I am having a bit of a dilemma - which, if you can only have one (for the near future at least) would you choose?
I want to be able to grow all of the usual summer stuff - toms, cucumbers, peppers, the odd melon. I also expect I will be raising a lot from seed (the polytunnel I have my eye on has a work bench option).
I am veering towards a polytunnel at the moment, only because they are much cheaper and I like the idea of being able to grow early broad beans/pots/courgettes and to extend the growing season a bit longer.
However, I am not convinced polytunnels get warm enough to germinate seedlings - or (even though this is a well ventilated one) the humidity would cause them all to dampen off.
Decisions decisions - would be very glad for any input!
"A pretty face is fine, but what a farmer needs is a woman who can carry a pig under each arm"
Building the dream while chained to the desk...my blog The Part Time Smallholder
Our polytunnel used to be 60 ft long but after a careless lorry driver damaged one end it's now shorter! You will find that a greenhouse holds heat more evenly than a polytunnel. Temperatures are more extreme in the tunnel. For really early seedlings we have a cheap 4 tier mini greenhouse inside the tunnel which we zip up at night. You also need to factor in that the polythene cover needs replacing after a few years. There are various grades, some of which have better UV tolerance. We have to dig the polythene out of a trench each time we recover the hoops so once the current one has run it's course we will not replace it. You also need a very still day and lots of help to cover the hoops. Good ventilation (as with a greenhouse) is very important. Take note of the prevailing wind in your area and position your greenhouse/tunnel accordingly. One of our first tunnels took off in a gale - not something we would wish to repeat. Hope that helps.
Thanks Irist, that is very helpful, I hadn't thought of a greenhouse inside a tunnel. Digging a trench sounds hideous, but the model we have our eye on has a wooden base that the polythene is tacked to instead. - you pay more, but I think it is probably a good investment!
One question about positioning, our prevailing wind is northerly, but I had read the tunnel should be positioned north/south to make the most of the sun. This would also mean the prevailing wind blows through it. I guess this is good for ventilation, but does this make it a no-no from a blowing-away-in-a-gale way?
"A pretty face is fine, but what a farmer needs is a woman who can carry a pig under each arm"
Building the dream while chained to the desk...my blog The Part Time Smallholder
Hi Bonnie. One of the tunnels we had was positioned N - S and that's the one that blew away! It depends on how exposed your site is. We are on the spine of Cornwall and are susceptible to gales/high winds from both coasts. Our prevailing wind is normally from the SW. Once a high wind gets inside a tunnel it will find any weakness. On this particular occasion the wind ripped the doors open and there was nothing we could do. I guess in landlocked Wiltshire you will be less vulnerable. Good luck!
"A pretty face is fine, but what a farmer needs is a woman who can carry a pig under each arm"
Building the dream while chained to the desk...my blog The Part Time Smallholder
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