You may be wandering around your place, and you’re curious about where to put a polytunnel in the garden in the UK. There are various considerations, including the direction, location, space, accessibility, and so much more.
Also, did it ever come to your mind that putting a polytunnel in your yard can benefit your crops? In this article, we will also explain how your polytunnel location may affect the yield and growth of your plants.
Suppose you’re living in a cold region or cannot grow crops traditionally. In that case, a polytunnel is usually what most growers use as an alternative as you can regulate the environment inside to be ideal for your greens to strive.
Fascinating? You’d want to read this article to learn more.
Placing ApolytunnelIn Your Yard
Where to put a polytunnel in the garden in the UK? Before you prepare your polytunnel set, you might want first to consider the type of plant you’ll be growing.
You want to ask yourself, “will this plant grow best in a colder place or a warmer one?” or “does this plant need to be exposed to direct sunlight?” By assessing your plants, you’ll get to know them more, allowing you to cater to their needs.
Especially if your purpose of starting a polytunnel is for business, you’d want to supply all your greens basic needs to have an abundant yield.
Here is a list of things you’d need to remember as to where you’d put your greenhouse:
Direction
So, where to put a polytunnel in the garden in the UK? Placing your polytunnel in either north, south, east, or west direction can contribute to your plant’s growth.
How? Well, facing the ridge of the roof of your polytunnel to east-west can help your crops grow all year round, as it maximises the light during darker months.
While in spring or summer, you want to make sure that the ridge runs north-south, allowing both sides of your polytunnel to receive the same amount of sunlight.
As for the lean-to greenhouse, facing south would be the best location with the north side of its supporting wall; to ensure that it receives an adequate amount of sunlight.
Therefore, the direction would depend on what season you’d set up your polytunnel or its type.
A good garden location
An area where plants can get lots of sunshine (if your plant needs it) or a shade to hide when the sunlight is too harsh. Your polytunnel is safer from strong winds and frost pockets during winter, would be an ideal location in your garden.
Keep in mind that hot air rises while cold air goes opposite, straight down, which sometimes causes the bottom slopes of your polytunnel frost longer than on the higher grounds.
Therefore, you’d want to avoid areas where the soil is damp or prone to surface water and the sunlight is insufficient.
If you’re planting in the ground of your greenhouse, you might also place the polytunnel on level ground with quality soil. Regardless, using grow bags, pots, or raised beds with compost would be better, as you don’t do the following.
Avoid tall trees
You don’t want branches of trees to fall on your greenhouse, destroying your precious investment, do you? So, where to put a polytunnel in the garden in the UK?
If the type of plant you’re tending on requires a significant amount of sunlight, then placing your polytunnel underneath any trees will only restrict the sunlight to reach your greens.
And sometimes, birds would leave their droppings, or sticky pollens get stuck outside your greenhouse, giving you extra work to clean on. It would be annoying, right?
But, provided that the trees are within a suitable distance, they could be helpful as a barrier from wind chill factors that will help your plants keep warm while preventing the wind from causing any damage; make sure that your plants still get a fair amount of sunlight.
Space for your polytunnel to breathe
Do consider the space around the greenhouse. Leave at least 1 meter of space to give you access to all sides. It is essential to do so, especially if you need to replace its panels or green algae starts to form, making your polytunnel dirty. Having a space ample enough for you to clean your polytunnel should be considered.
Accessible
What makes a location for polytunnel accessible? It’s when you have access to a water source near you or the electricity for your heater. Where you feel it is convenient and close to where your plants’ needs are, preferably near your house, is the best.
Away from naughty neighbours
Your neighbours can either help you or curse you, so a good relationship between other people will give you peace and harmony; it can even help you with your business too!
But you don’t have to move to another country to start a greenhouse, duh!
You’d want to make sure that location would be away from where kids would play their “pass the ball” game, as you know what might happen.
And children running is a big no when your polytunnel is glass; they may trip and fall directly to the glass, ouch!
As dangerous as it may sound, you’d choose a wooden polytunnel that is sturdy and shatterproof to avoid such accidents.
Conclusion
Whether it is for own amusement or business, owning a polytunnel is what gardeners dream of having. But if you already own one right now, then lucky for you! However, reading this article might want you to move your greenhouse, eh?
Additionally, your grow room size could also determine what location is suitable; as you have more room for plants to grow, you’d want an area where sunlight is sufficient.
Now that you finished reading, we hope that our article on where to put a polytunnel in the garden in the UK ease your worries!