Polytunnels and Four-Season Food Production

It is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all. So, the Tennyson saying goes. I am not sure if he was thinking of greenhouses when he wrote that line, but I can assure you it is true. Many years ago, I was somewhat spoilt by the possession of a double greenhouse and sufficient land to put it on. Not only that, but adjacent vegetable plots and an orchard. And now, sadly, space does not allow for such extravagances. I must admit, for quite a while this left me somewhat bereft over the whole thing, and even wistfully clicking over online suppliers of… dare I say it… polycarbonate sheet!

 

ethereal image of the inside of a greenhouse while soft sunlight shimmers through the roof

More recently, I had a bit of an epiphany over the whole affair, and realised plant cover (as with love) comes in all shapes and sizes. In my crestfallen state, I had failed to heed the permaculture principles “Creatively use and respond to change” and “Use small and slow solutions”. Not everyone can enjoy the good life up in Double Greenhouse Mansions. And the human species made it this far without them. I started this blog with a quote, and if you will permit me, I will further quote Ernst Friedrich Schumacher; Small is beautiful!

To summarise the benefits of polytunnel cultivation:

 

Function and Explanation of Polytunnels

 

Function

 

Explanation

Cultivating Hot Weather Crops

Tomatoes, Aubergines and Cucumbers are happier, with higher yields, than their outdoor counterparts.

Extending Growing Season

Polytunnels can extend the spring growing period by 6 weeks and the winter season by a further 4 weeks. So, vegetables with a long growing season will benefit from being housed in a polytunnel. With skill and planning, unheated polytunnels can be productive over four full seasons of the year in the UK.

Overwintering

In addition to acting as a refuge for pot plants and frost vulnerable species, a polytunnel can store and protect certain established vegetables as though in a larder.

Propagation

The protected environment of a polytunnel is ideal for propagating plants that need a strong start, or by acting as a potting shed early on in the year.

Avoiding the “Hungry Gap”

The period between spring to midsummer was always traditionally a lean period in the agricultural calendar, because outdoor crops were still maturing and the winter stores were dwindling. A polytunnel plugs that gap wonderfully. 

 

I was reading Eliot Coleman’s book The Winter Harvest Handbook when my epiphany struck me. He recommends;

1.Growing cold season crops in winter (i.e. growing cold hardy vegetables). Vegetables such as arugula, beet greens, turnips, sorrel, spinach, leeks, lettuce, etc.  Such plants are naturally cold tolerant and contribute to a seasonally varied diet.

2.Growing plants under TWO layers of cover. Using more layers confers more insulation to crops (protected cultivation). Horticultural fleece, polythene and wire structures, and even hay can become a heat storage medium.

3.Succession Planting (sowing more than once per year). Planting are sown in late summer and in autumn, and are allowed to mature before being harvested. This is the reverse of the typical agro- horticultural concept that plants grow with the waxing solar year and must be harvested before senescence. Succession Planting (in fact the traditional method before the days of refrigeration and mass transport) is used to cultivate plants as they decelerate in growth during the waning solar year.

Polytunnel in October with some Protected Cultivation (Image source: Laila Noort from Sowandso)

When Eliot Coleman mentioned the use of two layers of insulation, it occurred to me that

ALL PLANT COVER IS ONE

By that, I mean it is doing the same thing whether it is a Bell jar, or a football field- sized agricultural greenhouse. Clotches, lean- to’s, cages, mini greenhouses, plastic tunnels, polypropelene, or glass. And with that simple realisation, I was free from the clotches of the greenhouse (See what I did there?).

ADL deliver terrific courses in agriculture, horticulture, permaculture and all things green. Free your mind and your garden: sign up today!

References

Coleman, Eliot. The Winter Harvest Handbook. Chelsea Green Publishing, 2009.

McKee, A and Gatter, M. The Polytunnel Handbook. Green Books, 2009.

McKee, A and Gatter, M. How To Grow Food In Your Polytunnel All Year Round. Green Books, 2010

 

LEAVE A REPLY

BLOG CATEGORIES

MOST POPULAR

ADL Success Stories – Dairy Cattle Farming with Annabella Baker

Education opens doors to success windows of opportunity and in at least one case, gates to new possibilities. Such is the case with ADL success story Annabella Baker.  Originally from Italy, but now living in the UK, Annabella faced a tragedy all too familiar to many when she lost her airline job during the Covid

Read More »

Horticulture – Learn the Basics: Three Problems for New Gardeners

Gardens are hard work.  Behind every immaculate lawn and carefully tended flowerbed is a never-ending struggle between nature and gardener. Of course simply leaving the garden to its own devices isn’t really an option; Untended, plants will grow freely for the whole of spring and summer and even into autumn. Worse yet, an uncared for

Read More »

Henry Hoover’s Broken Plug

Some stories of educational achievement soar into the heavens.  Of individuals who through hard work and toil overcame the challenges in their life to achieve. Certainly, at ADL we’ve seen and helped many individuals achieve their dreams through completing a course which helped them get a place at university or begin a new career. This,

Read More »

King Charles and the Grey Goo

If you’ve been in the UK over the past weekend you might have noticed you had a day off on Monday (or looked on enviously as other people had a day off).  The coronation of a new monarch in Charles the Third means a new era. One that the Monarch is especially keen does not

Read More »

Could You Be a Personal Trainer?

If you’re looking for a side business or career that combines a love for fitness and a mentoring role. personal training might be for you Personal training is at it’s heart all about being able to help people live healthier, happier lives.  By combining physical exercise with essential lifestyle changes like diet they help their

Read More »

SIGNUP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER

Scroll to Top

REQUEST A CALLBACK

To speak to one of our course advisors, please enter your name and phone number below and click the "Please Call Me" button. We will call you back as soon as possible!

By submitting this form, I provide my consent to ADL to contact me via email or telephone, regarding the course I selected. All information provided is protected in conformity with our Privacy Policy.

CONTACT US

required fields are marked with *

By submitting this form, I provide my consent to ADL to contact me via email or telephone, regarding the course I selected. All information provided is protected in conformity with our Privacy Policy.