Polytunnel lessons learned and changes for 2023
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 ม.ค. 2023
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No one ever talks about the specifics of watering in winter and it is incredibly helpful to hear Steve. I am on my first winter with a greenhouse and though I didn’t water often when I did I soaked it and that was a big mistake because the advice generally given in videos is generally ‘don’t water as much’ . I know now from experience so it’s not a bad thing I’ll be better next winter but it’s so helpful to hear it from you.
If you have containers or seedlings in modules they will need watering Christie, but plants in the ground shouldn't need any water, provided you get them established, which for me means planting in early October : All the best - Steve
It’s also our first winter with a home poly tunnel Steve, and we had no idea what it was capable of producing. Cucumbers romped away, we had so many we gave loads away, but I’m still planning to do the same this year as they were the best tasting ever. Our late tomatoes were only helped to mature better as the summer was long, but I agree 100%, our outside toms had the better depth of taste, and produced bumper crops. We didn’t think about the watering in winter, and taken onboard your advice to reduce it down (I did sneak a water in just after Christmas, but all seems well, got away with it as no fungal problems😅). You are our gardening guru Steve, we have a couple of people we follow like Charles D. I just love your garden planner/ebook, it so generous of you to share. Thank you
You might get away with that December watering if we get plenty of sunny weather in January, it's always mid-January that I start losing plants to stem rot, anything that survives to mid February is ok. It's useful to watch me and Charles, we garden so differently you get a very different perspective : All the best - Steve
Thanks again Steve so helpful 🙏🏼
Thank you! Very educational!
I'm going to try and build a polytunnel this year at the plot now its clear :)
Game changer for me and my polytunnel was a battery powered pump. (Mines a Bosch but there will be others) I pump directly out of a water barrel or a small pond I dug. Stops most of the hand watering and saves time. You could load up a high level tank inside the polytunnel with the pump for drip feeders if you wanted that.
I have that pump too, but I need to be there to use it, and if I'm there I don't mind hand watering. I'm setting up a system for watering when I'm not there : All the best - Steve
It’s sensible to make these amendments to reduce your workload for the future,, I’m still getting caterpillars on my ‘all year round’ cauli’s ,,left with stalks and wilted leaves,, will persevere ,, the cold snap before Christmas took all my tundra cabbages outside so maybe they need to come inside the poly next year ,, yes the watering in the summer is a bit of a tie but the results are worth it ,, I never stop learning with gardening and the planning and looking ahead is what keeps me going, best wishes, Lisa
Yes, I've watched a lot of allotment holders get older and they often end up giving up if they have an injury or illness that leads to their plots getting away from them. The lower the workload, the easier it is to weather such interruptions and it makes holidays a lot easier too! : All the best - Steve
Tomatoes grown outside in the U.K. 2023 were a disaster because of the blight - polytunnel tomatoes were untouched! The minimum inside a polytunnel is usually 3C warmer that the minimum outside
I've never found that to be true in winter at night, I suppose it depends where the thermometer is
My outdoor tomatoes out performed my polytunnel ones, neither got blight, I'm a big believer is diversity, we've never gone short of food all year round that way : All the best - Steve
@@SteveRichards I have a thick layer of gravel on the floor of my polytunnel, I wonder to what degree (excuse the pun) it’s heat retention is a factor?
@venenareligioest410 possibly, but damp dark soil has a pretty high specific heat capacity too. Are you seeing a 3c difference in winter?
Very useful information, thanks! I think the summer usefulness may depend on location. I'm also coastal but up on the Solway Coast near the Borders. I have managed both tomatoes and cucumber outside but it's a bit hit and miss depending on my weather. We get some very cold and high winds, even in mid summer. I've lost peppers, Tom's and cucumber to it. Great idea for the tables, I think I'll try my greenhouse cucumbers like that.
Absolutely, context is everything in gardening and if you are new to my videos you'd not know that my outdoor ones are trailing varieties that are in a sheltered, sunny spot in the garden, next to a nice warm brick wall. My chili peppers are also in a similar spot, my main crop sweet peppers are all under polythene low tunnels. Cucumbers do so much better in a polytunnel or conservatory, that I rarely both with them outside : All the best - Steve
@@SteveRichards I am new, so I'll check out those low tunnels.
See also my ebook, linked in the description, everything there, hundreds of videos, build instructions, growing guides etc
It’s my first year growing in the polytunnel we put up last summer. This has been such a helpful video for me and will shape what I grow inside and outside this year. Cheers Steve.
Thanks for the feedback Sara, much appreciated : All the best - Steve
I absolutely love this video! Apart from a bit of pot growing, I started my growing journey with a polly tunnel, I still don't know what I'm doing, I grow EVERYTHING I grow in it. So it was so useful to hear that I'd be better off with spinach out side, and even tomatoes. What you said about the high value crops in the polly tunnel was so useful! Thank you!
Lots more videos etc in my ebook chapter on polytunnel and greenhouse growing www.notion.so/steverichards/Polytunnel-greenhouse-growing-e260fa0b71bd4dea9a9003c74bdb9ce7?pvs=4
Everything tastes better when outside and kissed by the sun.
Very useful info. I am planning changes for this year (as in creating some under cover winter growing space) and what you have to say will help me make best use of very limited space. Thank you.
Thanks for the feedback Linda, everyone's needs are different, but it's good to get your objectives clear at this time of year : All the best - Steve
I think you should have a look at installing a solar watering system. I use a 30 watt panel that charges a 12v system, that’s then connected to an ‘on-demand’ pump from a caravan / motorhome. I then run a normal watering timer (Gardena) and works really nicely. I ran it every day over Summer to water the polytunnel and tomatoes and cucumbers were very happy. Let me know if you’d like further details. Was a good science experiment too.
I already have all of the various bits and pieces, so I don’t want to spend any money on it. If it doesn’t work though I will be in touch
Very useful video. Will be re sheeting my tunnel soon. Watering the poly tunnel in the summer is too much work. Was thinking of trying to grow in tubs with a water reservoir with overflow in the bottom.
It's an option and some people love to do container growing in their greenhouses and tunnels, but I so much prefer growing in the ground : All the best - Steve
Great advice gained from your experiences, Steve, thank you. Physalis varieties flourish in a greenhouse or polytunnel in summer; they are thirsty plants though and would benefit from growing in the ground if frequent watering is an issue.
I did buy some once, but I got dud seeds and it put me off : All the best - Steve
Good insight as usual, cheers Steve. Regarding shelving, I'm makng my greenhouse shelves (15'x10') out of 25mm angle ally with 'lat' inserts, so the frame of the shelf can be folded down against the sides with the lats removed, this will give me 10'x4' greenhouse bench space when needed, but with flexibility.
I have basically the same, my trestle tables just lift on and off in a couple of second and my hanging shelf just slots down the side of the north edge of my tunnel : All the best - Steve
I might try more cucumbers in the polytunnel as they are a good way to create a little shade. The tromboncino's do well and give some shade too.
They do indeed and you can get a nice early crop. I used to grow them in containers for a few years, but I might try one plant in the ground in the tunnel this year : All the best - Steve
I have fig trees (and now an apricot too) in my tunnel, they love it! I use soaker hose in the growing beds, gravity fed from my stacked IBCs. No mains water on our site though so managing the algae can be a challenge! Ants have been the main pest problem in the tunnel for me, in the past I’ve had loads of crickets but they don’t seem to cause any damage and just eat all the other pests!
I had ants for the first time last year, but they didn't seem to affect the harvest. Do you have black IBC tanks like me? I've never had algae problems : All the best - Steve
I do wish I'd got another tunnel with space for trees! I'm planning a big upgrade to the kitchen garden for my 70th birthday (a decade away) and I might have space then! : All the best - Steve
The ants are a nuisance, especially when they bite, but mostly they only affect in-ground strawberries (which the wood lice also love) so I’ve stopped growing those in ground in the tunnel! Sadly all my tanks are the opaque ones. Generally algae in the water hasn’t been a problem but last year we had loads of blanket weed. Can’t jet wash the tanks out so it’s a case of trying to treat without harsh chemicals.
I’ve fortunately never had an issue. I wonder how the algae manages to grow without any light? : all the best - Steve
Hi Steve . My first winter growing in the polytunnel . Been using heavy duty storage boxes that I bought from Halfords to grow salads along the sides. When the frost risk reduced I lifted them to outside and shaded them. One mistake was that I should have put some 1 litre yougurt pots to lighten their weight. My plan is plant some of them up outside before I return them to the poly in the autumn. They fit perfectly into growbag gravel trays. I agree the tunnels are fantastic in autumn winter and spring. I was thinking of installing automatic watering but decided to go with a small dip tank inside the poly connected under ground to a large tank outside at the same level. Have you thought about shade clothes? Can’t find any good uk videos on installing and what sort of Percentage shading suitable for Kent. Been also thinking of solar fans or chimney to extract the very hot air.
hi Richard, yes, I use mylar blankets for shade, like this th-cam.com/video/p1yzgCsJFuo/w-d-xo.html btw lettuce don't mind frost, so you don't have to wait until it's frost free to move them outside : All the best - Steve
I bought my polytunnel in the mistaken belief that it would keep plants warm in winter. Imagine my surprise when the data logger inside registered more degrees of frost than outside! Research told me that my plastic covered and closed doors kept the air inside the tunnel still resulting in more frost than outside where any wind reduced the frost.
I replaced the door panels both ends with insect netting and use fleece as you do when frost threatens.
Yes, I always try and mention this in my winter videos and my ebook. Greenhouses are slightly better, maybe 1c above the outdoor temperature, but polythene is all about trapping the heat in the ground during the day and fleece keeps it there.
Looking forward to see how you do the gravity fed irrigation. Its on my list of to do for the spring
It will be very much cobbled together from free bits and pieces that companies have sent me over the last year, but it might work : All the best - Steve
Last summer I used some self-watering pots by Greenhouse Sensation (based in Lancashire!) and they saved a lot of tomato watering. A bit expensive to buy but perhaps they might send you a set to trial, Steve?
I grew alot of tomatoes in my greenhouse but found to cut down to 1 I think and grow some pepper in there instead. Be interesting to see your water drip idea, hope it works. That's the 1 job I hate watering
I actually quite like watering when it’s just a weekly activity, but in mid summer when it’s daily in the tunnel and containers it’s a bit constraining. So just removing the containers will help a lot, drip might help even more
@@SteveRichards yea I feel the same, I'm going to try and get those long tray and put my pots in them and then water the tray and see if that helps this year. At least the water won't leak out the bottom of the pot and go to waste lol
Hi Steve, loving this video on polytunnel growing. I like most people thought it would be warmer and better for growing indoors. Curious to know what type of Summer Leeks would be best in a polytunnel. TIA.
I grow porbella, but Lincoln are good too, it’s worth trying any variety though
@@SteveRichards thank you.
Hi Steve, I’ve been using drip feed watering for about 4 years. All my water barrels are on raised platforms, about 1 metre high with pallets, to provide some head pressure with gravity timers. One barrel is in the poly tunnel to sort of keep the water at a similar temperature to that of the plants. I also use this barrel to feed the plants by allowing it to get low, pour the feed in then fill the barrel back up, much easier that using a watering can. When the plants are small the watering is less and as they grow I increase the time the water is on. In the summer it is twice a day for 5 minutes. I store about 4300 litres of water which is probably not enough for the whole season, I could do to get it up to about 6000. The barrels are connected by siphoning from one to another using pieces of hose pipe. Using this method weeds get very little opportunity to grow because the watering is focused on the plants. I only need to tie up the plants as they grow plus pick the produce. I use a tubing hole punch tool for the connectors to the main pipe, available on Amazon, with screw in connectors, easier than push in and less drips. Basically I don’t have to pick up a watering can for the whole season in the poly tunnel. The filters need cleaning because of insects getting into the poly tunnel barrel. I guess that’s labour saving.
Cheers
Martin
Thanks for that, you’re giving me confidence that gravity fed might work ok. I’ve 6k litres of water but that’s for my whole plot, fortunately we have tap water available in early May usually : all the best - Steve
We also have tap water but I like to try to use it as little as possible. I have my watering in 4 different sections, 1 in the poly tunnel, 1 IBC and the barrels in 2 groups. This lets me use the water as I need plus if I need to clean a set of barrels out I can shut them off from the rest. The barrel in the poly tunnel can be filled up with tap water when I add the feed without letting it circulate back into the rest of the system. If I am running low on water I can turn off one set of barrels and the IBC enabling me to have enough water filled by tap water to keep the watering going.
Our rain water is a lot more acid than our tap water, which is slightly alkaline, so most of the plants seem to like the tap water more, I try and save the rain water for the potatoes and blueberries : All the best - Steve
I think that I would like a poly. I don’t know where I would put it with the wind!
Modern quality tunnels do well in the wind, so long as you don’t have flying debris
Could you use the Bosch water butt pump for irrigating the greenhouse? When I was looking in to getting drip irrigation for our greenhouse it seemed like it would work.
Yes, but I’d have to be there, it can’t connect to a timer
👍👍👍
its hard to believe that the plastic doesn't trap at least a small amount of heat in the winter
No, multiple thermometers don’t lie, if you want to trap heat you need fleece
How do you control slugs in your lettuces, I've put some of mine into baskets because of the slugs I've been finding under the tomato halos. I have five labs, one is a pup, so I'm careful what I put down.
There's no easy solution for slugs and snails. I can use pellets because my lettuce is covered with a fine net. I've a section in my ebook here: steverichards.notion.site/Dealing-with-pests-d43c58a85b6b44bb8c5d7a0203b44488?pvs=4
Steve did you find the variety of tumbler tomato that you can start three weeks earlier? As I want to use baskets for next year, and make sure I have the seeds before they sell out.
Red profusion
Hey Steve , have you brought in your strawberry plants to the polytunel yet?
I have brought in the baskets, but the tubs will stay outside until later in Feb : All the best - Steve
Interesting, informative & particularly relevant to my plans Steve, as First Tunnels delivered my 10x20 polytunnel this morning & I'm sitting here weighing up what other crops I can use it for apart from those on my list (cucumbers, peppers & tomatoes in summer & first earlies in 30l containers prior.
I never thought of leeks - which variety do you recommend for a summer crop?
Autumn/winter is already down for salad material & a decent amount of garlic, as my outdoor ones always seem to suffer from wind & other things breaking their tops off.
You should check out my book and look at the chapter on polytunnels, loads of info there and lots more videos : all the best - Steve
I interplant garlic in the tunnel but 90% grows outside, maybe plant it a bit deeper and later, that way it will be smaller over winter, will focus on roots and then burst to life in March
Most leeks are fine, just start a few in January, I usually do porbella
Hanging baskets seem much better for earlies than containers, use your crop bars
@@SteveRichards Thanks, I'll try Porbella, as I've only enough Carentan 2 for my multisown late crop.
Thanks for the video, was looking at getting a tunnel, but not sure it's worth it. Have you grown garlic successfully in the tunnel? I get lots of rust and heard that this can be avoided in a tunnel?? Thanks
Yes, I grow garlic in the tunnel without rust, but it’s an expensive way to grow garlic. I tend to interplant it into my winter and spring salad beds
@@SteveRichards thanks, yeah I'd hope to use it for other things too :)
My first year having a poly tunnel for me and I’m so surprised at all the pests! I can’t grow salad or pak choi as the slug population is insane. Must be because of the humidity and warmth.
It’s taken me years to get on top of the slugs. Ironically harvesting every week helps and I collect dozens of them that way
Let a pair ofducks roam the tunnel. Instant no more slugs.
I never know how that works though as the slugs are inside lettuces or underneath containers etc
My pak choi is getting eaten with small round holes in it, both in the greenhouse and in our community polycrub. What could it be?
If it’s little slugs you can generally see those in the heart of the plant, so they are easily checked for. Caterpillars are still around, but you’d see those, maybe if it’s still mild it could be flea beetle or perhaps it’s old flea beetle damage that’s just becoming more visible now that the leaves are growing. : all the best - Steve
intresting vid steve . getting a 20x 14 polly later in the year any advice on company to use been looking at premier tunnels and first polly tunnels would rather spend a bit more for better quality
I have this review of my tunnel th-cam.com/video/t9m8Vg7rzn4/w-d-xo.html and this chapter of my ebook on polytunnels, which has tons of videos and guides steverichards.notion.site/Polytunnel-Design-and-Growing-Guide-e260fa0b71bd4dea9a9003c74bdb9ce7?pvs=4 : All the best - Steve