Cleaar polythene sheet

I've just found this on ebay eBay - The UK's Online Marketplace

Now whilst there is a warning on the ad for gardeners with ref to it not being suitable for polytunnels, I wonder if it would be good enough for what I require.

I'll be making some wooden frameworks then covering it in polythene to help ripen my butternut squash crop this year, like these..


Which I found at this link How to grow Butternut Squash - in pictures

Because I am out in rural Cumbria there is no local business that stocks polythene so I can compare the stated thickness, so can anyone advise me at all?

Steve...

 

Are there any builders merchants near by they may be able to get you a price for polythene sheet by the roll

 

1000 gauge polythene is the thickness of heavy duty polythene used as damp proof membrane and what I use for mulching/soil warming. The polythene sheet on your ebay link is less than a quarter of that thickness, but this much heavier duty stuff should last a few years:

HEAVY DUTY CLEAR POLYTHENE 2M WIDE SHEETING Various Lengths 250 Mu / 1000 Gauge | eBay

4m x 10m x 250mu (1000gauge) Polythene Sheeting Pack | eBay

As squashes like having their roots in warm soil have you considered planting unprotected ones through black polythene mulch mats, either pinned down with some home masde wire hoops, timber 'T' pegs or held down with an old car tyre? (the latter gives some protection from wind after planting and makes it easy to throw some net curtain over it at night if required)

I'm trying something similar to that covered growing in the 'Liverpool link' this year, except I'm making raised beds to fit the cheap £10 1.8 x 1.4m polythene covered 'cold frames' I got from Argos when on special offer last year, and I'm also covering the surface of the ground in the bed with Mypex membrane.

 

Years and years ago, when I was in my late teens, early twenties, I had an allotment. On this allotment I built a greenhouse. The frame was salvaged wood. Then I covered it with polythene sheeting. The polythene I got was about the thickness you'd get on heavy duty sacks.

It did a good job. I got more tomatoes than I could possibly use.

My allotment was on a fairly exposed site, while not quite right on the coast, the wind had a clear run off the sea to my plot. The greenhouse withstood all that the weather threw at it.

 

I can't comment on the plastic thickness issue, but those polythene and wood frameworks are a work of art, aren't they! I am obsessed with the neatness of that guy's allotment!

A question on a point made by Scrungee - with apologies for hijacking your thread, Steve - if you use old tyres, either as a weight or a sort of pot, what should you use to clean them and ensure they won't taint your plants? Is soap and water good enough?

 

Never bothered with anything - some people use them as mini raised beds. The plants often need a bit of encouragement to get out, so it's a good idea to get them going in the right direction before going away on holidays.

I suggested a heavier gauge sheet than that because I thought rain ponding on horizontal top sheets could be a problem (which you wouldn't get with rounded top cloches).


This stuff looks like it could be what's been used in the pic ebay - 2 and 3m wide cloche polythene - UVI Stabilised

The framework looks like it could be rather expensive as there looks like about 50m of timber in each frame, and about 50 screws holding it together.

 

Not if you have a mountain of free timber in your back garden...http://gardenerscorner.co.uk/forum/composting-recycling/40822-recycled-timber.html :D I'll also probably make them solid with no lid, the top angled slightly to drain the water away.

Thanks for all the tips and links everyone.

Steve...

 

I have found this Premier Polytunnels | Cloche Film - 480 gauge - Buy by the Metre at Premier Polytunnels that might be worth considering. I've phoned them and they are sending a brochure/pricelist and a few samples too.

Steve...

 

I bought 25m x 3.4m of clear DPM from the local builders merchant when on offer, I think it cost me about £30.

It's not UV stabilised but will last at least a season or two