What to grow in a communal polytunnel?

[spanish_gardener]

Sorry for open this post, but I could not find a post concerning what to grow in a communal polytunnel.

Since a lot of people/groups use it and not everybody take care of it, I do not really know what to do grow in it. My first idea was to grow tomatoes, but there are rest of tomatoes and other stuff on the floor. I suspect tomatoes will be likely to get blight and all the plagues on earth...

I am wondering what vegetables are easier to grow there, which ones are less trouble free, etc. and if my seed trays will be fine there... I was thinking to make some wooden boxes and have carrots, cover them with enviromesh. I do not really know what to do. The space is 400cm x 200 cm.

I would love to hear your suggestions.

[Newton]

Communal veg........I guess you would each have a go at something different. Each take responsibility for a particular veg. Toms, cucumbers, chillies and melons and Aubergine come to mind immediately but courgettes and other veg too I would imaging.........

Do you each get 2mx4m?

[spanish_gardener]

Communal veg........I guess you would each have a go at something different. Each take responsibility for a particular veg. Toms, cucumbers, chillies and melons and Aubergine come to mind immediately but courgettes and other veg too I would imaging.........

Do you each get 2mx4m?

Yes, each allotment has it own space in the polytunnel which is 2mx4m each. Sorry, I should not say "communal" because we are lot of people and schools using the same polytunnel, but we have our own space, we do not share crops, etc.

[Darwin.]

2m x 4m is a good sized space. You could plant quite a lot in that. I suppose you look at your list of what you fancy growing and eating, figure out what's best to grow inside and that what you put in it. I'd be thinking corn, tomatoes, peppers and peas.

[WendyC]

Assuming by corn we are talking sweetcorn, wouldn't there be a problem with pollination as it is wind pollinated? Never grown it in a polytunnel so I'm just wondering. Tomatoes, cucumbers, aubergines and peppers would be my suggestion. Peas will grow outside so would give the space to something that would struggle outside.

[spanish_gardener]

2m x 4m is a good sized space. You could plant quite a lot in that. I suppose you look at your list of what you fancy growing and eating, figure out what's best to grow inside and that what you put in it. I'd be thinking corn, tomatoes, peppers and peas.

To be honest, I like everything! I am more worried about growing vegetables which are susceptible of contagious pest, such tomato blight, because some people do not keep their space properly. They sow stuff and they do not come back for weeks or months. I do not know what vegetables to grow that will be safe from other spaces's pests. Most people seems to grow tomatoes and beans. I have never grow peppers, but I am going to look into it. Cheers!

[Hazel at the Hill]

I wouldn't do tomatoes for the reason that it would be sod's law that the first sign of blight would be on the tomatoes of the very chap who has just disappears on holiday for 2 weeks, and no one else is going to wade in an scrap all of his suspect plants.

I'd do chilies (as you can't really do those outside), and aubergines (ditto). Then at the end of the season I would certainly make use of some space for overwintering lettuces

[spanish_gardener]

Assuming by corn we are talking sweetcorn, wouldn't there be a problem with pollination as it is wind pollinated? Never grown it in a polytunnel so I'm just wondering. Tomatoes, cucumbers, aubergines and peppers would be my suggestion. Peas will grow outside so would give the space to something that would struggle outside.

Thank you, Wendy. I am going to look for old post about growing sweetcorn in a polytunnel. I have some cucumber seeds, lemon cucumber and gherkin. I was going to grow then outside, but I may grow them in the polytunnel. Also, I think I have some aubergine seeds from a couple of years ago. Much appreciated.

[Darwin.]

I've only been growing a few years, I've never heard of tomatoe blight before. The leaves on my beans went black last year and my chives got infested with flies and had to be thrown out. Other than that I've never had any problems so wouldn't have a notion what is more or less resistant to pests. Hopefully you get plenty if advice from others though.

[spanish_gardener]

I wouldn't do tomatoes for the reason that it would be sod's law that the first sign of blight would be on the tomatoes of the very chap who has just disappears on holiday for 2 weeks, and no one else is going to wade in an scrap all of his suspect plants.

I'd do chilies (as you can't really do those outside), and aubergines (ditto). Then at the end of the season I would certainly make use of some space for overwintering lettuces

Last year I grow chillies in my bedroom's window. I got lots of wee chillies during Christmas. Considering the circumstances, they did well. I may go for chillies as well.

[spanish_gardener]

I've only been growing a few years, I've never heard of tomatoe blight before. The leaves on my beans went black last year and my chives got infested with flies and had to be thrown out. Other than that I've never had any problems so wouldn't have a notion what is more or less resistant to pests. Hopefully you get plenty if advice from others though.

I do not normally have too much trouble in the allotment either, just aphids and other pest which were easily solved with a solution of Fairy liquid and water or chopped tomato leaves. I am concerned for contagious pests because some people sow stuff and they do not show up for a long time.

[spanish_gardener]

I decided to grow chillies, peppers and tomatillos (I will have a few outdoor plants as well). Will carrots, aubergines, scorzoneras and cardoon be ok? I don't know if the temperature will be too high...

[Alison]

I usually grow some early (and sometimes late) carrots in the tunnel but not many as they do fine outside and as somebody has already said above, you're better off using the space for things that don't do well outside. For that reason I'd not bother with the corn or much in the way of peas - although if you start them off inside nice and early then you can get a crop off them before the summer plants go in - I sowed some in guttering at the end of Jan and they're growing nicely in the tunnel bed now.

[spanish_gardener]

I usually grow some early (and sometimes late) carrots in the tunnel but not many as they do fine outside and as somebody has already said above, you're better off using the space for things that don't do well outside. For that reason I'd not bother with the corn or much in the way of peas - although if you start them off inside nice and early then you can get a crop off them before the summer plants go in - I sowed some in guttering at the end of Jan and they're growing nicely in the tunnel bed now.

Thank you. I've never grow those here and I wasn't sure whether they will do well indoors or not, and my plot is very tiny and I don't have more space for those.