Having a polytunnel makes gardening ‘undercover’ affordable for most. It is a great way to have some protected space for your plants and vegetables to allow for a great start to a healthy growth. Preparing for your Polytunnel takes time and a bit of research, the more you put in the more you get out and you’ll certainly be thanking yourself when you’ve got off to a great start with your plants and vegetables. The biggest benefit of having a Polytunnel is the control you have over your harvest. You can create almost all climates you need to grow your crops all year round. In the Winter you can use bubble wrap to insulate the tunnel to prolong your Polytunnel season even further.
Where Do I Start?
Selecting your Polytunnel doesn’t have to be difficult, you just need to know what size you are looking for, so you have somewhere to start. Two West provides the perfect offering for Polytunnel’s, from Mini Polytunnels to Small Space Polytunnels, which are ideal if you’re short of space in your garden. Once you’ve selected and purchased your Polytunnel, consider the ground you’re putting this on. You don’t want to be getting off on the wrong footing. Ensuring your grown is level and safe to place your Polytunnel means you wont risk tearing it before you’ve even got it up.
Growing Undercover
Before you begin to grow undercover you need to purchase shelving. You’d be surprised how quickly your Polytunnel will fill up without the use of shelves. If you’re looking to harvest your vegetables and plants all year round be sure to section your shelving off into the seasons. You don’t want to get too green and forget all about the space for your Autumn and Winter vegetables and plants. Once you’ve began your undercover growth you need to establish a good system of watering. Taking an irrigation system into consideration when setting up is a fantastic way to ensure all your plants are getting watered at the right time of day without fail.
Ventilation
You’d be foolish to spend all this time setting up the perfect Polytunnel without considering your ventilation. Without the proper ventilation in place, you run the risk of mould, pests and inadequate airflow for your plants and vegetables. Be sure to purchase a Polytunnel with windows and encourage a constant flow of air through a fan, although ensure you don’t directly point the airflow in the direction of your plants as this won’t do them any favours. Aside from keeping the plants and vegetables safe and healthy, consider your own well-being. You’re going to be spending a lot of time in the tunnel so making it a comfortable environment for you to work in is important. Take a look into the Easy Build Tunnel Side Ventilation at Two Wests below, this makes for the perfect ventilation system as well as being very cost effective too.
Image Credit: Two West
