Benefits of Temperature Control in Polytunnels 

How hot is too hot for domestic polytunnels? Of course, it depends on what you are planning on growing in your polytunnel installation. The average temperature in a polytunnel in the UK is probably between 26 - 30 centigrade. However, on hot a day, it is not unusual for the temperature to reach much higher. If your polytunnel gets too hot, you may have to deal with crop failures and other problems. Keeping an eye on the daily temperature is essential when it comes to having healthy plants. It is easy to assume that vegetable crops such as tomatoe, aubergine and courgette prefer it quite- hot, but that is not the case. Too much heat may cause them to perish and rot.

How do you control the temperature in domestic polytunnels? There are many ways in which to control the inside temperature. The first thing you should do when your polytunnel installation has been completed is to add a thermometer. As a matter of fact, adding a couple of thermometers in different locations in the tunnel is a good idea. If you have growing benches, you may find the temperature is a lot cooler underneath the benches. Take advantage of this and use the area to protect heat sensitive plants.

Shade is important in domestic polytunnels. If you did not have shading supplied with your polytunnel installation, you should consider adding it. One of the best ways to provide your crops and plants with shade is to add netting. There are many different types of netting that you can buy. Netting does cut down the heat by at least 25% in most polytunnels. It is cost-effective and easy to use on days when the temperature in your tunnel exceeds what you want it to be.

It is also important to make sure you have the right polytunnel covers. In recent years, covers have come a long way. You can now have covers that keep the heat in. There are also covers that help to protect your growing efforts from UV rays. It is best to try and think about what you would like to grow in domestic polytunnels before you start planting. If this is your first time establishing a tunnel in your garden or on your allotment, you should discuss what you want to grow with your local polytunnel installation service.

Ventilation is important and an excellent way of controlling the temperature. In general, the more vents or flaps, you have in your domestic polytunnels the better. That way, you can control the temperature better. On slightly cooler days, you may not want to have all of your vents open and access doors. But, the more flexible your ventilation system is in your new polytunnel installation, the easier it is going to be to control the temperature. With global warming in mind, you may have to use a range of temperature control methods. It is better to be prepared than to lose your crops or have precious plants damaged by excessive temperatures.

Read More:

How Do I Ventilate a Polytunnel?

Pest Control in Commercial Polytunnels