With the poly tunnel covered it's got me thinking about the layout inside it.
How would you layout a polytunnel? I normally garden in 30" beds but want this space to be as productive as possible.
It's about 4m wide so I'm tempted to have a wider bed in the middle, a path either side and then a bed against the edge. What does everyone think? How would you set yours out?
My brain is mash right now but you will want to get the wheel barrow about.
ReplyDeleteYes, the wheelbarrow is key consideration on.
DeleteAre the areas against the outer walls naturally warmer? Or cooler? Is there room to work upright there? I like the three bed idea personally. It seems like it gives you opportunities for lots of microclimates
ReplyDeleteI don't think the temperature varies that much to be honest in the tunnel, it's not that big unfortunately/
DeleteMines just a path down the middle. Are you going to plant potatoes directly in the ground? It looks great. You can garden even on a rainy day now Kev.
ReplyDeleteI have some potatoes in the ground outside but with a small cover on it.
Delete3 beds sounds easier to get to, but 2 paths will takeaway growing space. 1 bed in the middle will mean your access route will be along the plastic walls, might be a bit tricky not to damage it. 2 beds along the sides sounds the best to me.
ReplyDeleteI have found with my garden that having more paths tends to make my space more productive as I separate stuff out more rather than having a big mess.
DeleteWhat's a comfortable arm's reach for the family gardeners? I started out making beds about 4-feet wide, but that got to be too hard on my back with all the leaning.
ReplyDeleteThe other consideration for beds along the walls is the height of the ceiling of the tunnel. In mine, I have raised beds on the walls and they're about 3 feet deep. The problem is I have less headroom at the wall because of the curve of the ceiling, so that means a lot of bending to plant and harvest.
Yeah, the head room is something I'm concidering as well. Hard to work out what will be best at the moment. I hate having beds I can't reach.
DeleteI have an 80 ft long tunnel with straight sides, in which I have built along central bed in one half , for the height, then narrower beds each side, in the other half I have a wider bed each side with a central path and access paths against the tunnel sides. The idea was to stop weeds invading from outside. I made the mistake of building the raised beds on top of the weed barrier, which while preventing most weeds gaining access (creeping thistle still can) but it also tends to prevent moisture rising into the beds.
ReplyDeleteThe other tunnel is 34 ft long, the height is better, but the sides curve, so you lose some of the working space along the sides. I this we have built b two rows of beds along each side.They are 8 ft x 4 ft along one side and 6 ft x 4 ft along the other side with a 2 ft central path. Weeds can invade into the beds where they touch the sides. Trenched cover helps here. With hind sight both arrangements work quite well, each has its advantages, I think 3 ft 5" beds are easier than $ ft.Areas that are not raised beds can be useful. Think what tall stuff you may want to grow and plan accordingly(beans ,Mange tout, sweet corn and tomatoes for instance)
Hope this helps. We are just erecting our 3rd tunnel a present to ourselves for our 80th birthdays. The last tunnel was for our golden wedding 9 years ago.
Enjoy your tunnel
Kathy in S Wales
Another point Kev..
ReplyDeleteThe nearer you can align the beds to North south, the better the spread of light and it lessens sun scorch to plants.
Kathy
The tunnel is set up ont he North south line for that reason.
DeleteI quite like Sue's set up in Wales... I think I would go for something like this as I am not very tall and would find it hard to work very deep beds. https://asmallerlifelivingsimply.blogspot.com/2020/03/homegrown-food.html
ReplyDeletemy grandparents would say dont put any beds in and just use boards to walk on. The first year you can see how you go and what works just using the area as one massive bed like an allotment. And then once you find the magic ratio of how to do it. If you then want to put in beds you know how it works in there.
I like the board idea, just not sure I'll be able to get them for a while.
Deleteif you have any pallets you could make 2 runner boards and stand on one and move the other. There has to be a womble answer to this using something you already have or can find
Deleteif you have any pallets you could make 2 runner boards and stand on one and move the other. There has to be a womble answer to this using something you already have or can find
DeleteI'm with Sol's grandparents. For the first year at least, boards laid out for walking paths would be a great idea. You might/will change your mind as you go. I do like the idea of a wide bed in the middle with narrow beds along the outside edges. A one-foot board is plenty for a walking path - and a small wheel barrow for a starter.
ReplyDeleteJohn Harrison at Allotment Garden Diary has good ideas, too. Check him out. Remember, it is a desert in there, so watering is important.
At the moment I think getting the boards will be the problem. Even with my trade accounts it's for essential purchases only.
DeleteI suggest that you make a long center bench for planter boxes, then use the space under the bench for storage, supplies, and cuttings out of the light. Easy access to center planters filled with greens, peppers, onions in the middle with tall things growing in the 2 in-ground perimeter beds. You'll be glad of the underneath storage.
ReplyDelete