polytunnel

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lotus

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polytunnel
« on: June 08, 2015, 19:49 »
Hi I am a novice veg and flower gardener. I have a half acre plot of land where I live and have a part of it for a cottage garden. Six raised beds and a10 m x 3 m polytunnel and same fruit cage. I work and also look after this land which is sandy soil and a constant battle with weeds I live in a rural area adjacent to a farm and woods. Its a great place but now we have a massive problem with rabbits andcthey are chomping away on my veggies and flowers although we have made nets and hoops. So my question is ive been thinking about getting another polytunnel to grow vegetables so the rabbits wont destroy everything. What are the best things to grow and can i have a supply of veg all year round from polytunnel. Many thanks

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mumofstig

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Re: polytunnel
« Reply #1 on: June 08, 2015, 19:52 »
welcome to the forum  :)

I'll move this over to the polytunnel part of the forum, where you are more likely to get some answers  :)

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Sparkyrog

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Re: polytunnel
« Reply #2 on: June 08, 2015, 20:58 »
will be simpler to answer if you put a rough location in your profile . Big difference between Cornwall and Yorkshire  :)
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crh75

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Re: polytunnel
« Reply #3 on: June 09, 2015, 16:01 »
A cheaper option might be to put some wire mesh fencing around your veg beds.

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Hoopman

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Re: polytunnel
« Reply #4 on: June 09, 2015, 23:39 »
I had  a similar problem myself with Rabbits. Like you I am in rural location surrounded by farmland and my front and back gardens have plenty of rabbit activity. Ant trees and hedges I planted over the years always need protection around the base of the stems and lost count of the amount of shrubs I lost to them.
As crh75 suggested the wire mesh fencing is the way to go for the outdoor veg plot and make sure you bury the wire at least 9 inches into the ground and also bend it out towards the front at a 90 degree angle for another 9 to 12 inches so they can't burrow under the fence.
I also use polytunnels for growing and made up 2ft barriers with wire mesh for the doorways so the rabbits can't get in when I need to leave the doors open during the summer, and I have often looked out at the back early some mornings and seen rabbits lurking around the tunnels eyeing up the produce inside

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lotus

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Re: polytunnel
« Reply #5 on: June 10, 2015, 20:48 »
Thanks all. Does this mean i can grow any vegetables andcsome fruits

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Hoopman

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Re: polytunnel
« Reply #6 on: June 11, 2015, 22:41 »
This is only my second year growing veg inside or outside so would consider myself an novice.
Last year what was successful for me in the tunnel were: Spring onions, Carrots, Leeks, early Potatoes, Peas, Beetroot, Parsnips, Onions, Scallop shaped Squash round shaped Courgettes, Lettuce, Tomatoes, Sweetcorn and Strawberries

The unsuccessful were: Cabbages, Cauliflower and Brussels Sprouts as apparently they are cool season crops and they bolted in the heat of the tunnel. I did have some success with the sprouts but I was for ever picking caterpillars from them on a daily basis.
In the autumn I planted some more Spring onion and carrot plants and they were semi successful but the spuds I planted in September gave me loads of problems as their was a lot of condensation in the tunnel during the autumn as the doors need to be closed in the evening and there was very little ventilation getting in.
I also had to cover the tunnel with netting around end of May as the tunnel got very warm for the summer months

That's really a synopsis of my experience so far, but as I said I am only a novice at this

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Eblana

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Re: polytunnel
« Reply #7 on: June 11, 2015, 23:12 »
You can grow more or less anything in your Polytunnel (I think Sprouts and Purple Sprouting Brocolli are about the only things I haven't tried).  Klaus Laitenberger has a very good book on growing in a Polytunnel (John reviewed it back in March 2012).  I have found it really helpful and I now have my PT producing for most of the year.

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jambop

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Re: polytunnel
« Reply #8 on: August 21, 2015, 16:48 »
Buy a gun and shoot them. This might seem cruel but if you eat them I think it is a great way of keeping them under control. If you sit out of an evening with your rifle and pop them off you are giving yourself and friends a source of free protein which is better than anything you can buy in the shops. I would not mind having a problem like you have within a couple of weeks you would notice a huge difference... down here you never see a wild rabbit.. the French love rabbit :)

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jonnyjamup

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Re: polytunnel
« Reply #9 on: September 18, 2015, 19:34 »
i agree with jambop,buy a decent air rifle problem solved,if you don't fancy killing anything theres loads of responsible shooters out there that will jump at the chance.

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sunshineband

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Re: polytunnel
« Reply #10 on: September 19, 2015, 09:43 »
The site where our plot is, is also surrounded by farm land, and rabbits are a major problem for us all.  Our plot is fenced with small gauge chicken wire, buried down about six inches and turned out at right angles under the ground by ten inches or so. The fence is a metre tall, and rabbits do not jump over it.

We have paving slabs by the gate entrance, so that they cannot burrow their way in at the point either. All works well, as long as the gate is kept closed.

I only have a tiny polytunnel so cannot say much about growing under cover like this, except to say I have just planted out mixed winter salad leaves.
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sonnycbr

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Re: polytunnel
« Reply #11 on: September 20, 2015, 19:52 »
I grow stuff in 2 polytunnels and also in beds outside. The rabbits have done damage to everything outside but because I use raised beds in the tunnels, they are rabbit proof. The beds are about 20" high so help prevent back ache as well. I would also add that we have 2 lads on our site that shoot the rabbits but still they come.



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