what to grow and what not to grow?

Hi all,
I have finally got my new polytunnel sorted out - raised beds made, all weeded, and raring to go. I erected it last year (wow, was that hard work!) and only managed to sort out half of it at the time. It's 14' x 28', and now has beds down each side and two short beds in the middle.
Last year I grew oca (which went berserk in its corner, but didn't produce a very big crop), some brassicas which I was given as small (leggy) plants, unlabeled, and were pretty much a waste of space. They took up lots of room for months but apart from one brussel sprout plant I didn't get a crop off them, they just went mouldy. I grew some winter squash which grew like mad and turned the tunnel into a forest. I did get a reasonable crop off them. Also I grew a few carrots, chard, pak choi, which all did well, and beetroot and fennel, which didn't. Oh yes, and one tomato plant that went bonkers.
What I would like to know is what is worth growing in the tunnel and what is not worth growing inside?
From my limited experience so far, it doesn't seem worthwhile growing brassicas inside, though on the plus side they didn't get any caterpillars or aphids on them, but they took up lots of space and I didn't get a crop.
If anyone could offer some advice on what to grow in the tunnel, and what to leave outside, I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks

 

Firstly, welcome Jack to GC.

Secondly, lets have a few photos of your tunnel inside and out and indicate north and south etc.

Mould is a sign of not enough ventilation, even opening the door for a while daily can be enough at times, but you do need to ventilate regularly.

Standard under cover crops include Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Peppers, Aubergines, Melons etc...essentially all the warm weather crops. But there is no reason why you cannot grow absolutely anything under cover, you just need to be mindful of the growing conditions that each plant needs, then provide it for them. This combines correct watering and feeding and ventilation. All this type of info could fill a book so I am going to recommend one that was bought for me many moons ago.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Polytunnel...id=1486731528&sr=8-1&keywords=polytunnel+book

This book will give you the basics info to set you on the right path towards your goal of utilising your under cover space to its potential.

Your brassica failure was down to ventilation, a mate of mine down at our allotment site grows superb cabbaages every year in his tunnel.

But remember a polytunnel is an artificial environment where you need to be "Mother Nature", if a crop fails its 99% certain that you are the root cause and you will fail quite a lot over the next year or so until you get into the swing of things.

But you will get the hang of it so soldier on.

Steve...

 

Thank you Steve R and JWK for replying.
My tunnel faces east/west, with the door at the east end, at the top of a slight slope. There's not a lot to see yet, as I only had the end nearest the door in production last year.
The book I've got is 'How to grow food in your polytunnel all year round' by Mark Gatter and Andy McKee.
I've got lots of outside space for veggies, though most of that is also knee deep in weeds. (I've spent the last 2 years concentrating on getting the house sorted, but I've been getting withdrawal symptoms, so decided the house will just have to wait whilst I do a bit of gardening.)
As well as being a newbie at polytunnels, I'm also a beginner at forums and I need an idiot's guide, so apologies for any mistakes I make.
I want to make the most of the available space in the tunnel, so I don't want to take up lots of space with things like cauliflowers that seem to take up a heck of a lot of space for just a couple of heads. I'd rather start them off inside and move them outside, though I didn't get any aphids etc on them inside, so I can see the advantage of them being inside.
I was hoping that some experienced pt growers could let me know what crops well for the space required. eg I grew a couple of rows of carrots last year and got quite a good crop from them for not much space. Can you grow some plants under others or will they just not get enough light? Is it worth growing an early crop of tall peas on the north side maybe, or even sticking in some early potatoes - would they be ready for harvest before you wanted the space for something else? In particular, what have other people found that it's NOT worth growing because it takes up too much space for the return? The book even suggests growing sweetcorn inside - has anyone done this? I would have thought it a waste, though my neigbours sweetcorn last year was eaten by pigeons...
Comments anyone?
Cheers

 

I have found polytunnels to be a good space to grow brassicas on until they are quite large, so I will continue potting them on till they are outgrowing a 6 inch pot, then plant them out in my brassica frame.

I have grown sweetcorn in a tunnel before

Steve's Polytunnels

Steve's Polytunnels

From my polytunnels topic here Steve's Polytunnels

But I now grow them outside, the tunnels I was growing in back then where not tall enough. And it grows well outside here in North Cumbria, so I use the indoor space for other crops.

In the main these are peppers, aubergines, tomatoes and cucumbers, I underplant these with parsley and Basil, especially good under tomatoes as later in the season you remove lower branches of tomatoes.

I also grow flowers on, in the tunnel, my dahlias can be 4ft tall when I eventually plant them out, sometimes already flowering.

I grow melons and train them up the side of the tunnel and grow peppers in front of them, if there is any space I will sow a few letuce, radish or spring onions or the soil space will be taken by a pot containing a plant being grown on to go outside or a seed tray with things like chard or pak choi to grow on, these will go in the PT beds when space is available.

Today my polytunnel has growing some chard, mooli, spinach, pak choi and a few lettuce. It also has some perennial flowers I lifted from a bed back end of last year and "heeled" in till their new bed is ready.

Also heeled in are some fruit bushes awaiting a new home, they are Blackberries and currants, red currants and some newly bought raspberries and strawberries.

The polytunnel is the engine room for your garden so should always be working for you and if you can plan ahead you can sow and grow things to be ready for when other crops are finished.

Yes, go ahead and sow your peas, also sow some dwarf french beans in front of them for another early crop.

Dont bother with sweet potatoes under cover, return is small for the masses of foliage you get, same with pumpkins and squashes.

You might also want to consider growing a grape vine up the north side of your tunnel, thats something I meant to plant last year but will do this.

Bare soil gives nothing, so have a seed tray there growing something for later use, or sow some seeds..a couple of pinches of seed costs nothing..

Hope this helps...

Steve...

 

Thank you Steve, that's very helpful

 

I can do better than that, here is a whole topic about my Brassica protection.

Brassica cage

Hope this helps.

Steve...

 

That is great, thanks. Either you are feeding an army or else you are awfully fond of brassicas!