Tunnel Greenhouses
Tunnel Greenhouses Explained
Tunnel greenhouses can be used in just about any area of specialty. The most popular uses for tunnel greenhouses is for floral gardening and culinary. It takes a little bit more planning to have a tunnel greenhouse but, if done properly, it can be one of the most beautiful and creative greenhouses you can build. If you're looking for some tunnel greenhouse ideas, here are a few to consider:
- Culinary tunnel greenhouses can be built to grow almost any vegetable you can dream up. Vegetables that tend to need a lot of temperature, such as tomatoes and zucchini, benefit from a well-designed greenhouse. Most tunnel greenhouses will be square or semi-round and come with an attached soil-based lighting system. High-traffic plants are typically semi-cascade and root-bearing vines like broccoli, cauliflower and onions. Tunnel greenhouses can also be used to grow crops that don't need the extreme heat of the summer or cold of the winter, including garlic, broccoli and peppers. Crop production using a tunnel greenhouse can be very productive and very rewarding for gardeners.
- For budding landscape designers, tunnel greenhouses make the best grow space available. You have ample growing space during the growing season but no need for expensive irrigation and pest control measures. Best of all, you can move your crop production outdoors when it's time to harvest. Just bring in the best tunnel greenhouse ideas to use when the weather turns too cold or the summer temperatures start to rise. When the weather conditions prohibit planting, simply move your plants indoors to a climatically controlled environment. When you're planting for the spring, you can go ahead and put your best vegetables right on the vine before the first frost.
- Plants need rich, fertile soil to grow, thrive and yield. In order to have the best tunnel greenhouse plants, prepare your soil for cultivation by breaking up old sod and adding good compost to the area. High tunnel greenhouses allow root growth for tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers; ensure your soil is ready for these crops by testing your soil one to two weeks before planting.
- Because tunnel greenhouses provide ample light and air to grow plants, they provide a perfect growing environment for tropical and even some drought tolerant varieties of crops. These include cucumbers, onions, broccoli and carrots. By providing a healthy environment, tunnel greenhouse plants are better able to fight disease. This is because the soil in a tunnel greenhouse is well-aerated and receives ample water, oxygen and nutrients.
- Although tunnel greenhouses might not provide an ideal location for starting seedlings, many growers find their setup very beneficial. It allows them to control the conditions of their plants, allowing them to start seeds indoors as soon as they come out of the ground. Many indoor gardeners find that this method allows them to harvest plants earlier in the season and more effectively preserve and protect them until the time is right to harvest. If this appeals to you, look into the possibility of a tunnel greenhouse.
- Tunnel greenhouses allow for crop rotation. If you're hoping to plant a crop in the same spot during the whole growing season, it's probably not a good idea. This is because the intense heat of a greenhouse can damage a crop. In addition, if moisture is already being used by your crop, then tunnel temperatures will likely stay high for most of the growing season.
Growing crops in tunnel greenhouses can be an effective solution for growing small areas of land in a controlled environment. It's also a good option for areas that are difficult to produce an adequate amount of crops with conventional methods. The tunnel greenhouse provides year round gardening opportunities and can fit the needs of any area where growing needs are seasonal or sensitive to climate control. Check into this type of greenhouse if you need a way to grow healthy vegetables all year around.