Author Topic: Greenhouse, polytunnel or just go with the flow.  (Read 2722 times)

Jillybean

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Greenhouse, polytunnel or just go with the flow.
« on: August 11, 2022, 10:59:08 »
Hi everyone,
I'm new here. I'm fairly new to gardening, I've done a bit here and there, however I've recently moved to west Cornwall and have a small garden.  I want to start growing veg and salad etc.  My garden is south facing but is in shade a lot of the day due to a neighbours big tree. I was looking at those cheap polytunnels for under £100 but wondered if they were any good?  The other option is a used greenhouse from marketplace.  Then I got to wondering do I need one, would it be beneficial?  Would growing in pots and raised beds be sufficient?  I would be grateful for any advice. Thank you.

Obelixx

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Re: Greenhouse, polytunnel or just go with the flow.
« Reply #1 on: August 11, 2022, 14:37:50 »
Most fruit and veg need plenty of sunlight to do well so it depends on what you want to grow.

Some veg such as salad leaves, herbs like chervil actually prefer a bit of shade.   Growing in raised beds will certainly give you a deeper root run of friable soil providing yo can fill them with good quality soil and compost and keep fertility topped up with annual applications of well-rotted manure, garden compost, lime depending on your crop rotation.

Can you have a friendly word with your neighbour and see about getting their tree thinned or having its crown lifted to give you more sun and less shade?
Obxx - Vendée France

Jillybean

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Re: Greenhouse, polytunnel or just go with the flow.
« Reply #2 on: August 11, 2022, 15:55:56 »
Ive tried speaking to the neighbour but she won't have the tree touched. It's a shame because it only affects our garden, in her garen she gets sun all day as does my neighbour on the other side.  The tree is at the bottom of her garden (she has a corner plot) and the tree towers over ours.  I told her we only wanted it trimming not cutting down but she said no, the council won't touch it without her agreeing unfortunately.

picman

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Re: Greenhouse, polytunnel or just go with the flow.
« Reply #3 on: August 11, 2022, 16:15:42 »
A  £100 poly tunnel IMHO would not be any good, I have had a 10x15(feet) tunnel on my plot for 5 years and it has been a great investment. (£400 ish)  I can grow salad crops almost all year round. As has been said, salad do prefer a little shade. One thing i would say is most tunnels do not provide enough ventilation , you really need doors both ends and large side 'window' vents , I have also had shading inside ( on the south facing side) , I grow all the crops directly in the soil , while adding some organic material over the winter period ... Wooden raised beds just attract pests and soon rot.

( Toms, peppers, lettuce, spring onions, beetroot, cucumber, and beans in pots in May ) 
 
« Last Edit: August 11, 2022, 16:19:09 by picman »

Redalder

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Re: Greenhouse, polytunnel or just go with the flow.
« Reply #4 on: August 16, 2022, 16:38:13 »
If you have moved to Cornwall from "Up Country" I would give it a season before you invest in anything like a poly tunnel, the weather can make poly tunnels too warm in summer. I had one up North (Scotland) but have never needed one down here in the West Country. I do have  small greenhouse for tomatoes and cucumber but the "spares" seem to do OK outside. A bird netting cage is useful to keep pigeons and seagulls at bay ( lots of seagulls even inland) as you are never far from the coast.

Obelixx

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Re: Greenhouse, polytunnel or just go with the flow.
« Reply #5 on: August 16, 2022, 19:09:02 »
It depends on how much space you have and what you want to do with it.

We have a polytunnel here in the Vendée where heatwaves get to 44C in the shade.  It's 8m x 4m and has a door at each end which we leave open all summer for ventilation and also for pollinator access.  In late spring/early summer we put over a green mesh shade net.  In late summer that comes off so the last of the tomatoes and chillies get maximum light.

In winter I use it to shelter my citrus pots along with the tender fuchsias I have in pots and the chooks go in tehre to fossick and have a dust bath on cold and/or rainy days.  In February I start off seedlings of hardy plants and by late March it's warm enough to plant out tomatoes and chilies started off indoors on heat mats.
Obxx - Vendée France

Vinlander

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Re: Greenhouse, polytunnel or just go with the flow.
« Reply #6 on: August 17, 2022, 10:32:12 »
If you have moved to Cornwall from "Up Country" I would give it a season before you invest in anything like a poly tunnel, the weather can make poly tunnels too warm in summer. I had one up North (Scotland) but have never needed one down here in the West Country. I do have  small greenhouse for tomatoes and cucumber but the "spares" seem to do OK outside. A bird netting cage is useful to keep pigeons and seagulls at bay ( lots of seagulls even inland) as you are never far from the coast.

I'm hoping someone will look at proper roof vents for poly tunnels (Top Tips: A design to be tested - polytunnel with roof vent.) and try it before I do.

I was expecting to do it while replacing my Spanish polythene cover - but it's been 8 years now since I started the thread, and the only damage on the cover was caused by a failure of the frame during storm Eunice. The tear shows some slight evidence that it probably isn't as tough as it was - but it could last another 6 years so I'm going to put the vent in when I can find the time.

It would be a curved sheet of twinwall PC designed like the lid of a dumpster so the wind will have less to catch.

Cheers.
With a microholding you always get too much or bugger-all. (I'm fed up calling it an allotment garden - it just encourages the tidy-police).

The simple/complex split is more & more important: Simple fertilisers Poor, complex ones Good. Simple (old) poisons predictable, others (new) the opposite.

 

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