Calling SMB veg growers

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Decided to put up a DIY polytunnel on my plot. I have everything built up and sorted ready for the polythene cover to go on when I purchase it. However, I'm undecided as to whether to fully cover the tunnel or whether to only cover down 2/3rds and put venting all the way round the bottom 1/3rd. Anyone have any experience with vents / fully covered?

Size is 22' x 12' front and rear sliding double doors with scaffold netting in the doors for ventilation also. According to various commercial sources anything over 30' must have side vents so I'm bamboozled what to do.
 


Does anyone use walk-in mesh cages? I’ve been considering it but as all my veg beds are a different size, it could be a pain
 
DaveH said:
Does anyone use walk-in mesh cages? I’ve been considering it but as all my veg beds are a different size, it could be a pain
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Depends what I'm growing. I have a 10 foot x 10 foot walk in cage where my not so dwarf fruit trees are but I use blue water pipe for hoops and debris netting over my beds
 
Morphious said:
Depends what I'm growing. I have a 10 foot x 10 foot walk in cage where my not so dwarf fruit trees are but I use blue water pipe for hoops and debris netting over my beds
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It is mainly keeping things from eating my cabbages. I currently have a frame about 50cm high I move around but makes weeding a pain.
 
DaveH said:
It is mainly keeping things from eating my cabbages. I currently have a frame about 50cm high I move around but makes weeding a pain.
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I rarely need to weed my beds using the netting as I do. Started the beds off with a layer of cardboard then a thick layer of compost on top. Every year I just mulch the top with compost and cover with black plastic until they are ready to be used. Cover all by beds with the hoops and debris netting when they are in use.
if i knew how to post a picture I'd show you haha
 
Morphious said:
I rarely need to weed my beds using the netting as I do. Started the beds off with a layer of cardboard then a thick layer of compost on top. Every year I just mulch the top with compost and cover with black plastic until they are ready to be used. Cover all by beds with the hoops and debris netting when they are in use.
if i knew how to post a picture I'd show you haha
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The brassicas are the only things I really cover, and strawberries when fruiting
 
Morphious said:
Cant go wrong with the pipe and netting. Roll it off from one side lengthways, weed and roll back. Hold it down with bricks, pegs or whatever
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I might look at that. I did build a wooden frame I move about each year, but some rot is setting in. Where did you get the pipe from?
 
One real success I’m seeing is only because my cabbages failed. A couple of tomato plants sprouted, probably from dormant seeds from last year. I left them, didn’t prop them up, didn’t nip side shoots and didn’t feed them. They have formed a sprawling bush of really sweet cherry tomatoes and I’m getting loads off them. The plants in the greenhouse seem to be coming to an end.

Yesterday I picked some for the first time in a few days. They were overripe and started to split. I cut them in half, mixed them with onion, garlic and basil from the garden, with just a splash of balsamic then stuck them in a dish on a low oven temp for a couple of hours to blend down. It has turned into one of the nicest pasta sources I have made, and feels free.
 
DaveH said:
One real success I’m seeing is only because my cabbages failed. A couple of tomato plants sprouted, probably from dormant seeds from last year. I left them, didn’t prop them up, didn’t nip side shoots and didn’t feed them. They have formed a sprawling bush of really sweet cherry tomatoes and I’m getting loads off them. The plants in the greenhouse seem to be coming to an end.

Yesterday I picked some for the first time in a few days. They were overripe and started to split. I cut them in half, mixed them with onion, garlic and basil from the garden, with just a splash of balsamic then stuck them in a dish on a low oven temp for a couple of hours to blend down. It has turned into one of the nicest pasta sources I have made, and feels free.
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Pulled the last of my toms out last week as they were a total disappointment, but called down to my dads today and he gave me a bag full of misshaped ones, split and soft. Think I’ll do that tomorrow and make a sauce, grew a load of garlic this year as we go through a load in the house and the taste doesn’t compare to the stuff from the supermarket. Just ordered some autumn planting bulbs earlier to put in shortly.
 
DaveH said:
One real success I’m seeing is only because my cabbages failed. A couple of tomato plants sprouted, probably from dormant seeds from last year. I left them, didn’t prop them up, didn’t nip side shoots and didn’t feed them. They have formed a sprawling bush of really sweet cherry tomatoes and I’m getting loads off them. The plants in the greenhouse seem to be coming to an end.

Yesterday I picked some for the first time in a few days. They were overripe and started to split. I cut them in half, mixed them with onion, garlic and basil from the garden, with just a splash of balsamic then stuck them in a dish on a low oven temp for a couple of hours to blend down. It has turned into one of the nicest pasta sources I have made, and feels free.
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We’ve got shed loads of self-seeded cherry tomatoes growing in the beds. Like yours, totally in maintained and sweet as you like.

I tried courgettes in a tub, they flowered loads but no fruit so back out in beds next year with them.
 
One tip, a lot of my tomato's didn't ripen and its to cold for them to ripen on the vine, I picked them put them in paper bags and left them in a cupboard, they are ripeningly slowly, I might have enough to last for a couple of months

On another note, has anyone had success with sweet corn I'm going to try planting them next year, any tips?
 
englishman abroad said:
One tip, a lot of my tomato's didn't ripen and its to cold for them to ripen on the vine, I picked them put them in paper bags and left them in a cupboard, they are ripeningly slowly, I might have enough to last for a couple of months

On another note, has anyone had success with sweet corn I'm going to try planting them next year, any tips?
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Yes,they need to be planted in grids and take up quite a bit of space and you only get 3 or 4 per plant but if you pick them when the hassles are dark brown and put them in a pan of boiling water for 6 minutes they are delicious,nice and juicey no butter required.
 
englishman abroad said:
One tip, a lot of my tomato's didn't ripen and its to cold for them to ripen on the vine, I picked them put them in paper bags and left them in a cupboard, they are ripeningly slowly, I might have enough to last for a couple of months

On another note, has anyone had success with sweet corn I'm going to try planting them next year, any tips?
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My sweet corn this year was shite. Too cold and wet.
I always start them off at the beginning of May in 3" pots either indoors/propagator to germinate them.
Then let them grow on until planting them out in good well fertilised and good draining soil in June, when the risk of frost has gone.
But they must be in a sunny spot - especially this far North.
I also follow the planting guidelines of planting them in blocks (for fertilisation)- so about 16" in between each plant in either a configuration of 9 or 16 ( 3X 3 or 4X4 ) - that should give you plenty of cobs throughout the summer.
I cook then in the micro wave. Top and tail them, and remove all the leaves and whispy strands. On a plate put a sheet of damp kitchen roll, then the cobs and then another damp sheet of kitchen roll on top of that. 3 minutes on full power should do it. Lusheroony.
 
biilymack said:
Yes,they need to be planted in grids and take up quite a bit of space and you only get 3 or 4 per plant but if you pick them when the hassles are dark brown and put them in a pan of boiling water for 6 minutes they are delicious,nice and juicey no butter required.
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I tried planting mine in a row round the veg patch border. I’ve had a couple of good crops but not much.

My home grown carrots have been crap for years, so next year I was planning on growing a lot more squashes. They companion plant well with either beans or grids of corn so it should maximise space.
 
DaveH said:
I tried planting mine in a row round the veg patch border. I’ve had a couple of good crops but not much.

My home grown carrots have been crap for years, so next year I was planning on growing a lot more squashes. They companion plant well with either beans or grids of corn so it should maximise space.
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Have you been watching Monty Don, he’s been growing his squashes on frames, they take up a lot less space this way
 
gasman said:
Have you been watching Monty Don, he’s been growing his squashes on frames, they take up a lot less space this way
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No, but that is not a bad idea. The border between my veg patch and the rest of the garden has a trellis fence, so I have grown them up that before, though I've had beans and peas there the last few years.
 

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