Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Chatting => Design and Construction => Topic started by: digga666 on June 01, 2009, 21:31
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I want to get a large Polytunnel (commercial type)?? for next years crops and want to start sorting things now.
If the Polytunnel is going on good ground ( when dug and prepared ) Am i better having raised beds inside the Polytunnel or just using the ground as is after being prepared.
I want to use this large Polytunnel for Salad crops.
Thanks
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Depends on your soil. If it's OK use it - you may need some boards to keep the soil off the path. If you have to import soil it might be better to put boards all round the beds and use boards to walk on rather than raised beds - more soil usage.
At some point you'll have to change the soil a bit so I would leave it as open as possible for digging and barrowing.
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Do seriously consider drainage, raised beds really do improve drainage on bad sites, but on well drained soil in a poly tunnel, you could end up using more water than the veg is worth if you pay for it.
Bob
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Thanks Guys
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OK raised beds cause in the winter the ground can be wet where this Polytunnel is going.
I can make my raised beds so how deep should i make them? Widest timber round here is 9", so would that be deep enough for a raised bed to produce salad crops maybe?? for sale.
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Our "poly tunnel" ( aka large greenhouse, aka dutch greenhouse ) was very wet ( during dodo summers, never mind winter! ), we decided to put drainage in rather than raised beds as it made rotavating far easier ;)
For raised beds, every inch is an inch above your water table ;)
¥
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Raised beds reduce cropping height in a greenhouse - I have sunken beds in my greenhouse to increase cropping height.
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just erected a 30 foot by 14 foot polytunnel and as season is rushing on I have planted direct in ground for now and all looks to be OK. However as PT is a tall one I am going to put in 4 inch timber edges as sides and form slightly raised beds. Splitting width into 3 foot bed, 18 inch path, 5 foot bed, 18inch path and 3 foot bed all full length except the centre bed shorter at end when paths link and reach doors that open inwards. Seems to be the best use of growing space but still allow ease of movement and tallest plants to go at centre of PT. Also allows crop rotation bed to bed and end to end. Paths in wood chips on weed fabric but at doors will be paving slabs.
Not yet committed to any of this so comments welcomed.
R
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Raised beds reduce cropping height in a greenhouse - I have sunken beds in my greenhouse to increase cropping height.
They must be some mammoth lettuces you have there. :tongue2:
Also, raised beds are a no dig system so no need to rotovate.
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To be honest I wouldnt waste polytunnel space on lettuce, they are easy to grow under a cold frame (unless you do want commercial harvests). Theres many more plants that will make all this effort more worthwhile
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Raised beds reduce cropping height in a greenhouse - I have sunken beds in my greenhouse to increase cropping height.
They must be some mammoth lettuces you have there. :tongue2:
:D My "Salad Crops" list includes Toms and Cues 8)