onions in low tunnels at UNH

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

saw this article today in our local newspaper and thought it interesting but not too surprising that onions could be done in low tunnels over winter for spring harvest. our local agricultural university UNH has been working for some years with low and high tunnels growing stuff year round. this just happens to be one of their latest experiments that when i finally get around to setting my tunnels up i would try to do.
http://fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20150110/AP02/301109983

 

[Smiles Jr.]

Please excuse my ignorance but what is the height difference between a high tunnel and a low tunnel? Is there a significant difference in the veggie growing results between the two?

Just kind of dreaming here . . . I would think low tunnels would warm quicker when the sun comes up (less volume of air to heat) and still provide the insulation barrier after the sun goes down. I would also think that low tunnels would be better for plants that do not require frequent maintenance or harvesting. Tunnels are a pain in the rear when you have to get inside frequently.

I'm planning to make some raised beds in the next two months and I will incorporate the supports for tunnel hoops.

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

high tunnels you should be able to walk standing upright. basically these are domed greenhouses covered in plastic. low tunnels usually aren't higher than a few feet and you access them by rolling up one side to get to the veggies. cold tolerant crops tend to do well in them.

there's a gardener in Maine that wrote a few books about 4 season gardening using these tunnels on a track system to rotate the crops. the books are called Four Season Harvest or Winter Gardening by Eliot Coleman

 

[ninnymary]

Smiles Jr., I am enjoying reading your posts so much and more importantly participating in our group. You are truely an asset to TEG. I'm so proud of you for continuing to improve your dad's farm. Keep up the good work!

I don't know the difference between low and high tunnels either.

Mary

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

low tunnels help to extend out the harvest or starting of plants by a month sometimes 2 months. @digitS' would probably chime in any time to tell more since he uses greenhouses to start his plants.

i would like to do some low tunnels for my lettuce and cole crops but i would feel safer if a few more trees were taken down around the property so the plastic doesn't get torn.when we inherited this house it came complete with lots of steel electrical pipes my FIL was saving for a project. so i figured i would save them for doing the tunnels. i just need to get the pipe bender out and trees cut out.

this is a little info about Eliot Coleman and his gardening methods. http://growingideas.johnnyseeds.com/2014/10/new-concepts-for-winter-harvest.html

here's a really good pic of the difference in size between a greenhouse and low tunnel. it's also an instruction page on how to set up the low tunnels and the tool Johnny's sells to make the hoops a consistent size.
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/assets/i...ops-low-tunnel_benders_instruction-manual.pdf
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/assets/i...ops-high-tunnel_bender_instruction-manual.pdf

 

[Smiles Jr.]

Smiles Jr., I am enjoying reading your posts so much and more importantly participating in our group. You are truely an asset to TEG. I'm so proud of you for continuing to improve your dad's farm. Keep up the good work!

I don't know the difference between low and high tunnels either.

Mary

Aww shucks @ninnymary I feel your hug all the way across the country. It feels sooooo good.

I have to admit that this is a big job. I'm learning lots of stuff every day. The overnight temperatures have been around zero the past few days and this old house has LOTS of leaks. But a big wood stove in the living room and a small one in the kitchen sure feels good.

 

[Smiles Jr.]

Low tunnels and high tunnels. Now I get it.


One of my favorite kind of tunnels:

 

[Smiles Jr.]

We can even have tunnels inside of tunnels . . .



I'm sorry - I didn't mean to hijack your thread @Chickie'sMomaInNH
I'll sit down and shut up now.

 

[Chickie'sMomaInNH]

not a problem. i found it

 

[ninnymary]

We can even have tunnels inside of tunnels . . .

View attachment 5920

I'm sorry - I didn't mean to hijack your thread @Chickie'sMomaInNH
I'll sit down and shut up now.

Majorcatfish, could you do something like this at your place?

Mary