Growing vegetables under cover , such as foil, foil tunnels and greenhouses, allows you to accelerate the harvest time, as well as obtain a more abundant and better quality crop. Vegetables under cover are protected from unfavorable weather conditions, which makes them more reliable in cultivation. However, for such cultivation to succeed, it is worth getting acquainted withrules of growing vegetables under cover
Growing vegetables under foil covers
Types of covers and their advantages
Perforated foil, non-woven fabric, tunnels and unheated greenhouses providecultivated vegetablesprotection against cold, cold and drying winds, hail and heavy rainfall, as well as damage caused by birds .The impact of the tunnel on the temperature of soil and air is similar to flat covers (covered with foil or non-woven fabric), but in a greenhouse or a foil tunnel it will be easier for us to regulate the air temperature thanks to the possibility of ventilation. Therefore, foil tunnels and greenhouses, unlike flat foil cover, are suitable for covering plants for a much longer period, and even throughout the growing season.
Which vegetables should be sown under cover?
This possibility of extending the time of using covers is especially useful in the cultivation of thermophilic vegetables, such as tomatoes and peppers. Growing tomatoes in a foil tunnel or in a greenhouse allows you to speed up the harvest by 10 to even 25 days. We will achieve similar effects in the cultivation of pepper, eggplant (i.e. eggplant) and cucumber. For many other vegetables, such as cauliflower, lettuce, carrots, radishes, the harvest can be accelerated by several to several days.However, in order forcultivation of vegetables under coversto have a chance of success, we must remember that the covers are tight, allow light to pass through, and that the soil is of good quality, properly fertilized and free from pathogens that spread easily under cover.
Growing vegetables under foil or nonwoven fabric
Foil or agrotextile - what to choose?
For the flat covering of plants, we can use a perforated foil or a polypropylene non-woven fabric, called agrotextile. Direct covering with agrotextile is a slightly safer method and allows the cover to be kept on plants for a longer time. However, in the cultivation of some vegetables, a greater acceleration of the harvest date and a higher yield is achieved bycultivation under a perforated film
Growing vegetables under covers
Fig. mikolaja, forum.PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl
Growing vegetables under foil
The foil with a smaller number of holes (type A, 100 holes per 1 m²) can be used to cover vegetables sown or planted very early - radishes, cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce. A more densely perforated foil (5000 holes per 1 m²) is better for covering thermophilic vegetables.In the case of the planned coating for more than 3 weeks, the foil should have 800 to 1000 holes per 1 m². We can make additional holes ourselves, using an electric drill (400 to 800 revolutions per minute).
We are getting ready forunder the foilalready at the end of February. If we have foil from previous years, it is necessary to check its condition. An aging film that breaks down in many places will no longer be usable. Minor mechanical damage and tears can be easily removed by sealing with adhesive tape (preferably from the inside and outside at the same time).
Due to the fairly strong growth of weeds under the foil, we should use the least infested areas on the plot or in the garden for cultivation. The best position is on flat ground, well sunny and sheltered from the wind. It is worth avoiding cultivation under the foil in the same place for many years. When this is done, the amount of pathogens in the soil increases, which in turn will adversely affect the cultivation and worsen the yield.In such a case, the situation will be improved by proper fertilization, as well as by liming the soil, if it is too acidic.
The best conditions are created forvegetables under the foilperforated in the early spring period. The average temperature under foil cover at the turn of March and April is similar to the temperature in the low tunnel and about 8 ° C higher than outside. The soil is also slightly warmer. In the later period (the second half of May) there is already a high risk of overheating the plants.
When unfolding the foil, remember to leave at least 50 cm of exposed soil between the adjacent foil strips for rainwater to penetrate into it. Cover the edges of the foil (about 15 cm) with soil or attach them with stones (bags with soil are also good). A film that is too loose can damage plants by rubbing against them in stronger winds and can even be torn off. Therefore, the foil should be stretched, leaving a reserve, which we release as the plants grow.
Covering vegetables with agrotextileThe growing conditions under the increasingly used agrotextile are similar. Light white agrotextile with a weight of 17 g / m² is best suited for flat covering of plants in order to accelerate the yield. Covering plants in spring with the use of agrotextile is recommended in the cultivation of brassica vegetables, radishes, cucumbers, early varieties of carrots, head lettuce, peppers, celery and strawberries. We spread the non-woven fabric directly into the beds after sowing the seeds or onto planted plants. As in the case of foil, cover the edges of the non-woven fabric with soil or press it with bags filled with sand.
Growing vegetables in foil tunnels
Advantages of polytunnelsA slightly more complicated method of cultivation is the use of tunnels. Building a tunnel is more labor-intensive than covering plants with foil or non-woven fabric, but it brings many advantages. First of all, we can ventilate the tunnel, which increases the safety of its use and extends the period in which it can be used.This, in turn, means that we can accelerate the yield not only in early spring, but also later, when it would be too warm to use a flat foil cover. Thanks to the faster growth of plants in the tunnel from the same area, it is possible to harvest two or even three crops.
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The choice of the right place for cultivation has a significant impact on the success of cultivation in a tunnel. It should be a sunny position (avoid the shadow cast by buildings, fences and other structures, as well as trees and other plants). The tunnel itself should be located with the axis towards the most frequent winds, thanks to which it will be more effective to ventilate it.
Types of foil tunnels
Tunnels that can be found in allotment gardens can be divided into two basic groups:
- low tunnels, the height of which does not exceed 150 cm and due to their small size, it is impossible to carry out cultivation works on plants that are under cover, therefore these works are performed before sowing seeds or planting seedlings, and after removing the covering foil tunnel construction,
- high tunnels, the height of which exceeds 150 cm, thanks to which people can work freely inside the tunnel, sometimes additional heating is installed inside such a tunnel.
A high tunnel, although it has many advantages, is much more difficult to build on your own, so it is worth considering the possibility of purchasing a ready-made tunnel structure. The cost of such an investment depends on the size of the tunnel and the materials used in the construction (which in practice affects, among others, the durability of the structure). The prices of the simplest structures intended for amateur cultivation range from several hundred to even several thousand zlotys.
However, because we are looking for the cheapest and the simplest solutions, we offer (especially to beginner gardeners) an independent construction of a foil tunnel for a garden or a plot.
