Polytunnel

Pippilongstocking

Northern tunnels are good, what about an ad in local paper - or an ad on freecycle - someone up here got an old tunnel and just needed to buy a cover?

I have moved tunnels before, whilst its a pain, its not difficult and you can often get a bargain (I swapped a garden design and hard labour for my one)

U105

I have built a pollytunnel useing blue water pipping (18`x50`) and it did not cost the earth!

more info at> self-sufficient.co.uk/make-your-own-DIY-polytunnel.htm

Davesnave

U105 wrote: »

I have built a pollytunnel useing blue water pipping (18`x50`) and it did not cost the earth!

more info at> self-sufficient.co.uk/make-your-own-DIY-polytunnel.htm

Link didn't work, but this is it:

http://www.self-sufficient.co.uk/Make-Your-Own-DIY-Polytunnel.htm

Scubabe

We live in a rental property, so I am not prepared to buy a "proper" greenhouse like my neighbour has.

I live in Oxfordshire, we have a huge veggie patch, use raised beds, but did not get much produce last year, we only moved here in the summer so we didn't really get much in the ground in time, nor did we have a very warm summer. All my tomato plants (I planted 18 of them) all got blight

This year, I want to be FAR more productive and grow loads more stuff, will be growing blight-resistant crops where possible.

If you had £100 or so to spare, would you buy a cheap plastic greenhouse-thing, or a polytunnel, or neither?

And if you did buy a cheap polytunnel or greenhouse, what would you grow in it? I'd like to grow courgettes and tomatoes and I'm not sure if I'll be successful without some way of getting them a lot warmer than they were last year - both crops failed miserably

Many thanks for any/all advice!

kyssyn

Neither. I'd strongly suggest asking about greenhouses from your friends/on freecycle etc. Loads of people have them, don't use them and are willing to give them away if someone's willing to dismantle it and take it away. That's how I got mine While I plan to upgrade to a bigger size someday, the one I have is serving me well and I've thoroughly enjoyed having it. I used the money I saved to kit myself out with some pots, tools and compost.

Scubabe

I have been asking on my local freecycle for months now and have never been offered one

So you really wouldn't recommend a cheapie greenhouse or a polytunnel? I'd just be wasting my money?

Can you grow tomatoes in Oxfordshire outside with no greenhouse?? Temperatures in the UK just don't seem to ever get hot enough!

Vibrant

There should be no problems growing tomatos in your area, I'm slightly further north (northants) and grow them. Although last year was dire, with very little sun to ripen them.

I wouldn't bother with a greenhouse, unless you have a very firm idea of what you would use it for. I garden for a living and see lots of unused and neglected greenhouses. They take a lot of dedication to use properly.

Have you got a south facing window in your house. If so, make a table a foot, or more (depends how big your room is) wide and the same length as the window. This can be used to give lots of young plants a head start, with plenty of light and nice and warm.
I grew my early tumblers (amongst other things) this way last year and had cherry tomatoes ready, while my mums were hardly bigger than seedlings.

As to the blight on your tomatoes, it's the wet summers. Don't grow them (or spuds) in the same spot this year. And try to keep the foliage dry, water from the base, use a mulch, keep them spread out, so the air can get around them and the sun can ripen them (if we get any eek ).
If you spot any possible infection, pick off the affected parts immediately.

ALIBOBSY

Just as a little note from what I have read on various weather sites this year is supposed to be a hot summer so you may get away without a greenhouse anyway.

ali x

nodwah

Btw the courgettes don't need to be in a greenhouse - I grow them every year here in damp and chilly Scotland and get so many that I'm sick of them by October!

look for Mildew resistant seeds when you're getting some, they might be better

Scubabe

Thank you one and all for your fab replies - esp Vibrant, that's excellent advice and I appreciate it - I didn't know about the "water from the base" thing and I did not follow that last year - I'll stick to that this year and keep my fingers (& toes) crossed!

Cheers,

Ness