Garden Polytunnels Any Good?

 

In its simplest terms, garden polytunnels are a tunnel usually made up of a steel frame, semi-circular at the top and elongated in length and a standard center height of a minimum of 2 to 2.5 m and usually a standard maximum of up to 3 meters. They type of polytunnel coverings can be separately select, but mainly only when purchased from a reputable manufacturer or supplier. Small polytunnels referred to as garden or domestic type, the sizes start from a width of 6 feet and a length of 8ft. Various different sizes are produced up to a certain width and length, before reaching a recognised size called a commercial polytunnel. Allowing keen gardeners and growers a selection of sizes, to suit their growing requirements.

The interior of the garden polytunnels heats up as the UV radiation from the sun rays warms the inside through the cover, crops, plants, and other produce inside the tunnel is kept at a related temperature, the cover lets heat in faster than heat can escape from inside the structure. The ventilation temperature, and humidity of a polytunnel can be controlled by manually opening and closing flaps. vents, doors or by installing temperature control equipment within the polytunnel, helping nurture growing crops and plants controlling ideal humidity and temperature conditions. Polytunnel coverings are provided in a range of colours, thickness strengths and film protection called micron.

What can a small polytunnel be used for?

Garden polytunnels are used to provide higher humidity than what is available from a natural open environment and can also be used to protect plants from storms hailstone showers, freezing cold conditions, burning sunlight temperatures, and intense heat. Market gardeners use polytunnels for seasonal growing extensions, as polytunnels allow producers to grow vegetables and fruits at a time that is usually off-season.

Polytunnels also make it possible for many cold-hardy crops to overwinter in places where their hardiness is not strong enough for them to survive outdoor frost & freezing conditions.

Every factor influencing the growth of a plant can be controlled in a polytunnel, in fact, in recent years polytunnel structures have been adapted to suit livestock and poultry rearing or simple storage facilities.

Benefits of small polytunnels

Polytunnels are cost-effective when compared to the investment and maintenance of other methods, such as greenhouses, it is possible to build a polytunnel up to five or six times bigger for the same price as a small glasshouse, this gives domestic growers and farmers far more flexibility and growing space advantage, to develop more crops and plants with a relatively smaller and easy-to-setup-price. 

Garden polytunnels can help a gardener attain the surety of an effective and safe growing environment, that promises to help and protect plants and crops to encourage and flourish throughout their season, regardless of the weather conditions or any other factors constantly affecting gardeners.

Buying polytunnel coverings

The importance of buying quality polytunnel coverings cannot be over-emphasized, it's immensely important that the purchase is made from a reputable retailer or polytunnel supplier, that only sells quality materials and products. The cheaper the cover, the less protection and durability it can and will offer.

The polytunnel cover must be able to withstand all types of weather conditions including harsh sunlight, so it is immensely important that a strong and UV stabalised quality cover is bought for the crop types, that cover suits best.

Looking after polytunnel coverings

Damage might occur on the covering from time to time, but mini damage doesn’t usually take longer than 5-10 minutes to fix, constant repair and maintenance of polytunnel coverings can indeed lengthen the life of the cover, as this will prevent the initial damage from escalating into a major problem. 

In conclusion

To maximise the transmission of light into the interior of garden polytunnels, the covering needs to be kept clean, dirt and algae can latch onto the surface and this can compound the sunlight and warmth consistency over time. With crops such as tomatoes, a reduction in light levels may result in lower yield and can majorly affect other plants within that environment.


Read More:

Why Domestic Polytunnels are the Perfect Option

Commercial Polytunnels

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