Multi-Span High Tunnels (2011) - 3 pages

A major limitation of the first generation of high tunnels was that they were relatively small – typically only 10-15’ wide, 8’ tall and 100’ long. The size of the high tunnels limited the range of crops that could be grown, made it difficult to use full-size field equipment within the tunnels, and temperatures within the high tunnels tended to fluctuate rapidly.

In 2011 we began testing the next generation high tunnels – an 8 unit gutter-connected tunnel complex, with each unit being 28’ wide, 18’ tall and 200’ log. Crop performance within the multi-span high tunnel (MSHT) was compared to crops grown in the open and/or to crops grown in a small single span high tunnel (SHT).