Polytunnel Growing Masterclass For Beginners 2024
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- Опубліковано 6 чер 2024
- Let's chat about polytunnels (aka high tunnels, hoop houses etc)! For a temperate climate, a polytunnel is one of the most effective ways to greatly increase the productivity of your garden, and in this video I share all of the key benefits that polytunnels bring, as well as all the top tips for success when it comes to growing your own food using them!
My go-to UK polytunnel supplier: www.firsttunnels.co.uk/
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My Poly is my world! I grow and sit/relax in it all year round. I love to hear the rain on its cover. I read in it. Learning to maximise veggie growing this year. Ordering a second Poly this year too to further undercover growing. A magical world ❤❤
Sounds magical. I didn’t think that I actually can add a seat to the tunnel and enjoy the space even more. Which size/brand you have? I plan to buy my first one so a bit confused at the moment
Last week I started to binge watching all your videos starting 12 years ago. I'm really impressed that you started at the age of 12
Wow thank you so much!!
Same here. That confidence at 12 is absolutely adorable. Don't you dare get rid of those videos.
I've watched some of those too. He was really sweet and confident young man even back then.
When Monty hangs up his TV boots (not for at least ten years), I’m voting for Huw, with a regular section for @simplifygardening
I don't have a polytunnel, but last year I got a small greenhouse and can't believe how it has extended my growing season. Not only does it allow me to extend the growing season both in the spring and the fall, but it also allows me to grow fresh greens year around. Love it!
We built our First Tunnels Polytunnel at the end of August. I am LOVING how productive it is at the moment. Only wish we’d been brave enough to go a bit bigger. We went 20x12ft and I think we should have gone 25x14ft now. Oh well 🤣🤣
Great video
I always like to hear your thoughts and views. Seed saving for me is keeping a heirloom southern field pea in the family, it was started by my grandmother in early 1900's my daughter now the one that will pass them to the next generation. Good luck on your secret garden can't wait to follow from the beginning.
My daughter and her husband moved back in with us (renting and energy being so expensive) and said she wanted a polytunnel so I dug out my 'Veg in one Bed' and some salvaged wood from a skip and branches off a tree, bought a polytunnel cover and some plastic conduit from DIY store and cut the shafts from some golf clubs from the council tip and built a 9' x 5' (central gangway between two 2' beds) polytunnel.
Lettuce and cabbage - great
Tomatoes - fantastic
Cucumbers - amazing (but had to pollinate with a paint brush)
Swiss chard - coming on
Beetroot - leaves but no roots
Runner beans - dead loss, lots of growth but no seed set
Peas - same
Radishes - dead loss
It is of course too crowded! 😉
Still warm and humid inside on a cold October day👍
Best of all it stops the foxes and squirrels digging everything up!!!!
If conditions, including the soil temperature, inside your polytunnel are too warm, your radishes won't develop those lovely, crisp and juicy, spicy roots, and if I'm recalling correctly, your beets won't, either. They might be happier outside the tunnel, but under some protective netting or, if the problem is bigger critters than tiny insects, hardware cloth or poultry mesh. If both insect pests and bigger critters are a problem, try both together, with the netting hooped over the crop row and the metal mesh shaped above and beyond---literally---that.
About the cucumbers.... If you're not wedded to the variety you've grown in your homemade polytunnel, you might want to consider one of the parthenocarpic varieties: they're nearly seedless (so seed-saving isn't practical) but the big advantage to growing these under cover is that they produce fruit without requiring any pollination so the presence or absence of helpful, pollinating insects isn't an issue at all.
This link claims to list the Top 50 Parthenocarpic Cucumbers.
At least one of them ought to serve.
If, on the other hand, hand-pollinating your cucumber plants makes you feel extra gardener-y and more invested in your cucumber crop, I'd be the last person to deny you that pleasure. And for a number of gardeners, it *is* a pleasure and not an odious chore.
And is your polytunnel tall enough to allow you to take advantage of the vertical space to relieve some of the congestion on the ground?
@@bhalliwell2191Don't get me wrong I am well pleased with the results we got but yes we got a bit carried away and planted everything we were given and packets of seeds I had left over from past attempts 😁, we will be a bit more restrained next year.
I was interested with the pollination in that the tomatoes didn't need any help at all so it seems like any insect will do for them while the cucumbers needed help . I did read that runner beans don't like it too warm so that may well be the problem there. As for roots I suspect it is a nutrient imbalance problem, I have never been able to get beetroot or radish or turnip to produce roots and even those that do get chewed. We will keep trying 👍
@@tuppybrill4915 Ohhh---very sorry to hear about the chewing! How vexing! (During the winter, something eats the leaves of my winter-standing leeks. You'd not expect that, would you?---I don't. But something does indeed chew the leaves down to almost nothing, except whatever it is leaves the white 'stalk.')
Right now we have no "undercover" arrangement for our garden, but manage always to have far more seed varieties than we can plant, in any given gardening year, and the garden beds are filled to the max, so we have little or no extra room at any time we're growing.
This is great, I've been planning to adjust my growth sowings with temperatures that satisfy my leafy veggies and I gotta say I'm quite impressed with the yields and produce you shared. 🥒🥬
I'm delighted to say that i got a huge 9.5ft x 40ft polycarbonate tunnel installed last year. I have a lot of work to do soil wise, i have peat soil and have massive cracks! It really will be utilised this year 😊
I bought a First Tunnels polytunnel at the beginning of 2023 but due to Mum's passing, didn't get it finished until early July, so plants were late & a tad stressed.
Having said that, I'm still harvesting tomatoes, chilli & bell peppers & climbing French beans (27th October) & have inter/underplanted with spinach, mustard, lettuce, coriander & rocket.
Go for all the extras regarding crop bars & bracing because they not only reinforce the structure but give places for hanging baskets for strawberries, tumbler tomatoes etc.
Sorry for your loss. Your setup sounds lovely.
Sorry for your loss. Thank you for the information.
I made a DIY tunnel from an trampoline frame and used plastic from a nursery. I am loving the season extension and options it gives me. Already thinking of adding a second.
I have the frame up but we are waiting for some calm weather to put the polythene cover on. Cheers Huw - this is really interesting to learn about.
I love James Prigioni! Great reference
I was told if you live 40 degree latitude or above=East/West. Below 40 North/South orientation… of course it all changes if you have trees or structures in the way. It was explained to me as that in the south we need more ventilation and in the north , they need more sun exposure and holding the warmth
As always a fantastic video with some important details. It is already minus 4c here at night so fleecing within the poly. Have a super week Huw happy gardening 👩🌾, Ali 🥶🇨🇦
Super Video Huw, great to see what you've done in such a short time.
Thanks Dave for asking questions.
Thanks Hew this is just what I needed and wanted. Good luck for 2024 and your project.
Huw, that was a very informative video and a pleasure to watch. Thanks for sharing the knowledge.
“Way too grim.” Yeah, that’s pretty much how I feel about winter. We got our first snow a few days ago. Ick. We get so much snow here that it will collapse a poly tunnel. We pretty much have to go straight up green house. Best, TeresaSue.
brilliant vid looking foward to growing my tomatoes again this year
Thank you for all the good information
This is a good video. You convinced me. I will buy at least one of those, 6x3m. Thank you
Hello from Puerto Rico!, I love your videos!!!
Oh thank you so much not watched yet but I know it will be perfect for me as I just took over a plot with a tunnel.
I have only had tomatoes outside in my small patio garden (Copenhagen, Denmark). In large pots close to a warm wall, and I have never had (knock on wood) mildew. :)
Thanks for this! I was debating on whether it was worth it to repair/replace my current one but I definitely will be now 👍
Great video. Thanks for sharing
It gets far too cold for me to use a poly tunnel but much of what you said applies to polycarbonate greenhouses as well… need serious heating to get through winter though! Gets to -40c here 🥶
Many thanks ..superb video
Thanks for the video! I have a greenhouse. Have rock as my ground inside it. Going to change from hydroponics to how you grow! Thanks
Here in South Carolina, I'm still picking cherry tomatoes outside in late October. :D For my climate, a polytunnel might be a good way to limit gardening to fall and early spring, and just have two seasons that are long enough to get some harvests. Trying to garden in the summer here is miserable.
Yep, i second that! im in Florida, im working on how to garden throughout the entire year but my problem is the heat! for the next summer I plan on making raised beds in my shaded areas, thats because the heats kills everything and keeps me from gardening completely; I’ll utilize my full sun raised beds during the rest of the year. i use my raised beds as poly tunnels by just insulating them during the whole 3 days of below 30 degree weather we get per year 😅
@@luisa_4120 That's a good idea! I don't really have a shaded area or I would do the same!
Great video again! Can you recommend what to grow in the polytunnel all year (winter) to keep the soil healthy and alive?
Super video 👍🏻 really informative. I’m experimenting with mine to see what I can grow for longer. Also grew some spare onions in last year and they were great also not affected by the allium leaf miner? More info on growing veg overwinter in a poly please 😃
See Charles Dowding for that. A tip for onions is to put rows of Winter sets against the outer wall in early Autumn, by the following June you'll have a crop of onions to pick.
I’d like u to do a video on starting planting in the polly tunnel from the start show how to begin from outset
My family tried having this kind of greenhouse for a while, many years ago. But problem was that winter snow and storms tended to really destroy the plastic roofs. It was placed too far away from a path to really make it feasible to go out there and get the snow away from the roof. Eventually we figured out a configuration that would withstand the elements, but also we started to cover over the entire thing with an extra layer plastic before winter, and let that take the hits from mother nature, but it also meant that it was kinda useless for any kind of overwintering activity. So if you live in a cold snowy climate the best thing would perhaps be to simply build the polytunnel entrance directly in connection to your house so you don't need to shovel snow away from half your garden just to get there.
mặc dù không hiểu anh nói gì, nhưng thấy chia sẻ về nông nghiệp là em thích ah
Summers in TX have blasting heat for a greenhouse. Shade cloth on the greenhouse or in it is vital.
Have you considered growing in a walipini? I have a hard time managing the temperature in my greenhouse and love the advantages a walipini would provide with moderating the temperatures. I would be really interested if you had an experience with walipinis and had any recommendations. Thank you for all your videos and books - I love them!
You apparently forgot the link to the Shetlands garden tour? Great video though, very helpful. I aspire to some day have room for a polytunnel
Geoff Hamilton came up with those type of raised bed covers before Prigioni was born 😋( See the vid Gardeners world - building a cloche)
Cymru am byth 🤘 nice one Huw
Hello garden friends😊👋🌱🍅
I have 2 greenhouses (about 8f x 10ft) next to each other, which I inherited when we moved to this property. they are in pretty rough shape and I hope to replace them for one large structure in the coming years. would you recommend a poly tunnel over a greenhouse? I'm right down south in the uk (east sussex) and south facing.
A polytunnel will also protect soil from the nutrient loss resultant from excess rainfall.
Healthy soil does not lose nutrients due to rain, it's a myth.
I so appreciate your videos. Our farm cat could be useful to keep the rodents out of a poly tunnel, you think?
Is there much difference in usefulness ect do you know between a polytunnel and greenhouse? I think I'd prefer the look of a greenhouse in my garden. Plus my father in law had a greenhouse for decades so I like how long it lasts and the fact it's less likely to be impacted by wind I'd think
does the plastic really insulate enough to extend a season? compared to hard plastic sheets double layered with air inside?
I have a question about your book, I live in Greece, hardiness zone 9-10, can I use your book too? Ore is it for colder climate? I see your having more books, I mean the book "Veg in one bed"
How long does one last though?
I'd be worried about it with all the wind we've had recently in the UK, even worse over near you.
Did you say you bury your soaker hose? Hmm I was going to lay on top of the soil but if under the soil works I’m all for that 👍👍
Really struggling with caterpillars, are they worse than usual this year?
That was very informative! My natural growing season is pretty close to mid March through mid November. We will have our first cold snap late next week with a low of 33f and then back up into the mid 40s at night. I think I could grow virtually year round with a tunnel. The only big question missing from this vid is how do poly tunnels compare with real greenhouses? Other than a considerable difference in price. Is there a significant reduction of UV light through the plastic compared to clear glass? That might almost be a benefit for me.
The UV is not an issue, but PTs are colder and cheaper. If wind is a problem then PTs are less prone to damage than GHs. Don't be fooled into thinking they are a silver bullet, if it's -5c outside at night, it'll be -5 inside one too. Soil temp and daylight hours are important to plant growth (more than people realise) and there isn't much difference between those inside to outside in one. I do have one and it does work very well for me.
@@lksf9820 Thanks! In January, my official average temps are 55f days and 36f nights but but last year it was 60 during the day and 41 at night. There were only four frosts with a low of 29F (-1c?). My big problem is it not turning into an oven in the summer with highs around 90f. I thought that poly, being more opaque than glass might stay marginally cooler. Other that thunderstorms, I don't get wind.
@@brucetidwell7715 it isn't noticeable so I wouldn't let it influence my decision. Over here we have (look for Northern Polytunnels) them with sides which roll up when it's hot, or side vents, you probably have them too and other solutions. You can also specify which kind of Polythene you want with different shades or grades of clarity for the reason you state, once again I only know it's on the Northern polytunnels UK website, they have gable end vents too and fans. I would expect that a more opaque polythene to be not only cooler in Summer, but also in Winter and only when the sun is out. Basically it's all out there, the more money you spend, the bigger the spec and more able to cope with high (and low) temps.
@@lksf9820 Thanks!
What are the basic advantage differences between a polytunnel and a greenhouse?
Do the plants still grow well with no pollinators inside?
Pollinators fly in through the doors:)
We have already journeyed down to 1 degree Fahrenheit here in Montana. October 27. I am wondering if I can justify the dollars into a tunnel.
Because it's so cold, you may want to check books by Coleman, Poisson, and Jabbour on winter gardening.
Ive had a small polytunnel for the last 3 years, the biggest problem by far has been aphids and psyllids. Its an absolute breeding ground for them and once they are in there almost impossible to get rid of them. You can spray all manner of home made and commercial remedies but they keep coming back.
Introduce ladybirds into there.
How do you attract them into the tunnel house (and keep them there) ?
I must have the doors open to avoid excessive heat during the day
@@racepics If they don't go in there then put some in, you can buy them. If there is food, no predators and they're happy they'll stay.
What is the soze of your smaller Polly tunnel?
Can polytunnels be used to harden off plants when going from indoor seedlings to outdoor planting? (I live in an apartment and garden on the weekends in a community garden)
Yes but be careful in very cold temps, polytunnels can be colder inside than the outside due to lack of airflow. Naturally you will have the doors closed so you will need a heat source to stop this happening. A hot bed with manure would work. Charles Dowding has a you tube video of it.
@@stephenw1799 thank you! I’ll look for that. my community garden closes during Nov-march, so mostly we are dealing with above freezing temps
@@stephenw1799 That isn't true at all, quite the reverse. If it's still and -5 outside it'll be -5 in the PT too, not colder. If it's cold and windy the plant will feel more cold outside due to wind chill.
@@lksf9820 sorry but it is true that it can be colder inside a polytunnel than it is outside, this is because there is no air flow and the cold air is held within it and can't flow away. It's similar to how frost pockets form in the lowest lying area of a garden. Counter intuitively, it can help if you ventilate the tunnel on cold nights as the extra air flow can reduce that frost pocket effect. I've measured temps inside and outside the tunnel on cold nights and it's been a degree or two chillier inside. But it warms up much faster in the morning.
@@janwilky utter rubbish.
Like with my hair, giving it an annual wash!
Cho tôi biết bạn dùng loại máy ảnh nào để quay những thước phim
🙏💜🌞
Here's a challenge. How do you protect your garden from 4 months of blistering heat? Just asking in jest since that is not your problem there. 🙂
Drape a shade net over?
It is worthwile to grow grapes under the ceiling. This works really well. The vines shade in hot summer but spring, autumn and winter are no leaves on the vines and therefore light is fully available. You can cut back too much growth without problems.
@@turtle2212 Might try growing grapes out in the open over my veg garden to provide shade. Don't eat grapes so could offer them to the neighbours. Too hot for polytunnels here unless I air condition it. 🙂
@@ebradley2306 You can get them (See Northern Polytunnels) with roll up sides.
You could try a shade tunnel
My advice is to stay well away from these cheap Chinese green things you see for 1 to £200, they're guaranteed to take off in the first wind. I live in an exposed area so mine is a proper one (as pictured in this video) from Northern Polytunnels, I wouldn't be able to grow half the plants I do without it. I generally avoid anything with wood too as it'll rot.
Be aware it's as cold in there in Winter as it is outside when it's still and there is no sun and the soil temp doesn't lift high enough for much to grow. I plant Winter hardy stuff in there like onion sets, lettuce, broccoli, beetroot, rocket, Cauliflower etc in late Summer to get an early crop the following year. Have currently got potatoes sown in August in buckets in there so we can have new potatoes for Christmas dinner. Would not recommend it for growing carrots or parsnip, they do just fine outside and need some frost to sweeten them. They're good for climbing green beans (Cobra) too as they grow up the inside wall so don't take up any space.
As for positioning I would watch which way the wind generally comes from. I've put mine East-West so when it blows in Summer it goes in one end and out the other helping it to cool down.
I have on of the "cheap Chinese green things", simply because it is the only one, I could afford😅 It survived several storms and is not going anywhere. You just need to be smart about ankering it. - I bought 2 heavy duty ratched straps that I wraped around the whole structure and then I placed two of my 60l planters on each of the straps inside the structure to hold them down. Works great👍 The straps are also useful for holding shade cloth in place when needed. I just have to loosen the ratchets a bit for that. Easy😊
Rodents? Don’t you have a working cat? You could ad a cat flap easily.
And, of course, there more CO2 in there, from your breath, which aids plant growth.
CO2 in greenhouses can actually be lower than outside, because the plants assimilate it quicker than it is replaced by outside air. With adequate ventilation this is probably never a problem, but can be in relatively tightly sealed spaces. Adding CO2 into the greenhouse air is a common practise in commercial settings but I do not think breathing would be enough. I've heard people use active compost piles to add CO2.