How big ?

[polc1410]

OK, so I know everyone says get as big as you can when they refer to greenhouses, polytunnels etc.

I have a 5 Rod Plot, which currently has no plastic / glass on it. Next year its probably going to be sporting something - what yet I don't know.

I like the idea of hotboxing so I'm probably going to hotbox some stuff over winter. What exactly I'll grow in that I don't know. I guess there will be a wee bit of salad stuff, plus some strawberries and a spud or two squeezed in so I can proudly post on here that I've just harvested by first earlies in March as everyone is posting that they are planting...

There will be the usual want to grow 7 million seeds so I guess I'll want some glass or poly for that. But I'm also keen to try:

• Melon (aim for 5 or 6 melons)
• Cucumber - aim for 10 cucumbers
• Tomato - grew 1 cherry and 2 money maker outside this year and had loads of crop
• Possibly some sweetcorn (8 would be enough...) - yes I know about polination
• Passion fruit - aim for 20 to 30 fruit if possible (son loves them... ...think they are minging myself!)
• Grape - although my better half says we don't!

So my question is how big does it need to be to fit in my jungle of plants...

Have I missed any really obvious things I should be growing under plastic... (We aren't fans of Peppers or Chillis)

[Vince G]

We have 2 x 5 rod plots and have a 10' x 10' polytunnel on one of them.

We grow all of what you've listed apart from grapes (which I think need to have roots outdoors) and have never tried passionfruit. Also grow a few leafy bits and pieces over winter (chard, pak choi, winter lettuce, radish spring onion etc), plus the peppers and chillies you don't especially like, and gherkins for pickling.

All I think I'd add to your list is basil (which, in a tunnel seems to get a lot bigger and lasts a lot longer into the winter) and aubergines which can take ages to ripen outdoors, plus a hanging basket or two of strawbs which you'll be eating 3 or 4 weeks prior to the outdoor ones. Try a plum style tomato like Giulietta, great big fruit which are perfect for pasta sauce.

[Two_Sheds]

I have a 5 Rod Plot, which currently has no plastic / glass on it.

That's half a plot. I wouldn't waste the space, tbh. You have to be up there every day for a greenhouse, watering & ventilating. twice a day in high summer.

I wouldn't have a gh on the lotty ~ mine's at home

[polc1410]

That's half a plot. I wouldn't waste the space, tbh. You have to be up there every day for a greenhouse, watering & ventilating. twice a day in high summer.

My garden is FAR TOO SMALL for a GH / Tunnel. I'd guess in rods its 1 rod!

BUT... the plot is directly in front of my house. I guess I have to walk a whole 70feet to get to the lottie gate and 70 feet back to the plot.... I suspect some people have to walk further to their GH in their own garden!

During summer when it was hot we were over everynight to water raised beds etc and harvest stuff.

I'm very into automation so would almost certainly look at some form of self opening vent to stop it over heating. Would probably also look at getting a RaspberryPi (power from small solar panel & 12V battery) to do some control for me - maybe a bit of self watering etc. Can link it back to the house via WiFi so I can have a text/email to tell me its too hot / too cold in the GH or tunnell without needing to be there 24/7...

BUT... yes the 5 Rod Plot is one of the reasons I don't want the GH/Poly to take up too much space...

[Alison]

I have a full sized plot so probably double or so the size of yours and have a 10' by 20' polytunnel on it. I have set up an autowatering system off the water butts so don't need to water during the week (so long as I ensure there is water available to gravitate into the soaker hose) which is a blessing as I can't always get there due to work commitments. Over winter I have brassicas in there which will produce in the spring as well as salad leaves, chard, spring onions and spinnach. In later winter I'll have some earlies in, some early dwarf peas, broad beans and mange tout as well as more salad stuffs. This will gradually get replaced by sweet potatoes, tomatoes, cucumber (although one plant is plenty and I'm usually giving / pickling some so goodness knows what you'll do with the fruit off 10!), sometimes a melon or two, aubergines, chillies, sweet peppers etc. I'd not go for sweetcorn as I grow that outside and I also grow grapes outside but it does depend on the variety. I'd not be able to grow all I do with a smaller tunnel and I start loads of things off at the 6' square greenhouse back home. I find the tunnel to be totally brilliant but you do need to ensure that you have sufficient space for all the outside stuff. They still get pretty cold in winter (not worth heating in my opinion) and the only way you can control temperature is by opening the doors and (if you buy one with that facility) you can sometimes roll up the sides somewhat. My greenhouse by contrast has auto opening vents and windows which work on a gas pressure thingy.

[Vince G]

Defo put the polytunnel on the lottie then!

A 5 rod plot is approx 1,300 square feet, so a 10 x 10 poly would take up less than 8% of your space and you'll be surprised how much you can pack into the remaining 4.6 rods. You'll have all the toms and cukes you'll ever need and still plenty of room outdoors to grow plenty of grub. Defo grow a few sweetcorn in your tunnel. Surely part of the point of a polytunnel is to extend your crops' seasons. Our first polytunnel corn was ready in mid-July, it was a further 5 weeks before the outdoor stuff was ready.

[vikkib]

... the plot is directly in front of my house.

Very nice! There are some houses whose gardens back onto our plots and I'd love to live in one of those!

Worth checking with whoever runs your site whether they have limits on the size of GH/poly tunnels. On our plot the biggest size you can have is 2.5m x 5m (about 8ft x 16ft) and you have to get permission before you put anything up.

The last thing you want to do is invest all that time, money and effort only to be told to take it all down again!

[polc1410]

Vince Is there a reason you went 10x10 rather than say 8x12 or 6x16?

Polytunnels tend to be rectangular so curious what the advantage of a square one is?

[polc1410]

Vikki

there is an approval process but looking at some of the others on the site there is maybe no maximum footprint!

Need to work out what I'm asking for before I can ask!

[Alison]

Vince Is there a reason you went 10x10 rather than say 8x12 or 6x16?

Polytunnels tend to be rectangular so curious what the advantage of a square one is?

10' is a standard tunnel width for a lot of suppliers.

[daviddevantnhisspiritwife]

I read this thread and am getting envious. Think I am going to save up for a poly tunnel and start working on SWMBO. Any helpful suggestions?

(Aside from wishing me luck.)

[Yasai]

Hypnosis?

[daviddevantnhisspiritwife]

Dunno about the effectiveness of hypnosis, my thoughts were maybe something a little stronger like a mallet.

[veggiechicken]

You'll need a mallet for hammering in the pegs to stop it blowing away