Of all the things I have done with my garden, adding the polytunnel is probably my favourite (and Caspar’s favourite, too. What more could a cat want on a warm summer’s day than a secret napping space, away from the evil magpies?). Polytunnel gardening has enriched both my harvests and personal experience in the garden.
What are the benefits of polytunnel gardening?
Polytunnels extend your growing season in both directions. You can start warm weather crops earlier – meaning that they crop earlier, and for longer – and you can also grow through the winter with protection from frost and snow. This makes a polytunnel or greenhouse pretty indispensable to the grower looking to become more self sufficient in fruit and vegetables.
Polytunnels are also great for starting off flowers from seed in the autumn, keeping them safe and growing all winter long so they are ready to explode into bloom in spring.
Polytunnel vs greenhouse
There’s no denying that greenhouses are more aesthetically pleasing than polytunnels (at least from the outside). When I first set up my tunnel, I briefly worried that my neighbours would assume I had a Breaking Bad situation going on(!). Once I’d landscaped around the tunnel, however, I found it to be quite beautiful. I think it makes the garden look bigger and helps to separate it into different ‘rooms’ (you will notice from the image below that I’m more of a maximalist/cottage style gardener. If your taste leans to the modern, grasses, dwarf acers and even box hedges make great polytunnel surrounds).
There are two main reasons I chose a polytunnel over a greenhouse: cost, and the site I wanted to put it on. I didn’t have a big budget and didn’t have a paved or concrete base.
Cheaper than a greenhouse
Polytunnels come in all kinds of sizes and price points. Unless you are looking at a high end model, a polytunnel will nearly always be significantly cheaper than a greenhouse of the same size. For cheap and mid price models, polytunnels also tend to be more durable.
If you have the right materials and knowledge, there’s nothing to stop you building your own – you just need a frame of sorts and a polythene cover.
Cheap polytunnels can do a decent job for the beginner gardener or garden with little space. They work in exactly the same way as a more expensive tunnel but perhaps do not have the same points of convenience, such as a cover long enough to dig in, or secure window and door openings. This can make them prone to blowing away in high winds, so make sure you site yours in a sheltered space. Next to a fence or two is ideal.
Mid-priced tunnels are a more durable version of the cheaper ones; they tend to come with longer, thicker covers, proper doors, and stronger metal frames. This is what I chose. My polytunnel is 6m long and 3m wide, and has lasted well for years. It cost about £230 and earned its value back in just one season (I grow a lot of heirloom tomatoes!). If you can stretch to a mid-priced polytunnel, it will serve you far better than the cheap ones.
Professional and upmarket polytunnels are great choices for those with a bit more in the budget. There are companies like First Tunnels who will even come out to do the construction for you. Frames tend to be made of metal or wood, and you can alter the size of the tunnel to suit your growing space, adding shelves and other amenities inside.
Versatility
A greenhouse really needs the right foundations – solid ground, level, preferably a concrete floor. For larger greenhouses with brick foundations, you may even find that you need planning permission. A polytunnel, on the other hand, can be built on soil and without the need for permission from your local council. I would not recommend sitting your polytunnel on concrete or paving; you’ll struggle to anchor it down.
A polytunnel can also handle a very gentle slope. While it would not be wise to sit your tunnel on a hill, my garden inclines slightly to the right and there’s enough flexibility in my tunnel’s metal frame to accommodate this. Once the tunnel was in place, I amended the ground inside to level it out.
So…do you need a polytunnel?
If you’re thinking about whether you’d like to start polytunnel gardening, ask yourself a few questions:
Do I have enough space? To make a polytunnel worth your while, you need a space at least 2m long and 2m wide, plus at least another 50cm around for digging in.
Do I want to grow more warm weather crops? If you’d like to grow more tomatoes (especially larger varieties), aubergines, chillis, peppers, cucumbers, melons…a polytunnel is going to be a great investment for you. Depending on space, you’ll also be able to enjoy earlier harvests for things like strawberries, and will be able to reliably grow fruit like peaches and grapes.
Do I want to be able to grow throughout the winter? Growing under cover is the only way to ensure crops throughout the winter, especially as our UK weather becomes more unpredictable. In a polytunnel (or greenhouse), you can grow lettuce and greens all winter, and grow flower seedlings for spring.
Do I want a private garden space where I can find peace and solitude? While not the main function of a polytunnel, I find that mine has become a ‘room’ and space that is just mine. Unlike a greenhouse, the cover is opaque, so there’s more of a sense of privacy. I spend a lot of lunch times and weekend afternoons in my polytunnel with a drink in hand and a podcast on, enjoying the space and watching things grow.
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