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Ophelia

Polytunnel or greenhouse????

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Helllo

 

I was wondering if anyone could offer me some advice. I was going to get a greenhouse but my Dad told me that a polytunnel would be better. Can anyone suggest pro's and con's for either? I have a fairly big back garden and that is where I am planning to put the tunnel/house.

 

Thanks

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We love our Keder greenhouse - it is a cross between a greenhouse and a polytunnel. Fairly expensive but they are made to withstand all weathers and the company have installed a lot in the Highlands and Islands.

 

Thanks Lesley. I'd never heard of them, but have now googled them, and asked for a price list :anxious:

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We have a lovely big greenhouse (made by Alton), but I'd like a polytunnel too (not possible here) so that I can grow carrots and other bits under cover and to grow different things as late as possible, like French beans, as the greenhouse is full of peppers and tomatoes. I like the sound of the bit of each one and that's one to bear in mind for a later date.

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I've had both and I'd say it depends on what you want to do with it and how much space you have. If I could only have one, it would be my polytunnel and I'd go as big as possible because they're so useful for extending the growing season at either end (invaluable when you live 500ft+ up a Cumbrian fell). Make sure you have room for a deckchair too, so you can doze in the sun and pretend you're in the Med. :wink:

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I don't know, but was thinking similar thoughts last year (have decided on a greenhouse, but first we need to empty the derelict wooden structure mascerading as a shed to make some space... oh and save up....).

The thing that swung it for me was that greenhouses can be heated more realistically than pollytunnels can. Useful if you have a sudden late cold snap & you're OH is less likely to threaten divorce over a greenhouse heater than over seedlings on every available windowsill of the house.

Greenhouses are prettier, but that depends on where it's going and taste I s'pose!

You don't need to take plastic off greenhouses and re-skin in the spring, which a lot of folk told us we would need to do with a pollytunnel where we are - is very windy.

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One thing to think about is this year with all the snow my greenhouse was leaking from the windows - where the window pane meets the wood! :shock: That's never happened before, and it hasn't done it since, although we haven't really had a big deluge to check. And with wooden ones the wasps do like to s"Ooops, word censored!"e off the surface for their nests. :evil: On the other hand lots of nooks and crannies inside for my spiders to lurk and scoff the pests. :D Wood is warmer than aluminium - which is what we used to have, and the glass seems to be much stronger - one stupid pigeon crashing into the aluminium one made the lot shake and smash went the glass. :roll: Our allotment was very exposed and the winds brought down a lot of metal framed greenhouses - we spent one spring picking up broken glass that had carried from a couple of plots away! Although a little old man had a metal greenhouse frame with plastic over it (tied with string in assorted colours - plus he had a few bean poles added to make it a bit bigger) and that was still intact. :lol:

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