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| - | # Greenhouses & polytunnels | + | This topic is part of [[gt: |
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| - | ## What are greenhouses and polytunnels? | + | ===== What are greenhouses and polytunnels? |
| Greenhouses and polytunnels are permanent or semi-permanent structures made of transparent material such as glass or plastic that protect plants from the cold and wind. They allow through the whole spectrum of sunlight, but trap the (infra-red) radiation that is reflected from the earth or plants (plus the warmed air is prevented from mixing with cooler air from above), which causes temperatures to rise. Carbon dioxide also allows sunlight through, but traps reflected infra-red radiation from the earth - which is why it's called a ' | Greenhouses and polytunnels are permanent or semi-permanent structures made of transparent material such as glass or plastic that protect plants from the cold and wind. They allow through the whole spectrum of sunlight, but trap the (infra-red) radiation that is reflected from the earth or plants (plus the warmed air is prevented from mixing with cooler air from above), which causes temperatures to rise. Carbon dioxide also allows sunlight through, but traps reflected infra-red radiation from the earth - which is why it's called a ' | ||
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| - | ## What are the benefits of greenhouses and polytunnels? | + | ===== What are the benefits of greenhouses and polytunnels? |
| Greenhouses and polytunnels create better growing conditions for plants, providing the following benefits: | Greenhouses and polytunnels create better growing conditions for plants, providing the following benefits: | ||
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| - | ## What can I do? | + | ===== What can I do? ===== |
| Start small: it’s cheap and easy to build your own small structure to get started, and it can be fun to use your creative and practical skills to make something from scratch (from recycled materials). A few poles (old tent-poles will do, or bamboo poles tied together to make an A-frame) and some plastic sheeting is all you need for a miniature polytunnel. You can also get cheap kits from garden centres. Remember that you'll need to water regularly, as the plants won't be getting any rain, and that may involve lifting the structure off - but, if you find that your yields increase, you could up-scale to larger structures in subsequent seasons. | Start small: it’s cheap and easy to build your own small structure to get started, and it can be fun to use your creative and practical skills to make something from scratch (from recycled materials). A few poles (old tent-poles will do, or bamboo poles tied together to make an A-frame) and some plastic sheeting is all you need for a miniature polytunnel. You can also get cheap kits from garden centres. Remember that you'll need to water regularly, as the plants won't be getting any rain, and that may involve lifting the structure off - but, if you find that your yields increase, you could up-scale to larger structures in subsequent seasons. | ||
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| You can find more detailed advice about greenhouses & polytunnels in books or online (see resources) - and here are [month-by-month guides](https:// | You can find more detailed advice about greenhouses & polytunnels in books or online (see resources) - and here are [month-by-month guides](https:// | ||
| - | ## Further resources | + | ===== Forum ===== |
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| + | This topic belongs to the section [[gt: | ||
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| + | ===== Further resources | ||
| - [How to build a greenhouse](https:// | - [How to build a greenhouse](https:// | ||
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| - | ## Related topics | + | ===== Related topics |
| - [Composting](cpst: | - [Composting](cpst: | ||
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| - [Vegetable growing](vegg: | - [Vegetable growing](vegg: | ||
| - | ## Specialist curators of this topic | + | ===== Specialist curators of this topic ===== |