If you believe you know enough about polytunnel cultivation and harvesting, think again. Even the advanced polytunnel owner in the UK may not yet fully understand certain concepts such as humidity domes. Today’s focus is on heavy-duty equipment known as your humidity dome.
Do you need humidity domes when planting seeds in a polytunnel? We will find out in this edition of the blog answers to the most frequently asked questions from planting enthusiasts in the UK.
Humidity Domes Defined
In polytunnel gardening, humidity domes are structures or add-on equipment made of plastic, which sits on top of propagators and seed trays. These are domed to let seedlings grow taller, and the material is more than just the aesthetics.
The plastic is flexible and low-cost enough for the dome to increase the humidity and temperature levels of the interiors. So, if your polytunnel provides the right temperature for these herbs, crops, and plants, the humidity dome will add to this benefit.
Successful germination has various temperature requirements, with the ideal temperature between 50 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit on average. The domes are intended for use indoors since most homes may not be this warm. The presence of such tools will manage and stabilise temperature levels and humidity for the ideal growth.
Should I Use A Humidity Dome On Seedlings?
To avoid confusion, note that humidity domes are for gardening in the UK but not for all applications. As for accessories, without using them will give you the alternatives to still have the best produce. If you ask if you need humidity domes for seeds, the answer is no. The seeds may germinate without this, but the dome may also improve germination rates for these seeds.
They can also improve on the time and minimise the effort needed to keep the soil moist for germinating the seeds.
Does A Humidity Dome Need Holes?
Humidity domes do not require holes. The dome’s purpose has always been to trap air moisture beneath the cover, thereby increasing humidity.
There are cases when the dome’s vent holes will tell you if there is too much humidity. High humidity may lead to the growth of moulds in the soil or your seedlings. These may cause the holes in the humidity dome to be more attractive when planting seeds that take more extended periods to germinate.
These holes often spotted on top or the sides of the humidity dome, but one may place elsewhere should you want to make these into your customised vault. Getting the proper humidity levels balances the act so that it warns against too high of moisture in gardening.
On the other end of the spectrum, less humidity may result in the drying out of the soil, disrupting your seeds, and reducing the rates for germination.
Will Seeds Germinate In A Cold Polytunnel?
Polytunnels allow gardeners and farmers in the United Kingdom to manage the humidity and temperature required for propagating the seeds and letting them grow. Since you have a controlled environment, the British gardener may begin seeding anytime. The controlled environment is one of the advantages of polytunnels.
However, if you start with the process, wherein you take a look at transplanting into UK gardens outdoors for the spring, then you should get started with the seeds in the polytunnel at most, eight weeks before the “last expected frost date” in your UK area.
To succeed even further, some seeds must not be germinated in temperatures around 80 degrees Fahrenheit. The polytunnel’s temperature must also be carefully monitored. Polytunnels are warm in the day, when the sun is up, but may get cooler into the night. Always visit other resources for more details about these specific guidelines.
What Temperature Should ApolytunnelBe At Night?
Seventy-five degrees Fahrenheit or 24 degrees Celsius by night (90 degrees Fahrenheit, or about 32 degrees Celsius by day) — this is the advisable temperature that polytunnels must be. The temperature for vegetables may depend on the crop type, but having these at cooler temperatures has been proven to showcase better outcomes.
Mainly, your plants will grow more branches and floral buds than plants grown in warmer temperatures.
To fully understand and help you decide whether you must have the humidity dome in your UK gardens, it is excellent to know about the humidity. In gardening, this pertains to the presence and per cent water vapour in the air, which directly affects moisture levels in the polytunnel.
Do you need humidity domes when planting seeds in a polytunnel? Humidity is one of the most important concepts to learn in gardening and horticulture since this will critically affect the outcomes of the crops.
It will be easier to work with humidity levels with polytunnels because of the opportunities for customisation it has for every gardener in the UK. You can choose from various sizes of the structure, depending on what you need. The right polytunnel protects your plants from changing weather patterns, strong winds, low temperatures, ground frost, and more.