to grow ALL year round here.. a few lettuce/winter hard things maybe, but the lack of day light during our winter months means nothing much grows - it just survives if it's hardy enough).

Still, good on you for wanting to get growing at your age - I wish you the best of luck.

(I'd check freecycle also, as above - loads of people have had greenhouses from there).

[unclefudgly]

Bit of a late reply Liam but I have something very similar on my allotment in Brixton, and it has now been up since last march. The winds this past few days have been really bad but the polytunnel is still there and in good order.
If you can I would recommend you stake each upright with at least a 5ft solid iron post of some sort, make sure these are knocked into the ground at least 2 ft deep, then secure each post and each upright from your polytunnel with at least 3 strong zip ties. This is what I did and I think anything less would result in tears or a snapped frame in these high winds.

Good luck