green house growing

[veggiechicken]

You've given yourself a project to think about now! Planning what to buy, where to site it and how to plant it. That should keep you occupied until you're up and about again!

[redser]

I dont see why that would be a problem at all As VC says you could level it out and bob's your uncle.

[Two_Sheds]

most things will grow faster and healthier under cover than out in the elements.

... including pests. You're going to have to battle greenfly, whitefly, slugs and possibly red spider mite too. And caterpillars, those little ones that abseil down off the roof

Plus you'll have to be up the plot twice a day to open and close the vents, unless you get auto vents. I wouldn't have a gh on the plot, but I have one at home where I can easily access it.

You can create microclimates without using big structures: netting alone creates a nice little warm sheltered area for instance. I'm convinced this is why my onions have done so much better this year (I netted them against leek moth, but they've grown bigger & better for being out of the wind).

Ugly as it is, I am tempted to cover the whole plot in a giant tent

[Two_Sheds]

things that I noticed did much better undercover are peas and french beans.

I've got one French and one soya bean in my gh to compare with the ones on the plot. The gh Frenchie matured slightly quicker than the outside ones, but there's not much in it. The soya looks to be the same way.
I guess you'd get more of a contrast if your conditions were darker/cooler than mine (generally drier and brighter than the west and north of the UK)

[redser]

The ones outside just got battered by the weather which hampered their growing. Got a good crop in the end but nothing like inside the tunnel. Also I seem to be slug free at the moment in the tunnel. I'm using soaker hoses which keeps most of the soil surface bone dry. Did an experiment with carrots in pots inside and out and the inside ones are doing far better too.

[darcyvuqua]

has anyone seen any of the river cottages? hughs polytunnel looks amazing everything looks so healthy

[redser]

Yes indeed. This is a great blog/diary I read too ...
Nicky Kyle Gardening
She has sections for in the tunnel and outside down along the right side.

[redser]

Check the grapes in pots in this entry ...
August in the Polytunnel and Greenhouse 2011

[veggiechicken]

This is worth a look too Bunty's Blog - YouTube. I visited her garden near Laugharne a few weeks ago. The polytunnel was jampacked and all looking great.

[darcyvuqua]

wow thanks everyone this thread is getting quite interesting now

[redser]

Bunty's the biz Spent a whole day going through her diary entries up there

[veggiechicken]

She's a lovely lady too and her real name is Annie!! This is her garden NGS - Garden

[Bigmallly]

Re: the OP, maybe some hard to grow fruits. Peaches, Apricots, Nectarines, Melons, Grapes.