The poly tunnel - a must have for any urban garden

A poly tunnel is a great addition to any food growing scenario and brings many benefits to the garden.

All seed propagation can be done inside, protecting the seedlings from the weather, and the garden bullies, the slugs and the snails. It also gives the heat needed for the seeds to germinate, and this can be done earlier in the season giving you longer growing times and stronger healthier plants.

The poly tunnel also gives you storage in a weather proof space, and becomes a little nursery for the garden, allowing you to plan ahead.

Once the plants have left the poly tunnel and gone out to populate the community garden, you can then grow crops that like warmer climates, like large tomatoes, aubergines, cucumbers, chillis, and year round salad.

In the ethics of reduce, re-use, recycle, we chose to make our poly tunnel from scratch, at the fraction of what it would cost you to buy one off the shelf.

The skill sharing and communal building gives you a sense of satisfaction, and means you will know how to repair the tunnel easily and know how to make one wherever you go!

Pictures from November and October polytunnel workshop