A polytunnel is a great place to grow vegetables and plants, even out of season. It creates a suitable environment and has its own microclimate which means that, if you want to continue gardening in winter, you can!

However, for those that are new to under cover gardening, there is the question of what can you grow in your polytunnel in winter. It is important to think about this along with how you will get the tunnel ready for the cold season.

Preparing your polytunnel for winter

If you want your plants to have the best chance throughout the winter, a polytunnel is the best place for them. However, if the polytunnel is not correctly prepared or maintained, it won’t function as well and your plants may suffer. Take a look at some of our top tips for getting your polytunnel ready for winter.

Pests

Be prepared to rid your polytunnel of unwanted guests. Garden pests are a nuisance but when they are in a polytunnel, they are somewhat contained and so can be tackled more easily.

Give the tunnel a thorough check to make sure that there aren’t any slug nests or places that rodents can hide. The best way to prevent anything like this is to make sure that your polytunnel is kept clean but sweeping away dead leaves and clearing up any debris.

Cleaning

As well as cleaning to ensure that your polytunnel doesn’t become a home to creatures that may harm your plants, you should also take the opportunity in winter to have a general tidy up.

Since the outside areas in your garden won’t require as much work at this time of the year, you will have a little more time to focus on your tunnel. The most important thing is to make sure that the polythene cover does not hinder light coming through. If it is covered in grime, slime or dirt then this will need to be removed using a suitable polytunnel cleaning product.

Another important maintenance step is to patch up any holes or tears in the cover. There are polythene tape products that you can use for this.

Make sure the temperature is right

Winter in the UK can get pretty chilly and if your plants are exposed to this, they aren’t likely to do very well. For some plants, the cold will mean certain death. For this reason, it is essential to make sure that the temperature inside the polytunnel is spot on.

There are several things you can do to increase the temperature with the simplest being to install a small heater though this can be expensive. However, some gardeners like to add extra layers using things like bubble wrap or even putting one polytunnel inside another. We look at this in more depth in this article.

Best plants for polytunnels in winter

You could be forgiven for thinking that winter spells the end of any colour in your garden. But there are a lot of winter flowering plants that you can grow in your polytunnel ready to bring a dash of life back to the dark months.

●Winter flowering pansies - these beautiful flowers come in a range of colours and can be easily picked up from garden centres for care in your polytunnel over winter.

●Crocuses - if you want some early pollinators, the crocus is a great choice. They will typically flower in late winter and are one of the earliest to do so.

●Daffodils should be planted in larger numbers and will flower at the very beginning of spring.

●Snowdrops are typically planted in early spring but it is possible to plant them later in the year and still get good results.

●Cyclamen could work well with snowdrops and will bloom pink flowers as early as January.

Best vegetables to plant in winter

If you aren’t quite ready to give up on that veggie patch over winter, you don’t need to! While there are some vegetables that can be planted outdoors in the colder months, these are few and far between. Your best bet is to make the most of you polytunnel by growing any of the following:

●Radishes should be planted 20cm apart in the polytunnel and can be sown as late as October. These are one of the most popular vegetables for winter growing and many people have great success in doing so.

●Turnips are another great option. You will need to plant these in the early autumn and they will then be ready for a winter harvest. They need to be well-spaced with at least 25cm between each one.

●Kale can be planted in an indoor tray before being transferred to your polytunnel. For the most part, you can expect to get a harvest around March but some find that this happens a little earlier.

●Garlic is great for growing over the winter and the cold weather will actually boost its growth. It doesn’t require much maintenance and should be ready by spring.

●Broad beans can be planted right up until November for a spring harvest. You will need to plant and keep the seedlings indoors before moving them into the polytunnel.

Winter storms

Of course, when we think of polytunnels in winter many of us will conjure up thoughts of storms with rain lashing down and high winds battering the tunnel. Non-gardeners will look at polytunnels and think they will blow away on the first breeze.

Thankfully that isn’t the case. A well-built and properly secured polytunnel will withstand the highest winds. The polytunnels we manufacture in our Norfolk workshops are made from the highest-quality steel and have a premium grade cover.

They are the same polytunnels used by commercial growers (including ourselves) up and down the country including the most windswept parts of the UK.

But, before winter arrives, it’s prudent to do a check to ensure the tunnel is in the best shape to withstand the inevitable storms. Make sure it’s anchored correctly and that there are no holes for the wind to enter the tunnel.

With a bit of preparation your polytunnel will be fine over winter and you can spend some quality time with your plants and crops even when the weather is at its worst.

Check out our full range of commercial grade polytunnels here.