To polytunnel or not to polytunnel?

[Bex]

I hope I've posted this in the right place.

I know next to nothing about gardening. I always thought polytunnels were for colder climates to extend the growing season. However, I have seen people using polytunnels in comparatively hot climates.

So my question is, should I or shouldn't I? What are the pros and cons? I'll only be growing food. I'm hoping to be completely self sufficient so I'll be growing a lot of it. And would, of course, like to be as productive as possible.

Any ideas or advice?

 

[so lucky]

I think a plastic tunnel in a warm climate would do more harm than good. It can heat up fast and weaken the plants, or kill them. What zone are you in?
There is a blog called "Mother of a Hubbard" where she shows how to make a remay (?) tunnel and keeps greens growing all winter in zone 6b. This is what I am trying to do this fall, but I don't expect to be completely self sufficient. Just to have some organic greens this winter.

 

[Bex]

Thanks for the reply @so lucky . I'm in the UK at the moment, but will be moving to France to start my smallholding. I'm not sure which part of France yet though, so I'm unsure of what the climate will be like. I'll have a look for that blog, thanks.

 

[catjac1975]

They are used in Florida for daylily seedlings. They are watered every 30 minutes. I don't know the benefit-must grow 10 times faster. These are pros.

 

[digitS']

I set up tunnels on the lawn (and move them weekly) to catch the overflow from the greenhouse during the springtime. I also have a higher tunnel that I can walk into (having excavated some soil out of the path), that covers 2 garden beds. Those beds are sown to things like bok choy in March to provide an early crop.

Unless you will have year-round growing temperatures, some sort of protected growing can be useful. They require monitoring - lifting and lowering the sides for the little tunnels, opening and closing the door and window on the higher.

I once set up a tunnel at a distant garden. In a few days, I was back to make U-shaped cuts in the plastic film for venting because the weather had turned very sunny.

I'm not sure how much of an advantage those plants gained ...

Steve
Edit: @catjac1975 , those are "misting chambers" and with an automated system, can be very useful for propagation.

 

[catjac1975]

I bought a used one to lengthen my growing season. I got tomatoes a week or 2 earlier and had them a week or 2 later. I fatally decided it was too much work for so little gain. The tomatoes were not as good a those grown outdoors even though the large back and from doors were open all summer. It grew bigger than usual weeds and had more bugs than outdoors. (I planted directly in the ground.) Now overwinter potted plants in it.

 

[bobm]

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