By Katie Markheim, Nebraska Extension Master Gardener
Ready to take your garden to the next level? This is Katie Markheim, Nebraska Extension Master Gardener. If you’re a grower ready to build a business, impress at the local farmer’s market, or well, simply grow in your gardening experience, consider the construction and use of a high tunnel.
Experienced specialty plant growers can increase the quality of their products and the duration of their marketing of high-value crops by using high tunnels.
High tunnels give growers the opportunity to plant earlier and include more sequential planting dates. They also provide environmental protection, improving the visual appeal of both plant stock and produce.
For successful high tunnel crop production, decisions and actions before planting the first crop include choosing the right structural design, the best site location, initial soil prep, and the method of construction.