Can you leave a high tunnel alone for 2-4 days at a time?

Hi all and thanks in advance for any wisdom.

I am in Zone 5B (western Mass.) and would like to try a small (think 25’ long) high tunnel for a little season extension and better irrigation control.

My question is whether it’s feasible to set this up so it can be left alone for 2-4 day stretches during the season. The site is a second home for me and I sometimes need to travel for work so I can’t be there 7/24.

I know I can set up drip irrigation (water is plentiful and cheap) so that is fine but I am wondering now about temperature management. My first plan had been to leave the sides partially rolled up and open the ends, but I don’t know if that’s asking for disaster with wind. My site is fairly sheltered and last year my gauge rarely hit 20 gusts even in storms. Usually the air is closer to dead still.

I know I could remove the cover completely but that would defeat some of the purpose. We got 16” of rain last July (2-3” would be normal) and that almost wiped me out.

Thanks again for any advice!

I frequently leave my high tunnel unattended that long.  Of course, the devil is in the details.   In very cold weather, I check on it a couple of times a day.  

John F Dean wrote:I frequently leave my high tunnel unattended that long.  Of course, the devil is in the details.   In very cold weather, I check on it a couple of times a day.  

Thanks John! Do you have it completely closed all/most of the time, or do you ever leave it partially open?

My main concern is preventing it from overheating in the summer--as well as blowing away LOL. I'm less concerned about the colder season since I'd be leaving it closed then.

If you can leave it fully open and in your climate maybe with shade cloth as well, baring high wind it will be fine left for a few days or even weeks if you have automatic watering.  If you try leaving it shut you'll probably kill everything and certainly won't get any tomatoes to set during that period.

For me it's a no go, since I need the extra heat the tunnel provides, even July nights can go under 10C here so it needs to be shut every night and then opened up by 7 or 8 in the morning to stop it roasting.

Skandi Rogers wrote:For me it's a no go, since I need the extra heat the tunnel provides, even July nights can go under 10C here so it needs to be shut every night and then opened up by 7 or 8 in the morning to stop it roasting.

Thanks Skandi! Last season my plants did fine temperature-wise outside, so I think I'm safe on that front. It did dip as low as 6° C in late June but not for very long. The real gotcha here is that sometimes we will see a hard frost in early September, though last year it didn't happen until mid-October. In mid-summer my main concern will be controlling water since last year I got absolutely inundated--20" (so like 50cm) in July!

How much temperature gain do you get with your tunnel closed? Like, if it's 15° C and sunny, how hot will the tunnel get?

I live in Illinois near the Kentucky border.  Latitude wise, I am south of Frankfort KY.   I have given up on using the high tunnel in July and August. I use it in the early spring .....as in now, and for late fall crops.

Your high temps don’t look too scary.   Water well before you leave and vent well.   I used raised beds with straw bales.   They hold a great deal of water.