Growing vegetables in foil tunnelsis becoming more and more popular. The foil tunnel accelerates the vegetation of plants, provides protection against strong winds, rainfall or frosts. And as you will see in a moment, the well-equippedHome & Garden tunnels protect our vegetablesalso against harmful insects. We can grow many kinds of vegetables in foil tunnels, and our harvest will be abundant and he althy. Seehow to grow vegetables in a polytunnelfor best results. Here are proven ways to make tasty and he althy vegetables from under the foil!
Vegetables in a foil tunnel. Photo Home & Garden
How to choose a place for a polytunnel?
Place the foil tunnel in a sunny place, in the east-west direction, thus ensuring good air flow andsun exposure to vegetables grown in the tunnelIt is worth paying attention that the tunnel is equipped with opening side ventilation windows with mosquito nets that protect crops from pests and ensure quick and effective air exchange. These elements can be foundin the Home & Garden foil tunnels
Let's also pay attention that taller trees or buildings do not shade our tunnel, but at the same time the place is sheltered from strong winds.
Foil tunnels can be dismantled , leaving the plants uncovered or moved to a different place every few years, which greatly reduces the cost of cultivation.
An opening window with a mosquito net. Photo Home & Garden
Which foil tunnel to choose for growing vegetables?
The foil tunnels available on the market differ from each other in several important elements. Whengrowing vegetables in a foil tunnel, theprotection of plants against pests is of particular importance, which makes the presence of mosquito nets in the windows much easier. Thanks to this, insects will not enter the tunnel when ventilating. This solution is provided by Home & Garden foil tunnels.
The stability and durability of the structure of Home & Garden foil tunnelsis ensured by the frame being made of metal profiles subjected to the galvanizing process (anti-corrosion protection). All elements are connected with screws. The strong structure and precisely matched foil allow for the correct tension of the tunnel sheathing. The video shows how the Home & Garden tunnel is installed.
It is also worth paying attention tothe convenience of our work in the tunnel while caring for vegetablesIn order to be able to straighten the back, the height of the tunnel should be 2m.All Home & Garden tunnels have this height. Our work in such a tunnel will also be facilitated by an easy-to-open door with a zipper.
The area of a foil tunnel should be selected depending on the size of the space that can be allocated to the tunnel, as well as the planned cultivation area. Usually, owners of plots of land and home gardens choose tunnels with a width of 2.5 or 3 meters.In such a tunnel we can fit two vegetable patchesand a sufficiently wide passage between them.
A small foil tunnel with an area of 2x3m will fit in any garden. Openable windows with mosquito nets and doors fastened with a zipper ensure comfort when using the tunnel. Photo Home & Garden
How to prepare the land for vegetable cultivation in the tunnel?
If we have already chosen a place for a plastic tunnel in our garden, the time has come to prepare the soil for the cultivation of vegetables in the tunnel . For this purpose, we fertilize the garden soil and enrich it with organic matter using compost or manure.
Manure is applied in autumn at a dose of 50-80 kg per 10 m². We mix it with the soil by digging it on heavy soils to a depth of 20 cm, and on lighter soils to a depth of 8-12 cm. Then we leave it in this condition until spring. If we have not used manure in the fall, we can also do it in spring, but then we should choose well-spread manure and dig the soil medium deep and rake.
On the other hand, we use compost at a dose of 20-60 kg per 10 m². We spread it over the dug soil and mix it with a rake. We do not dig the compost, because as a humus fertilizer it should be placed in the upper layer of the soil.
Growing tomatoes in a foil tunnel. Photo Home & Garden
What vegetables to grow in a polytunnel?
The use of a foil tunnel speeds up the harvest of vegetables- depending on the species, cultivation date and climatic conditions in a given year - from a few to several days. It also has a positive effect on increasing the yield and its quality.
In a foil tunnel, thermophilic vegetables are most often grownsuch as tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, pumpkins and beans, but also temperate vegetables - carrots, parsley, peas, radishes, lettuce and cruciferous vegetables.
The harvest time is accelerated by growing vegetables in a foil tunnel : for kohlrabi 2-5 days, cauliflower around 6 days, lettuce 5-9 days, and tomatoes and cucumbers 10-20 days.
Good to know!The greatest increase in yields is observed in the cucumber, which responds particularly well to growing conditions in a foil tunnel.
Sequence of vegetable cultivation in the tunnel
In the cultivation of vegetables in a foil tunnelthe sequence of certain vegetables one after another is very important. This activity will guarantee us the maximum use of the tunnel area. Comparing the length of the vegetable growing season, it can be easily noticed that from spring to autumnwe will fit in with the cultivation of two species of vegetables in the same place
For example,in the early spring you can sow in a polytunnelradish, spinach, dill or lettuce, and then plant thermophilic vegetables, such as tomatoes or cucumbers.
Other beds can be planted spring onions, which we collect as they mature, and as an aftercrop you can grow string beans. Anotherexample of a forecrop in a foil tunnelis the cultivation of spinach before planting late cabbage or late cauliflower.
Radish, radish and kohlrabi can be grown as a forecrop before celery, leek and late root vegetables, and as an aftercrop after early cabbage and early cauliflower.
When to sow and plant vegetables in a foil tunnel?
If we want togrow early cruciferous vegetables in the polytunnel(kohlrabi, cauliflower, cabbage), we must start producing seedlings approximately 7-8 weeks before the planned date of planting in the tunnel .
In March, you can already think about growing lettuce and spinach for an earlier harvest.In the last decade of March, you can sow radish or plant a seedling of early varieties of kohlrabi, cabbage, cauliflower. In April, you can still plant seedlings of early lettuce, kohlrabi, cauliflower and cabbage for an accelerated harvest, as well as seedlings of low varieties of tomatoes. In May, we plant tomato seedlings, two weeks later you can plant paprika, eggplant and melon under the foil.Planting dates and spacing of popular vegetables that can be grown in a polytunnelare presented in the table below.
Foil covers for vegetables with low heat requirementsare left on until the average daily air temperature stabilizes at 10-12 ° C. In turn,thermophilic vegetables are grown under the foiluntil the daily temperature is at the level of 15-18 ° C.
A few daysbefore removing the foil cover from the tunnelyou have to harden the plants, leaving the tunnel outlets open overnight. This activity is perfectly facilitated byHome & Garden foil tunnels with opening ventilation windows .
Good to know!It is best to remove the foil from the structure on cloudy or even rainy days, thanks to which the changes in air humidity around the plants will not be large.
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MSc Eng. Joanna Białowąs
