Polytunnel and Greenhouse Growing

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GrannieAnnie

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Polytunnel and Greenhouse Growing
« on: February 14, 2009, 13:43 »
I've been asked to put a sticky on here to help those of us who either want to start growing in polytunnels and greenhouses, or those of us who already do.

So I will add links to interesting sites and information, and perhaps put down some of my own experiences of my last 4 seasons growing under glass and polythene.

If you have anything to add, please put a thread on here, and I can add it to this sticky.

This was my first and tidiest growing season!



Thanks

BOOKS
Vegetables and Herbs for the Greenhouse and Polytunnel by Klaus Laitenberger
Gardening Under Plastic By Bernard Salt  -  How to use Fleece, Films, Cloches and Polytunnels
The Polytunnel Handbook by Andy McKee
The Polytunnel Companion by Jayne Neville

WEB LINKS

Polytunnel Growing & Monthly Guides
http://www.citadelpolytunnels.com/
Home - Polyhouses
http://www.polytheneone.com/
Polytunnels | Poly Tunnels | Polytunnels for Sale
http://www.polytunnels.com/
http://polytunnels.me.uk/



edited to remove faulty link
« Last Edit: April 29, 2020, 18:59 by mumofstig »

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GrannieAnnie

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Re: Polytunnel and Greenhouse Growing
« Reply #1 on: February 15, 2009, 09:11 »
OOOh another one!  I'll add them to the sticky later on, but we going out for the day in a minute!  (Only to step son and snotty DIL, but OUT!!!!! yyyaaaaayyyyy

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mumofstig

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Re: Polytunnel and Greenhouse Growing
« Reply #2 on: February 15, 2009, 09:20 »
As the say ..............have a nice day :D

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GrannieAnnie

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Re: Polytunnel and Greenhouse Growing
« Reply #3 on: February 15, 2009, 23:20 »
Thank you!  Actually, we did have a nice day!  we took the children their Christmas presents as we hadn't seen them for ages, and they are into Lego at the moment and I'd got them lots of bits of lego like doors and fencing and bushes, and some bases.  they were really pleased with the bases especially

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GrannieAnnie

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Re: Polytunnel and Greenhouse Growing
« Reply #4 on: February 22, 2009, 22:10 »
Thanks for reminding me about this post RG, just lately I've been getting carried away talking about chickens!

Oh yes, polytunnels are good as a winter dust bathing area for chickens too!!    :D :D

polytunnel dustbathing.jpg

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mumofstig

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Re: Polytunnel and Greenhouse Growing
« Reply #5 on: March 29, 2009, 15:16 »
My small tunnel will go up soon, so can you tell me please ...when do i sow cobra beans for growing in large tubs inside it?
I am also going to grow a couple of squash, as they did so badly outside last year......... so will i have to hand pollinate them?
It seems funny that for all the usual culprits.........toms, peppers, aubs there is info easily available but for anything else it's difficult to find :(

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GrannieAnnie

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Re: Polytunnel and Greenhouse Growing
« Reply #6 on: March 29, 2009, 16:25 »
Hi Mumofstig, I usually put things in the greenhouse a month earlier than I do outside.  I have grown some beans and peas in my polytunnel, and they did reasonably well, but not as good as those outside, probably because I sometimes forget to water them enough! 

I think to get better pollination of your squashes in there, yes hand pollinate them, but with the door open, you will still get a fair amount of bees and other things buzzing around in there.

I'm not an expert on polytunnels though, just got asked to do a sticky as several people know I have one of my own! lol.  Mainly I grow tomatoe and chillies in mine, with a few odd things like cucumbers and anything left over from outside.  I even grew some potatoes in the one year.  Yield wasn't as good as outside potatoes, but there was no scab or anything on them!!!

I dont' usually hand pollinate anything, but then my last lot of melons in the polytunnel didn't do very well.

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mumofstig

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Re: Polytunnel and Greenhouse Growing
« Reply #7 on: March 29, 2009, 16:49 »
Thanks Grannie....i better get me beans started then.....good job i've been making paper pots today :lol:

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GrannieAnnie

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Re: Polytunnel and Greenhouse Growing
« Reply #8 on: October 02, 2009, 21:31 »
Whilst watching the poultry video on The Garden Channel yesterday, i also noticed this one on polytunnel growing, made by First tunnels, so I thought I'd put it in here.

someone may find it interesting!

http://www.thegardenchannel.tv/feature.aspx?id=156g21a20&title=Why%20A%20Polytunnel

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rowlandwells

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Re: Polytunnel and Greenhouse Growing
« Reply #9 on: February 04, 2010, 14:10 »
hi Mumofstig i to have found my two poly tunnels very useful i started of with one polytunnel some ten years ago i installed a hot box heater in the tunnel when i was growing bedding plants but found it to expensive to run so i packed up growing bedding plants and concentrated on other things we now have two tunnels one we grow strawberries in and the other for general use mainly starting of our cabbage brussels broccoli etc and then plant up the beds with tomatoes after there finished  its used  for winter storage but yes they are to my mind a valuable asset. just a word of advise for what its worth some councils do require you to submit a planning application for polytunnels depending on its size and location its worth checking into that if any ones thinking of getting one again it  depends where you are what council if its near your house on your ground or on the allotment

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mumofstig

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Re: Polytunnel and Greenhouse Growing
« Reply #10 on: August 09, 2010, 20:24 »
what are you all planning to grow in your tunnels over the winter?
I'm planning on winter hardy lettuce and endive/radichio, corn salad, parcel, some chard and a few onions to start from seeds.

There must be lots of other things :unsure:.................................

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sunshineband

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Re: Polytunnel and Greenhouse Growing
« Reply #11 on: August 09, 2010, 21:28 »
My new polytunnel is very small (2m x2.5m ) and still in the box becasue the patch it is going on still has some potatoes in it  :ohmy: :lol:

But the plan is to grow winter salads, spuds in bags, and get the leek soff to a good start again after Christmas

 (Arrgghhhh I mentioned the C word in August -- sorry!)
Wisdom is knowing what to ignore - be comfortable in your own skin.
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GrannieAnnie

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Re: Polytunnel and Greenhouse Growing
« Reply #12 on: August 09, 2010, 21:37 »
Unfortunately, after Brian giving his workshop up to the turkeys 2 years ago, my lovely polytunnel is now his workshop and storage facility!

He has his table saw in there, dust extractor, rotovator, lawn mower, all his odd bits of plywood and all the bits of wood he is cutting up for the winter! oh and a workbench! No room for my stuff at all!  :( :(

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sunshineband

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Re: Polytunnel and Greenhouse Growing
« Reply #13 on: August 10, 2010, 18:45 »
I think I shall need Mr Sunny's help to put the thing up but he is not, repeat not, going to copy Brian this time  :lol: :lol:

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mumofstig

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Re: Polytunnel and Greenhouse Growing
« Reply #14 on: August 10, 2010, 19:16 »
make sure you fix the frame down with some rods or angle iron, though sunny ;)



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