‘Sun Smart Green’ polytunnels

Greenwood have started trialling green polytunnels on their site at Highleigh Nurseries.

Always looking at innovative solutions, Greenwood have taken on four new ‘Sun Smart Green’ polytunnels at their growing site in Sidlesham. Supplied by XL Horticulture,  the tunnels which were erected 6 weeks ago are already proving a success.

Normally, when plants grow in artificial shade they stretch and grow tall and leggy as they search for light. The green tunnels are designed to mimic the shade of a forest canopy which plants have evolved to grow in without getting tall and leggy. The particular wavelength of light that is affected is the red end of the spectrum. By changing the specific ratio of 2 wavelengths of red we are able to switch on a mechanism in plants that effectively tells them they are in a forest and not to compete for light and grow too quickly.

Southern Nursery Manager, Tom Wozniak commented that ‘We are seeing great successes already for varieties like ‘Choisya Sundance’ and ‘Viburnum Davidii’  which have already developed thicker stems and have developed root systems from an early stage. Last year we had an unusually hot summer at our southern sites and as such suffered losses and scorching in various varieties which are more suited to shaded areas so are looking forward to seeing results this year and are already planning to put up  green tunnels.’

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