#poly tunnels

If you're looking for alternatives specific to species that require cold stratification, I go more in-depth on those here

But if you're mainly looking to replicate the earlier sowing window - great for short growing seasons or plants that take a long time to reach maturity (like peppers) - and additional heating benefits of the winter sowing method, there's a few other ways to trick the seasons for those who don't have access to a greenhouse.

-Cold Frames 🪟: Essentially a mini greenhouse. Transparent box, or one with insulated sides and a clear upper half & roof, built around a short raised or ground bed. Can buy pre-built ones, find plans online, or rig your own up out of plexiglass, polycarbonate sheets, or even old glass windows. Make sure it's not too heavy to access to weed, prune, and water.

-Poly Tunnels🔺️: Low tunnels of made of polythene plastic and a steel framing, meant to sit a few feet above rows of in-ground plants. Can rig your own from polycarbonate sheets or plastic sheeting, wood, and pvc pipes. Make sure to have a soaker hose or other in-ground watering system, or be able to otherwise access the row to water.

-Indoor starts 💡: Starting seed indoors, either in a warm sunny spot or with the aid of grow lights and tray warmers. Check seed packets or local planting schedules to be sure you don't start things too early to put them out, and remember they'll need to be hardened off for several days when moved outside.

Troubleshooting:

-❄️🌙 These outdoor methods don't provide much insulation so will only raise the low temps at night by a few degrees, keep this in mind and prioritize cold-hardy plants until the very early spring

-🐛🐌 Slugs are the main pest in colder months, consider having other cover and winter crops around for them to target and using slug traps (recipe from OSU)

Great Gardening Tips From Belgium with Laila Noort

Laila Noort is originally from Holland, and now calls Belgium home. She is a plant lover, an avid vegetable gardener, and an aspiring hobby farmer. She loves mud under her fingernails and writing her awesome gardening blog. She knows how to find free horse manure, how to make spirits and wine Read more…

Making use of a polytunnel greenhouse can be the making of a horticulture business.  There are many ways to maximise the potential of your business, and it’s important to remember that some of them may involve a sizable investment along the way. We have all heard about the need to speculate before you accumulate, as the old saying goes, and this is especially true in the horticulture industry, a sector in which the difference between success and failure can be relatively small.

If you are a professional grower, whether you are producing plants, vegetables or fruits, or even a combination of all three, you need to think long and hard about increasing your annual yield. Thankfully, you can do this with the purchase of poly tunnel greenhouse systems, an asset that will often pay for itself in a relatively small space of time. Money always has to be invested carefully, of course, so it’s best to seek advice before any financial outlay.

http://www.polybuild.com/polytunnel-sizes/

Using polytunnels for greenhouses offers a number of ways to increase the profitability of any commercial organisation, but few of them are likely to be as reliable as making the business more efficient. Making gains in this area, irrespective of the industry sector in which you are involved, will always help your company to become more productive and more successful.

http://www.polybuild.com/polytunnel-sizes/

Those who work in the supply chain for plants, vegetables and fruits may not be aware of the need to increase productivity, but the men and women in the front line will know all about it. Thankfully, many of them have had the vision and the bravery to invest in polytunnels for horticulture, and have been able to reap rewards along the way. These wonderful assets can extend the growing season for a number of items, and can therefore increase revenue in no time.