Polytunnel and Greenhouse - differences and best use

[Jenny22Cumbria]

Hi all,

My boyfriend and I have just taken over a new allotment and we were really pleased to find that there's a large Polytunnel and a small greenhouse on the plot.

I've grown in a greenhouse before but not a polytunnel and I wondered if anyone can tell me if there's any difference in temperature and what the two are usually used for. I'd like to put a grapevine in the greenhouse and I thought we'd do the majority of our indoor growing (tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers...) in the Polytunnel. Does that sound sensible to you experienced folk?

Any advice on what to do (and information about what you do) would be really useful.

Thanks,
Jenny

[Bigmallly]

To be honest Jenny, I treat them both the same.

[marchogaeth]

I only have a tunnel but I have been told that tomatoes, peppers, chillies do do better under glass.

The best advice I can give you is buy this How to Grow Food in Your Polytunnel: Amazon.co.uk: Mark Gatter, Andy McKee: Books It is the best investment I made (even before buying the tunnel).

Borrow this from the library http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Polytunn...EHHJ7MAKXZMKMR

And if you want to think about pushing the boundaries of you growing season in 12 or 18 months get this

The Polytunnel Book: Fruit and Vegetables All Year Round: Amazon.co.uk: Joyce Russell, Ben Russell: Books

Good luck and enjoy.

[Alison]

I only have a tunnel but I have been told that tomatoes, peppers, chillies do do better under glass.

I find my toms etc are better in the tunnel than my greenhouse but suspect that is siting related

[marchogaeth]

I find my toms etc are better in the tunnel than my greenhouse but suspect that is siting related

Well I would go with your experience ratther than some random comment I've remembered.

[Aberdeenplotter]

To be honest Jenny, I treat them both the same.

As do I. The Tunnel is easier to keep cool as it has doors at each end but otherwise I find no advantage one over the other

[Bigmallly]

The only bonus I find with a tunnel is I don't keep banging my crown...............

[Martin H]

The only bonus I find with a tunnel is I don't keep banging my crown...............

I usually remember to take off my regalia when gardening. Saves the servants all that polishing.

[bravo2zero]

ive both and find no difference in conditions except tunnels ventilate better and i dont use the tunnel for heated propogation. missus has even used it to dry the washing when she runs out of washing line. theres some good books out there one of the best is bernard salts growing under plastic.

[Alison]

ive both and find no difference in conditions except tunnels ventilate better and i dont use the tunnel for heated propogation. missus has even used it to dry the washing when she runs out of washing line. theres some good books out there one of the best is bernard salts growing under plastic.

Agree re the Bernard Salt book, it's excellent and gave me loads of ideas.

[Bill HH]

The main difference is that it is easier to hide in a poly tunnel.

[Alison]

The main difference is that it is easier to hide in a poly tunnel.

Nah, they're both see through so can see you in either......

[Kristen]

The main difference is that it is easier to hide in a poly tunnel.

Sounds like a sizeist comment I can hide in my cropping greenhouse, but not my smaller propagation greenhouse ... but I prefer the potting shed - tailor made for hiding in

I bought a 12' x 10' greenhouse off eBay (i.e. 2nd hand), for propagation etc., with the intention of getting a longer tunnel for cropping ... a 30' x 10' greenhouse came up on eBay for £400 so I bought that instead of a tunnel.

No idea which is better for this, or that, but glass doesn't need re-cladding so suits me better.

WRT ventilation I think that far too many glasshouses have far too little ventilation. I reckon that one roof vent for every three glass panels, that is on each side of the greenhouse, is about right and for smaller greenhouses err on the side of having more - round up the calculation - and addition of some louvres [i.e. in side walls] aids convection

I cannot get away with convection alone in the middle of Summer, but at other times of the year I do not want the door open, the "draught" causes far more transpiration, and thus stress, if the plants than convection cooling.

[Bill HH]

Just to clear things up you cant see into my poly tunnel, the plastic sheet is not as clear as glass. You can however determine shapes, so when in covert mode I take on a profile such as a tea pot. Or alternatvly I sit down and try to look like a sack of spuds (quite easy for me).