Author Topic: Not under glass, but under plastic (Read 3401 times)

Suffolklad · « **on:** September 10, 2007, 13:16:31 »

Hi all
I have just finished putting up a wonderful 40' polytunnel on my allotments.
Now I've just about mastered this grow yer veg out in the open bit, but this is a whole new ball game for me. The idea of the tunnel is to extend our season at both ends, and eat seasonally rather than freeze too much.

The thing is, have I gat the poly too late in the season to be able to start anything worthwhile off now to fill the "hunger gap" ?

I've got some caulie seedlings that I'm going to bung in there......thought maybe I'd try sowing some carrot seed and spring onions as we've had a terrible onion crop this year, sow some peas maybe next month, and some garlic cloves.....but is there anything else I can start now ?

We're not big salad eaters so the winter lettuce/radish route isn't for me.....

Any good books aimed specifically at veg and polys that anybody can recommend ?

All help very much appreciated.
Mike

Lauren S · « **Reply #1 on:** September 10, 2007, 14:06:48 »

Hi Mike
I did a google for you, hope this is some help.

I personally don't have a polytunnel, just a little greenhouse.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A848595

Lauren :)

Suffolklad · « **Reply #2 on:** September 10, 2007, 15:50:54 »

Thanks Lauren
I found that myself, but thought it was very confusing - is the last paragraph really talking about poly's, or in the open? Or am I thick? :-[

tim · « **Reply #3 on:** September 10, 2007, 18:20:13 »

40 feet? - wow!!

Never done it, but my first thought is ANCHORAGE. Growers in Scotland had all theirs torn apart. The hurricane shifted our 30' Alton.

My second is VENTILATION. Controlled air!!

Suffolklad · « **Reply #4 on:** September 10, 2007, 18:30:37 »

42 feet x 15 feet actually :o

The sides are taken 18 inches down into the ground, out a foot, then back up, and backfilled with the six tons of earth that I dug out for the trenches

croft8872 · « **Reply #5 on:** September 10, 2007, 18:36:15 »

poly looks wicked

davyw1 · « **Reply #6 on:** September 10, 2007, 22:10:18 »

Polly Tunnels are great, BUT there is a few bad points to go with them. The first being what Tim mentioned, ventilation, that tunnel is going to get awful hot in the middle. The worst is i hope you realize that you should change the top 18" of soil at least every three years as you get a build up of salts and minerals unless you can give it a good flush through with water.

Suffolklad · « **Reply #7 on:** September 11, 2007, 07:26:51 »

It is aligned so the end faces the predominant wind direction, and both doors will be made of nettiung.
I keep a lot of chickens, and also goats, on the allotment, so I don't think that the soil will be a problem.
I pre-mucked it with a good deep layer of diggings from the chook runs before I put the plastic on.
We have very light sandy soil, so keeping anything in the soil is a problem.

There is a dilapidated 50' tunnel on the same field, aligned the same way as mine but more sheltered, and it gets plenty of air through it.

tim · « **Reply #8 on:** September 11, 2007, 10:01:19 »

Can't wait to see the results! Hope you'll record them for us lot?

Good to see that you've thought about ventilation. I know nothing about tunnels, & I know that they are widely used commercially, but I do know that, even with 24 vents, our 30' thing gets too damned hot.

katynewbie · « **Reply #9 on:** September 11, 2007, 10:55:45 »

:o

Wow! I am sooooo jealous. Please keep us up to date with what you decide to do, poly tunnel is a long term plan of mine so I would love to know how you get on.

Sorry to have no words of wisdom..

;)

saddad · « **Reply #10 on:** September 11, 2007, 14:11:19 »

I now have Polytunnel envy... ::)

Froglegs · « **Reply #11 on:** September 11, 2007, 15:03:09 »

You and me both Saddad. :'(

Suffolklad · « **Reply #12 on:** September 11, 2007, 17:43:53 »

I'd better not tell you that I already had a 25' net tunnel then, and built a netting cage onto the side of it to keep the b*****y pigeons away from my peas and brassicas..........

I've half filled the new polytunnel with young cauliflower plants that I had, so does that make it a collypolly ?

davyw1 · « **Reply #13 on:** September 11, 2007, 19:34:54 »

Another bad point. The aftermath of lifting for a show

Suffolklad · « **Reply #14 on:** September 11, 2007, 19:43:27 »

So was the car park inside your poly then? ;D

davyw1 · « **Reply #15 on:** September 11, 2007, 23:44:29 »

No Tanks

Suffolklad · « **Reply #16 on:** September 13, 2007, 13:02:34 »

Has anybody ever had trouble with FOXES and polys?

Amazingly, one has been all over my tunnel overnight, and I mean over!

It has climbed up one section, walked around on top, then slid down.
Then climbed up the next section and done the same, all the way along the tunnel.

Maybe there was a pigeon trapped inside....there was one yesterday.....and it was trying to get to it.
d**n thing has left muddy footprints all over it, and claw holes in the side.

Old bird · « **Reply #17 on:** September 13, 2007, 14:36:41 »

Hi

I have a 25' x 12' polytunnel and am only using it for the first year this year. What I have planted just this week is the salad stuff that you said you didn't like but also I am going to grow some potatoes for Christmas - early ones for next year! I have put in spinach and swiss chard seed. I still have oodles and oodles of courgettes (climbing ones) which take up a lot less space - I have been feeding most of my office for the last 3 months with those! I am also putting in some early strawberries for next year and probably lots and lots more stuff!! My aubergine and peppers are doing magnificently and I will have a large harvest from them - already had quite a few!

I also planted watercress - which grew very well but that is back to salady stuff which you don't like!

My sister in Sussex put broad beans in hers and they were a massive disaster! They can stand a fair bit of rough weather! I am not sure how the winter veg things would like being inside but I am going to have a go with a few just to see what happens!.

Good luck with yours - the Council told me to take mine down this October - but I had asked and received permission twice - so am ignoring them! Fingers crossed they will forget me!

We will have to keep in touch and compare notes. I have a couple of books that really aren't very good at all! I think the best thing is to try and see what works for you and your soil!

Old Bird

manicscousers · « **Reply #18 on:** September 14, 2007, 16:18:15 »

congrats on your brilliant poly..
we have a 30x10 poly, we've had it for three years, we've just planted chinese leaves, not for 'salady' stuff, for stir fries, also mouli radish, they're like water chestnuts, again for stir fries,
our sensyu onions are going in this week, also spring onions, we overwinter parsley , keep basil going later,
you're going to have such a good time with it, we came back to 42lbs of tomatoes and we've still got tons of them coming, chillies, peppers, sweet corn, lemon grass and ginger, melons..sweet potatoes, I can't say about the yield yet but they look promising ..have fun with it, we have a book, gardening under plastic by bernard salt, hope this helps ;D

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Author Topic: Not under glass, but under plastic (Read 3401 times)