Do you have a polytunnel on your allotment?

[Likac66]

So... I have a greenhouse at home - very small, just 6' x 5' but it's all that I can fit in my little garden.

I am considering having a polytunnel on my allotment so I can put more tomatoes and peppers in there. It would probably have the plum tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers. I would keep the chillis and other tomatoes in the greenhouse at home.

However, I can easily nip out to my greenhouse every morning before work and evening to water it, open and close windows, doors etc. I will not be able to do that at the allotment - I could go most evenings but not in the mornings.

I was planning on using grow bags but with growbag pots which also have watering rims. The tunnel can go in a slightly shaded area and I was going to have a green cover rather than clear.

Does anyone else have a polytunnel on their plot that they do not tend to every day in the summer? Is it feasable or am I just going to have dead plants very quickly?

Thanks for any advice.

[SarzWix]

I think you'd be fine in the summer because you could give everything a good soak in the evening, and leave the doors open all the time for ventilation. It's the spring/autumn that you might have problems because the door would need to be opened in the morning and closed at night to prevent things cooking in the sun. In a greenhouse you could fit automatic openers to the vents but you can't do that with a polytunnel...

[Alison]

Yes I have a 20' by 10' tunnel on my lottie plot. I've set up an auto watering system which works by gravity on a timer off water butts. I can't get there every day but leave the doors open all summer and uncover the top section of the doors in spring and autumn so the mesh lets air through. I have no problems and it works well BUT I plant almost everything in the ground, the only exception being some hanging basket toms which are in self watering containers. I think you're making yourself a lot of extra work if you use pots and bags as you have to take much more care of the plants.

[Aberdeenplotter]

My tunnel is 25ft x 10ft and I pretty well agree with everything Alison has said. I have a ventilation kit along one side of my tunnel but had to add polythene hinged covered frames as otherwise my plants would chill in our cold nights.

[Likac66]

Hmmm... that's got me thinking. I was planning on using growbags this year as where I'm going to put the polytunnel hasn't been dug over yet and so it's covered in grass and weeds at the moment.

So, if I dig that over first and plant directly I would have a better chance?

[Aberdeenplotter]

You will never be stopped watering if growing in containers of any kind in the tunnel. I use black and white polythene in my tunnel. Black side down. Keeps down weeds, keeps in moisture and white side reflects light back up to underside of leaves

[Likac66]

Right, but I would still have to dig it over first though, wouldn't I?

The area is covered in grass at the moment. Can I just dig it, turning the soil and grass over and then cover it in plastic to try to stop the grass from re-growing? Then plant the tomatoes, peppers etc through the plastic?

Sorry if I'm asking stupid questions, I've only ever grown in containers before.

[stoney147]

My first year in my tunnel
Hi just go for it and take top layer of grass off and dig it over. This was my first go last year using coke bottles and Morrison buckets cut in half, my version of ring culture water into bottles feed in bucket worked a great.

[Likac66]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]34754[/ATTACH]Hi just go for it and take top layer of grass off and dig it over. This was my first go last year using coke bottles and Morrison buckets cut in half, my version of ring culture water into bottles feed in bucket worked a great.[ATTACH=CONFIG]34753[/ATTACH]

Ooh - looks great. You've inspired me. Right. Plan for next two weeks is to focus on getting this set up.

[Darwin.]

I have a 26' x 10' tunnel down the back and a 14' x 8' greenhouse. I finished weeding all bar 1 bay of the tunnel today and put another 17.5' x 3.5' x 9" raised bed. I'll be leaving an area down the bottom for containers and multiplanters (herbs and strawberries) but never considered that stuff in containers needed more attention.

I open the doors in the evenings and weekends but never have a chance to go near it in the mornings at any time of year.

[stoney147]

My little piece of heaven