Green house V poly tunnel

Last post 11-02-2011 7:48 PM by Digger. 10 replies.

• 08/02/2011 05:43 PM
  Garden novice Location: Yorkshire Joined on: 21 Sep 2010 Posts: 19	Reply | Contact Can anyone tell me what a poly tunnel gives you that a greenhouse doesn't and visa versa?

• 08/02/2011 06:52 PM

  In reply to

  The Hedge Folk Location: Somerset Joined on: 22 Jan 2010 Posts: 663

  Reply | Contact One thing's for sure: a polytunnel is much cheaper than a green house of the same size & 2-3 people can put up a biggish garden tunnel without much fuss. I've never had cause to look into it, but I expect that the light passing through clear glass does a touch more to make a leaf happy than the slightly cloudy polythene of a polytunnel. No idea if that's a significant difference - if the aim is to win prizes for champion sized tomatoes, it might well be that the greenhouse comes out on top. Best, Ed   www.ashridgetrees.co.uk

• 08/02/2011 08:24 PM

  In reply to

  Digger Location: Northern UK Joined on: 18 Jul 2005 Posts: 5,230

  Reply | Contact Hmm, there are many different types of covers for polytunnels from clear to opaque with anti fogging etc...a polytunnel can create the ideal conditions for certain types of crops, runner beans do really well under polythene, but greenhouses can be better and warmer for other types of crop, poly tunnel covers do need replacing every few seasons and that can be expensive, I have both tunnels and greenhouses which is probably the best way to go. digger Sage of the fells

• 09/02/2011 06:25 PM

  In reply to

  bogweevil Location: Joined on: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 2,766

  Reply | Contact Glasshouses retain more warmth by allowing warmth from the sum in but blocking outgoing infra red radiation. As growth is directly proportional to warmth crops grow faster in glasshouses. Plastic houses whether tunnel or otherwise tend to be cooler. This does no much matter in summer when ample warmth is available but is crucial at other seasons and especially if you heat your greenhouse. Always go for a glasshouse if your pockets are deep enough. Boggy Beware the bat-eared bogweevil

• 09/02/2011 10:01 PM	In reply to
  Digger Location: Northern UK Joined on: 18 Jul 2005 Posts: 5,230	Reply | Contact Good advice from old boggy there but the best solution is get at least one polytunnel and one greenhouse digger Sage of the fells

• 10/02/2011 10:22 AM	In reply to
  bogweevil Location: Joined on: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 2,766	Reply | Contact No, two glasshouses would be better.  And if you can run to range of good coldframes all would be perfect.  Boggy Beware the bat-eared bogweevil

• 10/02/2011 12:16 PM	In reply to
  Digger Location: Northern UK Joined on: 18 Jul 2005 Posts: 5,230	Reply | Contact Alright what about two glasshouses one polytunnel and a cold frame? digger Sage of the fells

• 10/02/2011 07:11 PM	In reply to
  bogweevil Location: Joined on: 02 Mar 2004 Posts: 2,766	Reply | Contact One can only dream. Boggy Beware the bat-eared bogweevil

• 11/02/2011 06:04 PM	In reply to
  Digger Location: Northern UK Joined on: 18 Jul 2005 Posts: 5,230	Reply | Contact I turned the dream into a reality until I lost one greenhouse thanks to the brutality of the idiots who put scaffolding around the house, but no fear I'll get another, so at the moment I just one greenhouse one polytunnel and one coldframe (which is tiny). digger Sage of the fells

• 11/02/2011 07:17 PM	In reply to
  sue1002 Location: Ipswich, Suffolk Joined on: 06 Sep 2005 Posts: 9,466	Reply | Contact  Did you put in a claim against the idiots for a replacement greenhouse Digger? sue1002

• 11/02/2011 07:48 PM	In reply to
  Digger Location: Northern UK Joined on: 18 Jul 2005 Posts: 5,230	Reply | Contact No Sue1002, Some of the roof came off the house into the greenhouse the insurance eventually decided to pay up but instead of just repairing the greenhouse ,the roof fixing people wanted the house to have scaffolding all the way around and so the remains of the greenhouse had to come down. digger Sage of the fells