New to this poly tunnel stuff !!

haha. love it Jangles, my girlies (5 beauties) are very well behaved, they come to greet me and follow me round, they answer me back when I chitty chat to them, I tell you between the girlies and the fluffy cat I cannot get a word in edgeways!!
Ah but I forgot to mention Steve Mcqueen (the little bantam coq) now HE is a nightmare!!! just like yours, always looking for a way to escape!! he paces the perimeter of the pen and I swear if I threw a tennis ball in there he would probably start throwing it at the wall!!!
thanks for the laugh today
and hope you learn chicken soon
abbs

 

Well finally got the poly tunnel up and sat where it is going to live, staked it in and I think the next step is to mark out, dig out and define all the beds? I thought it best to do all this before the cover goes on as I am a bit of a dope sometimes and don't really want to put my spade through the plastic covering.
Just wondering if anyone has 3 beds with 2 paths in their smaller poly? Mines a cheapo, 6mx3mx2 off ebay, want to see how it stands over winter on our hill before I invest in a more expensive one!
I have put the tunnel up above 2 small fruit trees that I planted last year, only place I have room to put it and didn't want to disturb the fruit trees at this time of year, they sit near enough in the centre of the poly so I think I will go with 3 beds for now. But being new to this I just wondered if this would create any problems I don't know about lol.

I hope to finish it over the weekend and then want to start planting some vegetables - a little help with what seeds I can put in at this late date would be most appreciated

Also not sure if the fruit trees are going to be ok in there? one pear and a cherry, was thinking of digging them out over winter and re-positioning them when they are dormant? DW says to leave them in and train them into espaliers but I think that is a bit advanced for me yet haha.

 

Much easier to work the soil before it is baked hard in the tunnel, and without the sweltering heat you'll get working in the tunnel.

Although you will tread it down a bit, I expect, putting the cover on.

I think you would be hardpressed to manage more than 3' depth for the beds against the sides. Conventional raised beds are max 4' width - max reach from either side - so two 3' beds on the outside and a central bed of 4' would give you a max width of 10' which is just over 3M.

A single 18" path would leave two side-beds of just over 4' which you wouldn't reach without standing in them.

However, having 2 paths each 18" wide leaves 2.08M which is only 70cm / 2.25 feet for each bed, which is quite skinny, although if you plant right up to the path the crop can "steal" some space from the path.

 

There's a more efficient path layout than two paths - one central 450mm wide path and a dozen 450 x 450mm paving slabs to get access into the borders that will have half the footprint of a second path, plus you can stand pots of stuff on them whilst not in use (which you couldn't do with a second path). Even if you opted for a 2nd 450 x 450mm slab at each point, or a 600 x 600mm slab to form a keyhole path I reckon it would be more efficient.

A much cheaper alternative to expensive slabs would be to use some Mypex sheet held down with some pegs made of fencing wire, which would also be much easier to move around. You could even plant/grow through it if one of the 'stub' paths wasn't required for access. Hemming all cut edges using a sewing machine is advisable, but this could be minimised by using a one metre wide strip folded double, and eliminated by turning the raw edges under at sides prior to pegging.

As you can get Mypex for about 50p/m2 from ebay, twelve 0.45 x 0.45m areas would only be less than three square metres - well under the min size for a roll, but I use one metre wide strips pegged down around poly tunnel perimeter for access/keeping weed growth down - don't get a strimmer near the edges! It wouldn't matter much/at all if the Mypex stub paths extended all the way to the edge of the tunnel as you can plant through them - just cut a X and plant through it.

 

I like that idea. Hope I remember it when I next could use it!!

 

Hi Scrungee, thanks for the picture layout,
I will save that one for when I move the fruit trees in winter, but for now going to have to go with 3 beds and 2 small paths - the fruit trees being in the centre - I think Kristen's layout is the one I shall have to go with for now.

Thank You Kristen, that layout solves the problem I have with the fruit trees I have just measured them out and started to stake it to get an idea of how much path space I have and it works a treat/ tomorrow I shall start digging it all over.

thank you both for the brilliant ideas
abbs

 

Something I forgot to mention was that if you intend using white/black poly sheet mulch over polytunnel beds for growing tomatoes & strawberries it might be a good idea to co-ordinate bed sizes with sheet sizes http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150821766932?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1438.l2649

 

ohhh that looks nice!!
I have some green sheeting for the weed, some mulch and some straw but now I NEED some of that!!!

 

Hi Kristen, I have just visited your blog page and I have to say it was most helpful. I clicked the follow button so that I can visit it and read more, thanks for helping
abbs

 

Finally after a few hours she is up, no poly yet and i have to get some bars and bolts etc. Had
the rotovator thru it last night it was full of nettles !!

 

Nice one Jangles...on the home straight now!

Steve...

 

looking good