• home
  • posts
  • category
  • greenhouses polytunnels
  • Info, news & debate

    Greenhouses & polytunnels posts

    Worried about fruit & veg rationing? Let’s grow our own, in our communities

    Dave Darby of Lowimpact.org | 05-Mar-2023 | 2

    Every so often something happens that punctures our sense of what’s normal. In the UK one of those events was empty shelves that used to display fruit and veg. Then supermarkets began rationing some food items. Read more

    A woodland classroom for north London – help OrganicLea make it happen!

    Craig Bayne of Organic Lea | 13-Sep-2018 | 0

    OrganicLea are planning a woodland classroom but need your help to make it happen. Craig Bayne tells us more about how you can get involved with this fantastic opportunity to create more space for nature-based learning and food growing skills in north east London. Read more

    How to build your own aquaponics greenhouse – Part 3

    In Part 3 of his how to build your own aquaponics greenhouse adventure, Root Cause Organic’s Pete Blunsdon covers the all important growing media, the plants and the fish. Read more

    How to build your own aquaponics greenhouse (Part 2)

    Pete Blunsdon of Root Cause Organics continues his series of guest posts about how to build your own aquaponics greenhouse. In Part 2, he gets to grips with the all important plumbing. Read more

    How to build your own aquaponics greenhouse (Part 1)

    Pete Blunsdon of Root Cause Organics, an experimental microholding in Buckinghamshire, shares the first in a series of guest posts about how he built his very own aquaponics greenhouse and how you can do the same. It’s over to Pete from here… Read more

    New no-dig, organic market garden for Manchester: how you can help

    We are starting a new NO DIG MARKET GARDEN that will bring fresh organic food to Manchester. You can help by joining our crowd funder at Read more

    In praise of the wheelbarrow: low-impact transportation at its best?

    Perhaps these days most commonly associated with the garden, there’s more to the humble wheelbarrow than you might think. Sophie Paterson explores its potential, past and present, as a low-impact form of transportation. Read more

    So you want to be a farmer? Thirteen words of wisdom from me to myself

    Chris Smaje of Vallis Veg | 03-Sep-2017 | 0

    In this post based on an original at Small Farm Future, farmer Chris Smaje relates words of wisdom curated as part of a talk he gave at the Oxford Real Farming Conference in 2016. Read more

    What to sow, plant and harvest in your polytunnel or greenhouse in September

    Your tunnel or greenhouse is likely to get a little bit out of hand during this month, with most crops not being at their prime any longer. Pests and diseases are also spreading much faster than before. You have to decide which plants to clear and which ones to leave a bit longer. Read more

    A year of downshifting in Devon

    Downshifting means working less, earning less and spending less and it’s what Lowimpact.org’s Sophie Paterson has spent the past year attempting to do. She shares what she’s learnt so far and why she’d encourage others to embrace downshifting too. Read more

    What to sow, plant and harvest in your polytunnel or greenhouse in August

    In August there is even more bounty than in July, whether you’re growing in a polytunnel or a greenhouse. You may have produced enough courgettes and cucumbers for the whole neighbourhood. The tomatoes are made into soups and frozen and you reap the rewards for all your efforts. Read more

    Taking the pee: is urine a good fertiliser?

    Scarlett Penn of WWOOF UK | 27-Jul-2017 | 17

    Many of us consider it a waste product but, in fact, is urine a good fertiliser? Scarlett Penn of WWOOF UK sets out why we should pause for thought before we flush. Read more

    A tale of two greenhouses: in praise of the solar greenhouse

    Asked to describe the average greenhouse, many readers might picture a mainly glass structure. There is, however, an alternative which offers even greater growing potential across the seasons with far less energy consumption: the solar greenhouse. Particularly popular in China since the late 1970s, solar greenhouses make use of passive solar energy to retain the… Continue reading A tale of two greenhouses: in praise of the solar greenhouse Read more

    What to sow, plant and harvest in your polytunnel or greenhouse in July

    Your polytunnel or greenhouse is absolutely packed and you’ll be harvesting fruits from your summer crops – the first tomato of the year is always the most anticipated and delicious. Soon you’ll have more food than you can cope with. Read more

    What to sow, plant and harvest in your polytunnel or greenhouse in June

    June is one of my favourite months in the tunnel or greenhouse. The majority of crops are planted by now and the responsibility of watering your seedlings every day is nearly over. You can enjoy tending your crops and observe how they develop. Read more

    What to sow, plant and harvest in your polytunnel or greenhouse in May

    May is the most exciting month in your tunnel or greenhouse. This is the time to plant out your summer crops – your tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, cucumbers and basil. Read more

    Smallholding with heart: advice about getting and running a smallholding from Janet Jenkins of Cuckoo Farm

    Embarking on a new life in the countryside, away from the trappings of urban existence, is a dream increasingly common to many. This week we interviewed Janet Jenkins about her and her family’s smallholding journey, putting the heart back into the land at Cuckoo Farm. Read more

    What to sow, plant and harvest in your polytunnel or greenhouse in April

    April is one of the busiest months and one filled with immense responsibility. All your crops are now sown and you care for them as if they are your little babies. Read more

    Come and join us on our organic, off-grid smallholding in 2017

    We are James and Sukamala, tenants at Wild Geese Acres, Greenham Reach, which is an off-grid, low-impact farming project established in north Devon by the Ecological Land Coop  (ELC) – see website. http://ecologicalland.coop. Read more

    What to sow, plant and harvest in your polytunnel or greenhouse in March

    You will really feel the warmth in your greenhouse or polytunnel now and so do your plants. They start to grow quite rapidly now but be aware that the nights are still quite cold and there is still a high risk of frost. Read more

    There’s a crash coming – a slap from Mother Nature. This isn’t pessimistic; it’s realistic.

    The human impact on nature and on each other is accelerating and needs systemic change to reverse.

    We’re not advocating poverty, or a hair-shirt existence. We advocate changes that will mean better lives for almost everyone.

    Sign up to our newsletter

    Facebook icon Twitter icon Youtube icon

    All rights reserved © lowimpact 2023