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has anyone got a polytunnel instead of a greenhouse? we are considering this option as i don't fancy all that glass..
is this a good option or am i wrong and should we go for a greenhouse. we are looking at a tunnel at 8'x10' for our allotment and all discussions are welcome to help solve our dilema........
also, where is the best place to but a polytunnel from?

glass definitely gets my vote. Obviously not much use if you have yobs chucking stones though.

I bought mine on eBay - 30' x 10', 5 year old aluminium greenhouse for £ 400, and a 12' x 10' (forgotten the price)

I quite like the look of this DIY tunnel though

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The poly gets my vote - We have a 24' tunnel and it is fabulous. We had a glass one when we lived in the Uk. Growing wise I wouldn't say there was much in it for me - except that I can afford a bigger plastic and therefore get to grow more.

I wouldn't be able to advise you where to get a tunnel in the UK - sorry.

I now have both, but started with a tunnel. The big difference is that a tunnel is much harder to keep frost-free in the winter - but if that isn't an issue, I would go for it. The tunnel currently has toms, cukes, peppers and melons (although the melons might prefer the slightly higher temperatures in the greenhouse). Bought ours from firsttunnels (I think!)

As you are looking at a 10x8 tunnel, I assume you are going for one of the lightweight ones you can see on EBay a lot.

I have one of these as well as a glass greenhouse.

As the tubing is not very heavy and they are only really designed for reasonable weather, I don't think they are practical for bad winter winds.

So saying we have had some pretty bad gusts of wind already this year. One of the other plot holders has been wiser than me, in that they sited theirs so the side was facing the prevailing winds and buried the ground flaps into the ground and they have apparently had no problems.

Me on the other hand never thought about the prevailing winds and sited mine with the door facing the prevailing winds and came unstuck.

Got down the allotments to find mine on it's back, so I've had to rope mine down and have put up a windbreak to stop any further problems.

When I have finished cropping this year, I will resite mine but Ithink I will be prudent and still rope it down. On the other hand, if it seems to be a problem over winter, it is so simple to take the cover off but obviously this will restrict it's usefulness somewhat.

Sorry to smile at your misfortune - but like the mental image of the little tunnel on its back! legs flailing in the air! lol!

PB, you are actually correct in your vision, the "legs" were flapping about. I also saw the funny side as I stood there. I have mentioned to loads of newcomers about the prevailing wind and never heeded my own advice. TWONK

Still smiling about that 'turtled tunnel' but I know what you mean.

We live on the side of a valley up a hill -pretty high altitude (I'm in cloud now) and the wnd 'prevails' both ways - which is very unfair!! It comes East west and west east depending on its mood! Luckily we located our tunnel east west with a door in each end (it s 24 foot) so its ok.

We didnt bury our plastic we used 'base rails' to hold it down with exhaust clamps (big FO lumps of concrete on the poles in the gorund mind you!) We haev been surprised that it has stayed put (fingers crossed)

Since we put our tunnel up three years ago we have helped put up a dozen or so with neighbours and I have to say that the burying plastic is harder work but feels 'good and solid'

One other thing I was thinking - I have had a problem with sil errosion which I dont think you would have wth the burrying method either. As I have the base rails - we found the water run off washed away the soil around the bottom of the tunnel - this could be:

a, because we are in Ireland and it rains a lot!
b, because we and the tunnel are on a hill.

We ended up putting boards and slates along the bottom edge to stop the soil falling out of the tunnel!

If you want a 'proper' polytunnel, not one of those pop-together thingies, then try the following;


Super 8 & 10 Polytunnels - Northern Polytunnels


Build Your Own Polytunnel - FirstTunnels

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Anyone know if a Glasshouse is inherently more wind resistant that a poly-tunnel? (assuming neither is outrageously flimsy, nor built using iron girders!)

Dont know technically -but I would say that the plastic is a lot easier/cheaper/safer to replace if it does get damaged. Mine stands up to really extreme conditions onthe side of thehill and is ok - as it has 'give' I would worry that glass doesnt have the flexibilty - but I had my glasshouse in a nice sheltered garden in West Yorkshire - (smile)

wow, thanks guys and gals for the response....will keep you posted on what we decide to get and how we get on, but we will bear in mind the notes about wind etc...

i have built my own green house i have started with a ten foot one made from timber and plastic sheeting cost about 70pounds to build and is very productive. i have since been lucky enough for a friend to give me an old double glazed conservatory which i have added to the end of it, its now about 15ft long and very cheap. i have put cucs and toms in it this year with pretty much the same results of last year. it depends how much you want to spend but diy is much cheaper and more satisfying, after all its about saving money not spending it. you can get diy polytunnels off the web i intend to add one or two of these to my plot this year and they allow for all weather and all year gardening

where do you plan to get your diy tunnel from?? this sounds like a good idea

Hi - "long-time reader, first-time poster" as they say!

I have had a great first summer of growing, & many thanks must go to all who make this site such a good resource for people like me!!

I want to carry on growing if I can & want to buy myself a polytunnel - I'm thinking of trying to grow a few salad leaves over the winter months...

My question is, what is the minimum size you might recommend for a first tunnel? It will be stored in my "garden" & living in the city, space is at a real premium!

I don't want to spend my money, then realise what I have is too small to enjoy! Also - what's the best (& cheapest) way of heating a small tunnel?

PS - I am not that confident with wiring & the like etc!!

Thanks - Emmy :-)

What do you want to grow?

Have you considered Glass as well as a Tunnel?

The smaller the house the more difficult it is to get an even growing environment IMHO.

Glass with top vents and a louvre down low offers quite a nice atmosphere - the heat rises, and air is drawn in though the louvre, so I think has less "draft". Tunnels you open the ends, and the breeze blows through (but if you point the end at the prevailing wind then a gale may make it take off!). Glass normally has vertical sides, so easier to grow up to the edge, or to have a table/staging up to the edge.

Tunnel is cheaper (although check eBay for second hand greenhouses, bargains to be had) but needs the plastic replacing every few years.

Glass houses are prone to yobs throwing stones (Polycarbonate or toughened-glass [expensive] are possible solutions to that threat)

think for the price of the polytunnels i would prefer a polycarb greenhouse ...

Living in Shetland and on an exposed site, my polytunnel has provided me with some great shelter to grow veg during the summer and the winter. I started with the tunnel (a North Tunnels 20 x 14 feet) and now also have a greenhouse (an extremely well built, very expensive one to withstand the wind!). This is my second season with the greenhouse and my sixth with the tunnel.

Do bear in mind that, depending on how north you are, you use the tunnel and the greenhouse for growing different things. I use the tunnel where most of you would use the garden - courgette, sweetcorn, salad, carrots, peas etc. Whereas in the greenhouse toms and cucumbers and more courgette do well. The only tom that grows in the tunnel well is Gardeners Delight, although Sub-Arctic Plenty is doing well this year. It is very difficult to maintain a constant temperature in the tunnel (hot during the day and cold at night) so anything that needs a "constant" is a little difficult.

Hope this helps. I would thoroughly recommend Bernard Salts book on Growing Under Plastic for anyone thinking of even a small tunnel. It is an excellent book.

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I have a small greenhouse as well on one of my plots that I bought secondhand off EBay.

The roof had an automatic opening panel, which I thought was great but when I first put it up we had a quite sunny day but extremely windy. The roof stayed open a bit which allowed the wind pressure to build up and popped open the roof on the opposite side.

I was horrified to discover rising and falling in the wind by about 8 inches, quite how the glass didn't break I don't know but I had to go inside and tie it down with wire till the wind abated.

Scared the hell out of me, looking up trying to work out how I was going to do this, thinking what if the glass starts to break.

Have since put in braces between one side and the other to make it more solid. Only problem is now that some of the aluminium is bend and stressed, so I get some leakage in very wet weather.

Sometimes feel that I'm being told that I shouldn't be growing under cover!

hi bloomer in response to your question where do i plan to get my poly tunnel from. i found an address on the grapevine posted by another user. the address is as follows...........polytunnel

i intend to use this as a basic starting point,then adapt it to suit my needs. should be able to source bits from various areas depends on how you feel i will try anywhere from skips to building sites, not too fussy me as you may guess, but its all about saving money. failing that i will come up with my own design.

anyone with any ideas or tips would be gratfully recieved.

Hi all - thanks so much for input so far - really appreciate it!

Kristen, I have considered a glass tunnel, but being new to this, I'm really like the idea of something collapsable in case I don't get on as well as I hope & want to store it for a while.

My garden is a typical courtyard, common to most Victorian terraces, so it will be a case of growing in shelving systems I think.

Jennie, thanks for the reply - I am based in the Midlands & your mention of wind did make me think.... However, because my garden is fairly small & has brick walls/house on all sides, it always seems very sheltered from the wind, while getting a good amount of light.

Here is the tunnel I am looking at - eBay UK Shop - bau-outdoors: Greenhouses, Marquees - seems a reasonable price & as I say, I really am keen that it can be stored/moved a bit like a tent in the future. What do you think? Is it about right for a "my first polytunnel" kind of thing?!!!

The company seem to have good feedback, so nobody has been dissapointed so far!

This forum is fantastic - thanks!!! Emmy x

i have just been given one of these, the box is still in my hallway, so i cant give you any expertise, and i'm still not sure about the fact that it's green but hopefully i can get a space cleared today, and get it up over weekend.

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