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Polytunnel ventilation / watering
New Allotmenteer
Posts: 33
Hello,
I have just put up a 36 ft x 16 ft poly and am unsure about the ventilation it will need. It is a poly with rails (the plastic is attached to rails leaving about 4 inches gap to the floor all round).
Should I leave it as is as will ventilate well in warmer months or should I build up the earth all around to keep the cold out?
Watering - I was thinking about using an electric drill pump/hose attachment and a handful of water butts to water as needed - it is an allotment so no electricity supply and I can't get down there every day unfortunately. Other ideas very much welcome!
Thanks!
0
Posts
It depends on what you are growing. Local farmers around here have poly tunnels as you describe with open bases and racks down the side for growing strawberries and other fruit. I used to have a poly tunnel a long time ago and grew cucs, toms, chillis, squashes and melons, but I grew them in raised beds down the sides of the tunnel to reduce watering needs - cucs in the shade of my grape vine and toms in the full sun. I needed some ventilation, but gaps at the bottom would have been a problem. I did grow a grape vine very successfully, by planting the root ball outside the tunnel and angling the main stem inside, up a support frame, then trained it down the centre of the roof. That reduced my watering needs a lot.
I will (hopefully) be growing: melons, beans, lots of tomatoes, lots of chillis, aubergines, peppers, sweetcorn, herbs, some potatoes, strawberries, and anything else I can think of. I'm sure it'll fill up very quickly...
Hi there.
I have two tunnels. One is 56 feet by 21 ( old school measurements sorry) and has netting up to to 1m high in which I grow hardy stuff , eg herbaceous perennials.Even this tunnel can get HOT.
The other is 48 x 21 and is all poly which gets unbelievably HOT. I've had to install a "window" on the back to let a flow of air through.
I'm afraid it'll be trial and error and you need to expect a few casualties along the way.
its funny the garden I work at has just taken down the poly tunnel had to use a tractor to pull up the anchor pins I burnt the raised bed boards and have 30 to 40 feet of what looks like black water feeder pipe to get rid of as well as the metal tunnel rods
stick it on freecycle Bulkerb
I will ask the owners although its technically rubbish I never take things unless I ask I live just outside Henley on thames