Do you want to know some polytunnel plants list? The list of plants to grow in summer in the polytunnel is vast, so year-round productivity is achievable.
You can grow various plants such as peppers, herbs, squash, eggplants, green onions, okras, melons, beans, greens, and tomatoes. The summer season doesn’t have to be a problem for farmers because the polytunnel makes it possible to grow these various crops.
You don’t need to halt the productivity in your polytunnel when summer starts. A lot of crops would thrive well in the heat. However, ensure that you still check the polytunnel conditions as very high temperatures can affect the plants’ health.
Here’s the polytunnel plants list:
Tomatoes
Crops like tomatoes originate in warm places, making them suitable to grow in the polytunnel in summer. They came from South America, where the temperatures get high. Therefore, they’ll still thrive inside the polytunnel during warm summers.
Peppers
Pepper varieties such as hot peppers and bell peppers also originate in warm regions. Hot pepper seeds even prefer a warm temperature to germinate. What’s excellent about peppers is that you can harvest them fresh or dried depending on how hot it is in your polytunnel.
Greens
Most greens that you use in a salad grow well in the polytunnel in summer. They include heat-tolerant varieties of lettuce, romaine, cabbage, watercress, and asparagus. They can proliferate as long as you give them good hydration by targeting their roots with water.
Herbs
Many herbs ranging from dill, parsley, chives, thyme, oregano, marjoram, sage, rosemary, and basil, thrive in a polytunnel during summer. However, do note that herbs like thyme and oregano do not need as much water as plants like basil. Nevertheless, the heat in the polytunnel can help you preserve the cuttings of these herbs.
Beans
Varieties of beans like yard-long beans and green beans grow well in the heat. They make great crops for the polytunnel in the summer because of their productivity. If you want to achieve a good harvest every summer, beans are an excellent choice.
Squash and zucchinis
The warm condition in the polytunnel during summer is excellent for squash and zucchini. Varieties like the Trombetta will go well with the other summer crops in the polytunnel.
Eggplants
Some varieties of eggplants came from Southeast Asia. These long and narrow eggplants flourish well in the summer. Just make sure to harvest them immediately once you notice that the fruits’ skins are getting dull.
Okras
Okras came from Africa, which makes them an excellent candidate to plant in the polytunnel during summer. Depending on the variety, you can even harvest the pods frequently.
Green onions
With proper care, green onions will grow well in the polytunnel in summer. Just make sure the seedlings are spaced well in loosened soil with fertiliser.
Melons
Melon varieties like watermelon, honeydew, and cantaloupe are abundant fruits to grow in the polytunnel during summer. However, you still need to check if the inside’s condition provides proper ventilation not to overheat.
Can You Use A Polytunnel In The Summer?
The beauty of polytunnel farming is that you can still use it in the summer. Compared to field growing, you always have some control over the conditions inside the polytunnel. You have to know how do you keep a polytunnel cool in the summer and what crops will thrive well in this condition.
Using a polytunnel in the summer means ensuring that the conditions inside will still be habitable for the summer crops you’ve chosen. This can mean checking the ventilation and humidity, adding shade, and examining for pests.
How Do You Keep ApolytunnelCool In The Summer?
Crops such as tomatoes, peppers, greens, herbs, beans, squash and zucchinis, eggplants, okras, green onions, and melons grow well in the polytunnel during summer. However, it would help if you still kept the polytunnel cool by using a shade cloth, proper ventilation, cooling system, and thermostat. You must always maintain the appropriate temperature inside the polytunnel during the summer.
Shade cloth
The easiest way to cool your polytunnel in the summer is by using a shade cloth. This will help lessen the intensity of the light that penetrates the polytunnel. In turn, you can prevent overheating of plants from getting very intense direct sunlight.
Sunlight is essential for photosynthesis, so you should understand that you’re not aiming for total darkness in the polytunnel. You can regulate the light intensity by putting the cover on during the hottest hours and then remove it once it’s not as intense.
Proper ventilation
The ventilation in the polytunnel plays a significant role in keeping it cool in the summer. You can do this by using natural or mechanical ventilation systems. Proper ventilation will ensure you can cool air inside and then take the hot air outside from the polytunnel.
Natural or manual ventilation is through the use of air vents, mesh cloth or screen. Or, if you want, you can also use mechanical ventilation systems that will automatically work the vents and exhaust fans for you. Both natural and mechanical ventilation systems will ensure that you can manage the summer temperature in your polytunnel.
Cooling system
In some UK areas, you will need to install a cooling system to regulate your polytunnel temperature in terms of fans and evaporative cooling systems. Your location may have a more intense heat during the summer than other UK regions, so you need to reinforce a cooling system in the polytunnel.
Thermostat
To keep the polytunnel cool in the summer, you can also place a thermostat in your polytunnel. What this does is that it will help you monitor the conditions inside your polytunnel. This way, you will know if you need to make adjustments and reinforcements in the polytunnel.
How Can I Cool My Polytunnel Without Electricity?
You may think about how it wouldn’t be cost-effective to rely on electricity for cooling the polytunnel every summer. How can I cool my polytunnel without electricity? Shading, manual ventilation, and misting are effective ways to cool the polytunnel every summer without electricity.
Shading
By having the proper shade, you can control the polytunnel temperature and ensure the growth of quality crops. You can do this by adding a shade cloth or shade paint, and both of which do not require electricity to work.
Plants require light for photosynthesis, so you must know when should you add shade and how much is needed by your plants. The climate in your UK region is also a significant factor to know how much light your crops will get every summer.
Shade cloth
The concept of shading with shade cloth is as straightforward as using a giant curtain that you can open or close in the polytunnel. You can either have it inside or outside, depending on your climate. For example, having the shade cloth outside every summer will reduce the intense heat more efficiently.
Shade paint
Shade paint is a paint that is capable of blocking solar radiation from penetrating the polytunnel. You will use it outside the polytunnel, and it’ll need reapplication every year. However, because it’s painted, you can’t adjust the amount of sunlight you’re blocking.
Manual ventilation
The effect of ventilation on the airflow is why it plays a role in cooling the polytunnel. However, you can have a manual ventilation system if you don’t want to use electricity. With a manual ventilation system, you’ll be the one who’s in charge of opening and closing the vents.
It’s a straightforward concept because you’re opening them when it’s hot and closing them when it gets cooler. Therefore, you want to open the vents after sunrise and then close them at nighttime. For maximum efficiency, remember to have both the sidewall vent and ridge vent areas at 15 to 20% of the floor area.
Misting
Just like us humans, you can cool your polytunnel by damping it down. You’ll only need to spray down on the hard surfaces every time the temperature gets very hot. This results in a moist and humid environment that will be helpful for the plants to survive the heat of the summer.
There is no exact number that you must abide by regarding how often or how much you need to mist your polytunnel. However, it’s good that you do it simultaneously when you’re opening and closing the vents.
What Is Too Hot For A Polytunnel?
It’s too hot for the polytunnel if it reaches a temperature above 40°C. This temperature will be too critical for photosynthesis, and the damage will already be irreversible at this point. Getting at this temperature and above will be detrimental to your plants, so it’s essential to cool the polytunnel, especially in the summer.
Do Polytunnels Need To Be Heated?
Polytunnels need to be heated if it is winter or if you live in a UK region with a cold climate. Just like with very high temperatures, very low temperatures can cause damages to your crops. You can identify the appropriate heating system for your polytunnel by calculating its heating requirements.
How Do You Keep A Small Polytunnel Warm?
With a small polytunnel, you have the option of relying on insulation, solar energy, and an electric heater to keep it warm. Choosing a heating system depends on which matches your ideal needs and requirements. Consider how much you’re willing to invest in the costs and which system will be convenient for you in the long run.
Insulation
Insulating your polytunnel is a simple yet effective way to keep it warm when needed. In particular, a well-insulated polytunnel will not have any problems even though it might get freezing at night. You can check for air leaks and use bubble wrap or plastic sheets to your polytunnel walls to keep them insulated.
Solar energy
You can keep a small polytunnel warm by designing it to get hit by solar energy directly. Position your polytunnel so that its north wall is opposing the south border of your home. Then, add a water-filled barrel inside the polytunnel, which will serve as a target for the sun’s electromagnetic radiation.
Electric heater
The beauty of a small polytunnel that even though you use an electric heater, it wouldn’t be too expensive. It’s small enough that using the heater for a few hours will effectively keep the temperature warm. Use an electric heater with a timer for a more convenient way of heating your small polytunnel.
Electric heaters with a built-in thermostat will even make the job easier. After all, it will only turn on when the temperature gets too cold. This lessens costs and adds to the convenience, especially when you’re away.
What Can I Grow In A Heated Polytunnel?
The crops you can grow in a heated polytunnel are similar to those you can grow in summer. These plants include vegetables that thrive in heat, such as tomatoes and pepper varieties like bell peppers and jalapeno. You can also grow beans, squash, okras, and cucumbers in the heated polytunnel.
Bottom Line
The list of plants to grow in summer in the polytunnel comprises tomatoes, peppers, greens, herbs, beans, squash and zucchinis, eggplants, okras, green onions, and melons. These crops have varieties that can tolerate the heat, so you can still grow them in your polytunnel year-round. However, it’s crucial to maintain the conditions inside the polytunnel to keep the plants healthy.
So how do you keep a polytunnel cool in the summer? You can cool the polytunnel in the summer using shade cloth, proper ventilation, a cooling system, or a thermostat. Adding these reinforcements will help you minimise the heat during the summertime.
Overall, always check the temperature in the polytunnel during the year when it gets extreme. You don’t want the polytunnel to reach 40°C because it damages the plants’ capacity to perform photosynthesis. On the other hand, you also have to heat the polytunnel during winter to keep the area habitable for your crops.
Hopefully, you’ve learned from this polytunnel plants list!