Polytunnel internal layout

[JayjayParticipant]

Hi Charles, could I ask how big your Polytunnel is? I am getting one shortly for my allotment that will be 10′ x 20′ and I think yours is a lot wider than 10′ because you have 2 paths. I am trying to work out a better solution than a central path of 2′ and then 4′ beds either side of the path, because I was hoping to not walk on the beds and I wouldn’t be able to reach the far end of the beds from the paths, any tips?

Thanks, Jeanette.

[charlesModerator]

 Hello Jeanette, Yes my tunnel is 18  feet wide so three paths makes four beds, the two middle ones a little wider than e edge ones.

You 10 foot tunnel is less obvious, two narrow paths of a foot max. Is possible, say a 3foot 6 inch bed in the middle and two foot six beds on either side. the total is more than ten feet but tunnel polythene often ends just outside the hoops.

Have fun working it out!

[JayjayParticipant]

Thanks Charles! I’ll give the 2 paths a try and I’ll start slimming now! I’m hoping that I’ll have so much delicious fresh food from the tunnel that I will lose enough weight to fit along a 1 foot path easily!

[peatParticipant]

Don’t forget that if you have 4ft beds against the polytunnel wall you will have to stand on the beds to reach across.
Pete

[JayjayParticipant]

Hi peat, yes, that is what I’m trying to avoid. Thanks.

[jjat8cvParticipant]

I have a 10x20ft tunnel and I have found that a central 3ft bed with a 1.5ft pathway and two 2ft beds either side works well for me but my tunnel does have straight sides.
I am only 5ft tall and therefore have quite short arms and this means I can easily reach all areas of bed from the pathways. The side beds may appear quite narrow but it is surprising how much you can plant in them.

[JayjayParticipant]

Hi jjat8cv, thanks, that sounds like a good option and it’s good to know you have found that setup workable.

[JayjayParticipant]

Thought it was about time I told you how I got on with the tunnel and sent in a picture, the tunnel was ready to plant the second week of May, so a little bit late starting. I’ve gone with a two path layout with a bed of about two and a half feet wide up the middle and beds about two feet wide on the sides. The beds don’t have any edging and I have put two or three inches of homemade compost over bare earth except on the paths, in some areas I have put down cardboard under the compost, (usually when I had it to hand).

The tomatoes are up the centre, three pots wide on the diagonal, in bottomless pots of multipurpose and vermiculite. Up one end I have 5 foot staging either side and the tops are made from shower screens so that some light gets through. Because I had some module sown plants that needed a quick home they went under the staging into the compost and earth, there was beetroot, kohl rabi, lettuce, onions. In bottomless pots on the left side went another tomato, a Socrates mini cucumber and in front of that two sweet peppers. (I’m hoping to fit in two more pots with Sweetheart melons here as well). Then comes a GrowBed filled with 3 inches of homemade compost and the rest a multipurpose and vermiculite mix again. I have snacking peppers in here with little gem lettuces. On the other side I have another GrowBed with a sweetheart melon, peppers and spinach in. I know I have crammed too much in, but at the moment it all seems to be growing happily and I can just about get up the paths without knocking too much over! The only ‘proper’ bed was made to hold the 4 solitary Sundance Sweetcorn that germinated from 2 sowings and they needed a separate home from the third attempt at sowing Sweetcorn with successfully germinated Honeydew Sweetcorn which will be growing outside.
More stuff has been ‘levered’ in over head height to dry and that is garlic, red and white onions and also Jermor and Golden Gourmet Shallots. It has certainly been an exercise in trying to get more out of a space!
As well as looking forward to all this lovely food I’m growing at the moment in the tunnel, I am looking forward to seeing what I can grow through the Autumn and Winter using info from your ‘How To grow Winter Vegetables’ book Charles, many thanks for sharing your ideas and observations, Jeanette

[charlesModerator]

This is wonderful, it is amazing what you have fitted in and drying your alliums like that is clever. It will be fun to see how the jungle stays penetrable!

[JayjayParticipant]

Update December – I am really pleased with what I’ve harvested from my first season in the Polytunnel, loads of Tomatoes, Peppers, millions of Cucumbers! Melons, Salad Leaves and other things. it is wonderful to be able to do stuff in there even if it’s blowing a gale or raining, it gains so much time that would otherwise be lost. I have to say, if you can, build a tunnel, the biggest you can afford, it really will be worth it.

 At the moment, following guidance from ‘How to Grow Winter Vegetables’ I am overwintering lettuces, pak choi, onions and cabbages and other leafy stuff and it must still be really mild, (I’m in Portsmouth), because stuff is still growing well! I’m looking forward to next week and the day-length increasing I and intend to put a 5 foot x 3 foot x 3 foot hotbed inside from the first week of January, as well as a larger one outdoors later – I had great success with an outside one from last February. The main problem I’ve had in the tunnel is slugs and snails, I wish I had the answer! Here’s looking forward to 2015.  Jeanette

[charlesModerator]

Thanks for this encouraging feedback. I quite agree about tunnels.

You could try watering less frequently to reduce slug activity, keep the surface mostly dry. I am watering fortnightly at the moment in this mild but dark time of year. Yes its growing more than usual for December!
Also for slugs, remove all older and yellowing leaves of any vegetables, and patrol edges with a torch occasionally (and knife or bucket!). 

[jjat8cvParticipant]

Regarding slugs/snails in the polytunnel. I use 1 litre water bottles with the base removed buried upside down in the ground next to a lot of my plants like peppers, tomatoes and beans and along rows of peas etc. I fill these up with water rather than water the soil on top. I find that this deters them as the top soil is always dry and the water gets directly to the plant roots where it is needed.

 

[JayjayParticipant]

Thanks for that, it is worth a try. On reflection, I think I do water more than necessary.

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