There's a tendency to think only commercial growers can use polytunnels. After all, you'll see rows and rows of long polytunnels at nurseries with each tunnel being up to 90 feet long. Obviously this will be much too large for most gardens. So, it's understandable why many gardeners may think their only option is a traditional greenhouse. But this isn’t the case.

You can use polytunnels at home. They're available in different sizes, not just the very long tunnels you see at commercial growing operations, and many gardeners will be able to fit one into their garden or allotment. But which are the best garden polytunnels?

Polytunnels for the home gardener and allotment holder

There's a number of reasons why nurseries and commercial growers use polytunnels. They can be huge structures which house machinery as well as large planting areas. They're also stable, strong, versatile and very cost-effective when compared to a greenhouse.

Now, obviously as a home gardener you're not interested in how big a polytunnel is. Unless you're lucky enough to have a back garden bigger than a car park. But for most of us we'll be more concerned on how small a polytunnel can be. And the good news is that they can be compact enough to fit in the space available to most keen home gardeners.

It's no surprise that the most popular garden polytunnels are the (comparatively) smaller sizes. 14x12 foot being the one which most home gardeners prefer. This tunnel has straight sides so maximises the growing room available along with providing more head space at each side of the tunnel.

Most of us with a back garden will be able to accommodate this size of polytunnel. But if you have a little more space our 14x18 foot conventionally shaped tunnel is also very popular.

Choosing a polytunnel for your garden

There are a few things you should consider when buying a tunnel:

Space

This is obviously important. We've recommended two sizes of tunnel which should fit the needs of most home gardeners. But do carefully check the amount of room you have available. You can purchase polytunnels in a variety of widths and lengths. No matter how large or small your garden there'll be a polytunnel to suit.

But...there's also something else you need to consider when thinking about size. Will the tunnel be big enough for you to plant everything you plan to grow? It may be worthwhile sketching out a simple plan to make sure you'll have sufficient room.

Conversely you need to think whether the polytunnel you're thinking of buying will be too big. There's little point in purchasing a huge 40' long tunnel if a smaller and less expensive model will fit your needs.

Quality of materials and manufacture

You're spoilt for choice when it comes to buying polytunnels. There are so many options - especially online. But, a word of warning. Not all polytunnels are made equally.

Unfortunately, there are many poorly made and very cheap tunnels for sale on auction sites and online marketplaces which just aren't up to the job. They're made from poor quality materials, will blow away in a slight wind and won't last for more than a few weeks or months. And you certainly won't get a worthwhile guarantee with them.

Polytunnels need to be durable and tough enough to cope with the British climate. Only those made from the best materials will be up to the job.

That's why we manufacture our own polytunnels in our Norfolk workshops and only use heavy duty galvanised high tensile steel for our frames. These will last at least fifty years. But that's not all. Our polythene covers are the best you can buy and are guaranteed for five years though we confidently expect them to last much longer than that.

The bottom line here is to make sure you buy your garden polytunnels from trusted and reliable suppliers.

The site itself

In the vast majority of cases you won't need planning permission for a polytunnel. However, if your property is listed or in a special conservation area you may need planning consent. By the same token you may not be allowed to erect a polytunnel over a certain size on an allotment. It's always best to check if you're in any doubt.

Building garden polytunnels

Once the tunnel has arrived you need to put it together. Give yourself plenty of time and make sure you've got some help. Building a polytunnel is within the skill set of most of us and you can see the process here. By the way - don't forget the doors to complete your polytunnel.

If you need any further advice on which are the best garden polytunnels for you or require any further information about our tunnels don't hesitate to get in touch with our friendly team by ringing 01485 601143 or you can email us at sales@directplants.co.uk