[Mark's Sussex Allotment]

Morning,

I've got a second hand polytunnel for the first time and I was wondering if plants would get a little bit leggy inside?

Or does the light get through enough for it not to make a difference.

[smellykipper]

it will realy depend on how much light your polytunnel gets through the day, i would of thought they would get leggy if your tunnel is shadowed to much ?

[m1ckz]

i was wondering that too..i have a new 1 for this year..one of those green covered ones,,havent got the cover on yet,,this week hopefully,,,but we will see   gl with yours

[fatcat1955]

I have the green covered one and it works fine. Just position it so as it is not shaded at all. Remember to dig a trench around the base , put the excess cover in the trench and back fill, stamping down the back fill as you go. be prepared in a couple of years to repair/replace the side vents.

[mumofstig]

Things grow just fine in a tunnel. There's not always a lot of light at this time of year, but as the days lengthen it's ok 

It's surprising how bright they are inside in the summer, even the green ones.

[m1ckz]

mine is size 2x4by 2 mtrs high,,i can get a new cover fot 39 pound   so if after a few yrs its not so bad to replace it

[3759allen]

i've trialled some brassicas in the tunnel this winter and they are a bit on the leggy side. however i was a bit late putting them in and they wasn't as big as i'd liked. all things considered i think they've done pretty well and lot too leggy, will try to improve next year.

in sping and summer no issue of lack of sunlight. more of an issue keeping the heat down on sunny days.

[pink aubergine]

Is the cover mesh or plastic? If plastic, it can get very hot even on slightly sunny days. On very hot days, you can hardly step inside its so hot. Ideally you need to have window at one end that you can open, and perhaps a door with mesh insert.
The expensive tunnels have roll up plastic sides leaving mesh for the first couple of feet. It all boils down to whether you can visit morning and evening to open and lock up, or just put up with what ever the weather throws at you.

On one of my tunnels hubby installed solar powered fans to draw the hot air out, bought on ebay from a boat store, the sort of thing they use on boats, cheaper than horticulture suppliers.

[sunshineband]

The cheap little ones do usually have at least one low down ventilation panel at the end opposite the door, covered with fine mesh.

Keeping this open has stopped ours blowing away in the gales on our site 

[3 allotments]

i was wondering that too..i have a new 1 for this year..one of those green covered ones,,havent got the cover on yet,,this week hopefully,,,but we will see   gl with yours

Hi m1ckz i also have one of these tunnels 20ft x 8ft x 10ft ive never had any problems with plants getting leggy ,just big lol.   Darren