Teach me from your mistakes ?

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plottopot

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Teach me from your mistakes ?
« on: September 17, 2013, 15:57 »
I'm a new recruit to allotment.org.  The day nears, the installation of my first 10 x 30 ft polytunnel.  I'm not a complete novice veg grower but am new to the tunnel club.  I can find plenty of good advice on what TO DO.  Please tell me what I SHOULDN'T DO ? 

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Annen

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Re: Teach me from your mistakes ?
« Reply #1 on: September 17, 2013, 17:42 »
Wot us? Make mistakes? Never! ;) ;) ::)
Anne

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JayG

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Re: Teach me from your mistakes ?
« Reply #2 on: September 17, 2013, 18:38 »
Bit of a cop-out to suggest that if you do what you're supposed to do you won't have to worry about what you shouldn't be doing!  :lol:

Did you have a greenhouse or smaller poly before ordering your almost industrial-sized one?

I've had a 10X8 greenhouse for just 3 years now and I've still got a lot to learn, not just because I've never had one to grow stuff in before, but also because your location in the country and your polytunnel's location in your plot or garden can make a big difference (hot sunny spots, cooler spots, humid spots etc.)

Two things are very important, especially with a PT which many of us would envy for its size  :tongue2: - balancing warmth, humidity and ventilation are very important all year round, and I wouldn't personally recommend "going for broke" in the first year trying to grow everything you can possibly think of - start by trying some of the more reliable greenhouse crops (tomatoes, peppers, early potatoes and salad crops, possibly sweet potatoes too.) With so much space you could raise an awful lot of veg and flower plants for planting outside too.

(Note that I haven't mentioned cucumbers - haven't mastered them yet but others find them easy!)
Sow your seeds, plant your plants. What's the difference? A couple of weeks or more when answering possible queries!

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mumofstig

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Re: Teach me from your mistakes ?
« Reply #3 on: September 17, 2013, 19:35 »
I wouldn't have thought that you would class sweet potatoes as
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reliable greenhouse crops
   :unsure:
Got hardly any to eat when I tried them  :(

It might be worth buying this book (or borrowing it from the library) ;)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Polytunnel-Book-Fruit-Vegetables/dp/0711231702/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b

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JayG

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Re: Teach me from your mistakes ?
« Reply #4 on: September 17, 2013, 19:51 »
I wouldn't have thought that you would class sweet potatoes as
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reliable greenhouse crops
   :unsure:
Got hardly any to eat when I tried them  :(

You've slightly misquoted me there Mum (I did say "possibly sweet potatoes.")

Worked for me though - no way of being certain but I can't think they would have done any better out in the open here.

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Sparkyrog

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Re: Teach me from your mistakes ?
« Reply #5 on: September 17, 2013, 21:55 »
I'm a new recruit to allotment.org.  The day nears, the installation of my first 10 x 30 ft polytunnel.  I'm not a complete novice veg grower but am new to the tunnel club.  I can find plenty of good advice on what TO DO.  Please tell me what I SHOULDN'T DO ?
The mistake many make is to plant too close in it don't fall into that trap  :)
I cook therefore I grow

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plottopot

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Re: Teach me from your mistakes ?
« Reply #6 on: September 18, 2013, 10:22 »
Thank you all for your advice.  Joyce Russell's book has been bought. I have a 12 x 20ft greenhouse but wanted the polytunnel to grow winter veg.  We are almost 1000ft above sea level so our winter weather has made growing winter crops less then successful.  I'm hoping I can improve this with the polytunnel and time spent with the contributors on allotment.org ! :D

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3759allen

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Re: Teach me from your mistakes ?
« Reply #7 on: September 18, 2013, 23:44 »
my worst mistake was probably under estimating the heat that you get in the tunnel in such a short space of time. a half hour sunny spell will make it into a sauna even with cold air temp outside. your better to over ventilate than come back to wilted crops.

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devonbarmygardener

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Re: Teach me from your mistakes ?
« Reply #8 on: September 19, 2013, 18:24 »
I'm a new recruit to allotment.org.  The day nears, the installation of my first 10 x 30 ft polytunnel.  I'm not a complete novice veg grower but am new to the tunnel club.  I can find plenty of good advice on what TO DO.  Please tell me what I SHOULDN'T DO ?
The mistake many make is to plant too close in it don't fall into that trap  :)

Oh yes - me too!!
My teeny greenhouse is full to bursting - not to healthy for the plants though! ::)

I'd love a huge poly like yours plottopot - very envious! :tongue2:

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Sparkyrog

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Re: Teach me from your mistakes ?
« Reply #9 on: September 19, 2013, 21:24 »
I'm a new recruit to allotment.org.  The day nears, the installation of my first 10 x 30 ft polytunnel.  I'm not a complete novice veg grower but am new to the tunnel club.  I can find plenty of good advice on what TO DO.  Please tell me what I SHOULDN'T DO ?
The mistake many make is to plant too close in it don't fall into that trap  :)

Oh yes - me too!!
My teeny greenhouse is full to bursting - not to healthy for the plants though! ::)

I'd love a huge poly like yours plottopot - very envious! :tongue2:
Best not see mine then DBG 20x14  :)

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devonbarmygardener

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Re: Teach me from your mistakes ?
« Reply #10 on: September 19, 2013, 22:10 »
You can b off too :tongue2: :tongue2: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

VERY JEALOUS!! :lol:

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Sparkyrog

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Re: Teach me from your mistakes ?
« Reply #11 on: September 19, 2013, 22:19 »

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devonbarmygardener

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Re: Teach me from your mistakes ?
« Reply #12 on: September 19, 2013, 22:32 »
I briefly had one of those cheap small poly's last year with the zip up doors and within 2-3 weeks it was found one morning in the plot next door :( :( :( :( :(
A mangled wreck! Don't ever waste money on them!

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Sparkyrog

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Re: Teach me from your mistakes ?
« Reply #13 on: September 19, 2013, 23:02 »
Look at first tunnels ,Thats who I got mine from  :)

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Rampant_Weasel

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Re: Teach me from your mistakes ?
« Reply #14 on: October 14, 2013, 16:11 »
my worst mistake was probably under estimating the heat that you get in the tunnel in such a short space of time. a half hour sunny spell will make it into a sauna even with cold air temp outside. your better to over ventilate than come back to wilted crops.

same here, i thought my lettuce had not germinated - i realised it had and been burned off by the scorching heat of april! think the cold frame is plenty warm enough for lettuce!

 

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