Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Growing in Greenhouses & Polytunnels => Topic started by: Wellington on April 03, 2020, 23:43
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I want a little temporary poly tunnel to put up at the plot just for this year. I’d got a nice clear one earmarked, but their warehouse is closed. Why are most of them green? I want MORE light and warmth for mostly tomatoes and a few chillies and aubergines. Not a dingy green one that looks like it needs the algae washing off!
Am I missing something? Commercial polys aren’t ever green, so why are the little ones? I only want about 2x3m. Anyone know of any clear ones available?
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They are cheaply made polytunnels, and the green mesh strengthens the plastic a bit.
You get what you pay for... the green mesh cover on mine only lasted 2 years, although some people have been luckier with theirs.
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I was going to buy the clear better quality polytunnel, but on my allotment the clear polytunnel kept getting ripped by cats, foxes and other animals whereas the cheap green ones didn't, but they are def not as good apart from that. I got a green one a 6x3 but put sandbags down both sides for extra strenth
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I was planning to dig it in, but if they are as awful as all that, I’ll not bother. Our plot is very windy, and I’ll probably gov for a proper tunnel later on, but I can’t manage it at the moment.
Do the green ones grow things ok? I’d have thought everything would struggle for light.
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Mine works fine, the plants grow very well, it is quite warm and the soil is still moist where as outside it is like concrete already. The green also looks like it stops the plants getting burned in the heat of summer. Tbh my green one feels the safe as my friends good quality clear one, except the build quality. I did also dig mine in but I also used sandbags on top as it gets windy at my site
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I bought a cheap green 6x3 polytunnel, 7 year's on it's still standing. Year 2 the zip on the door broke and the mesh on the Windows disintegrated, it then blew the cover off that winter despite being dug in. My husband decided to build a wooden frame 2 decking boards high with the posts in concrete. He put another decking board on top for an edge then nut & bolted the poly frame to the decking boards, we rolled the bottom of the cover around long wooden poles and held it all in place with long screws. Since then it's never moved and the extra height inside is a bonus, next time I want 3 decking boards high!
It's still bright inside for growing and the plants don't get scorched either.