Buying a polytunnel

Hi,
Like a few people on here I have only had my allotment for a few months. Last year I only grew beans and peas as I needed to do a lot of work and my first aim was to get my chickens settled in.

I am putting raised beds in but like the idea of a polytunnel to stand up in to start things off.

I see the benefits of sowing from seed  as cheaper than buying plants.
Being able to grow a few bits in winter.

Any more benefits ?

Is a polytunnel better than a green house ? And can anyone recommend good ones to buy that are reasonably priced ?

Thanks
 

I thoroughly agree that it is worth investing in protected growing space, for the gardener as well as the plants
IMO good small polytunnels are as expensive as greenhouses, specially if you can find offers on the at the DIY sheds. That's how I got mine for £169 just before Christmas

most of us on here agree that the sort of polytunnels that you buy cheaply only last about a year or 2 at best.

I see the benefits of sowing from seed  as cheaper than buying plants.
Being able to grow a few bits in winter.

Any more benefits ?

If you don't mine the faff of raising plants, rather than sowing direct, I think there are some benefits:

Plants are reasonable size when planted out. The weeds are always one step behind (compared to direct sowing)

Earlier crop if you can start tender things off a bit early

Exact numbers, no gaps in the rows. I start 4 Cauliflowers off each fortnight, and half a dozen lettuce. (No neat rows here though ... looks like a patchwork quilt!)

Downside is Faff (time, plus you need a supply of pots, and have to be around to water the "babies") and some cost (multi purpose compost - but that does get added to the soil via the rootballs, so I justify it as "soil conditioning")

Is a polytunnel better than a green house ? And can anyone recommend good ones to buy that are reasonably priced ?

I prefer a glass house - but they are hideously expensive by comparison.  Mine came off eBay, second hand, and were cheaper than a new same-size polytunnel would have been - they come up on Freecycle too.

You allotment may have a policy on no-glass, or no-plastic for that matter ... glasshouses that fall down / yobs chuck stones though, are a nightmare of glass chards for future allotment owners, and abandoned plastic that has deteriorated into small pieces is not very pleasant either.

Only downside is the need to attend it regularly - watering plants, and opening in the morning to let air in, and closing at night (you can have automatic openers for Glasshouse vents - and you can rig up unattended drip irrigation for either) - that's obviously easier if the greenhouse is in your garden, or the Lotti is not far away - and if you don't go away a lot!

Thanks japagow and kristen for that it's really useful ! I wouldn't have a problem with the watering as the allotment gets visited two or three times a day it's just across the road from the house and I have chickens there so they are visited to be let out etc xxx
I'm thinking that a greenhouse might be better and might be more sturdy and last longer !
I do like the idea of starting things off indoors first hopefully I will be able to get a greenhouse soon xx
Thanks xx

Sally 10.

The allotment, veg growing bug is addictive.

Within any association there are  the noble SAOPRA (- skip-and-other peoples-rubbish-awareness-) clans. Dedicated hunters. 

You will discover if you haven't already, that several houses in your locality have got old greenhouses/sheds standing idle in their gardens. Skips full of interesting bits of wood, guttering and useful steel rods are about to make themselves known to you.


Manifest the SAOPRA vision by saying after me.

I want a greenhouse for free, I want a greenhouse for free, I want a greenhouse for free
and  one will be made available to you.

You can't fight it. Join us. We are everywhere.

I got my 6ft x 8ft greenhouse for £10 from a friend of a friend.
The advice i would give is go looking around peoples gardens (from the road) and if you see a greenhouse in their garden go and give them a knock and ask if they still use it.
You find that if they don't and you ask and offer to dismantle and take it away they only ask a few quid for it.
I know of 6 people on my old site that did this and got one very cheap.

A little bit of cheek can sometimes get you what you want!!