Steve's Polytunnels

Hiya Steve, thanks for your reply.

That's ok, nutshells aint all they're cracked up to be anyway :waits for the groan:

Well, your crops certainly look good. The only reservation I would have is that the plants never get actually rained on. I dare say you've noticed with outdoor crops, that when we get a decent shower, how they seem to get a real spurt on, especially so with brassicas in my garden. I did note that you had a rather nice cauli

Anyway, keep up the good work Steve, interesting thread.

Cheers...Freddy.

 

Brilliant Steve, I am going to get the Galvanised 1 like the second you have, 6m by 3 m.
After seeing your polytunel in action lol, :pickflower:i only have a smallish garden but no more gardening in the rain 4 me lol

HAPPY CHRISTMASS AND A FRUITFULL NEW YEAR :xmaskitty::santa::xwin::gbhouse::Xmas-rolleyes::treex::santa-clap:

 

I've started work on my second tunnel now!

I layed out the bottom framework of the tunnel yesterday so I could mark out with string the size of the beds, then I have rough dug those out. I'll add manure and rotovate them in the morning and start erecting the frame.



Steve...

 

That's a lesson I learnt last year - that it would've been so much easier to sort out the beds first, rather than try and dig/weed/add soil/etc. within the confines of the tunnel after erection.

 

Me too Scrungee, hence why I'm doing it this way, this time. Now they are properly dug first time round.

Steve...

 

Blinking heck, that's your "rough dug"? Not showing you any of my "really really polished finish" work then :( !!

 

I rotovated the beds this morning, and started to assemble the frame.



I finished the frame off and tightened it all up.



Then started to dig the trench around the outside for the cover, I'll surround the beds with timber and build a door tomorrow. Then put the cover on if there is time. (I only have a couple of hours at a time down there)

This tunnel is the same size as the first one I put up, but much stronger. It has 7 hoops the first has only five and there are two ridge bars where the first has only one. Also on this tunnel are storm brace bars, whereas the first has none.

Steve...

 

I think worth stating the make Steve? (for others following in your foot steps )

 

Good point Kristen.

I bought this tunnel via ebay last Autumn from a company called Feel Good UK at that time they where the only ones marketing this tunnel, here is the tunnel I bought on their website http://www.feelgooduk.net/90-20ft-polytunnel-garden-greenhouse.html it's advertised at £179.99 + £17.49 for delivery. However I have seen them on ebay (now marketed by many different people) for around £160 inc delivery (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/6-x-3m-Po...den_Structures_Fencing_CV&hash=item256fcebb15) so shop around and keep an eye open for low price auctions (It's how I bought mine). Its the galvanised steel frame version, not the cheaper powder coated version.

Steve...

 

I got a 6 x 3m polytunnel same as Steve's above from Grow-ur-Own AKA Feelgood (waiting for the rain to stop so it can go up) in an auction for £112 + £20 P&P, but Grow-ur-Own haven't been auctioning any for a while now. As Steve mentioned it's well worth checking around especially as despite being the same retailer one is very often cheaper than the other. I've also got some anti-hot spot tape for mine, so if Steve's not using any might be a useful comparison. When you stand inside it seems like an amazing amount of space for the money.

 

i want one!!

 

I'm not using anti hotspot tape for the supplied cover, but when I renew it in a few years and use the proper tunnel cover, I'll use anti hot spot tape then. I dont expect the supplied covers to last more than 3-4 years.

Steve...

 

"6m x 3m advertised at £179.99 + £17.49 for delivery. However I have seen them on ebay (now marketed by many different people) for around £160 inc delivery

I dont expect the supplied covers to last more than 3-4 years."

Just food for thought:

I bought a 5-years-old 9M x 3M aluminium [glass] greenhouse off eBay for £400. I have a Search for large greenhouses (not that I'm planning to buy another!) on eBay, and admittedly they don't come up very often. More work to erect (foundations and the like), but no replacement covers every few years ... and on an allotment Glass may be prohibited / yobs-with-stones etc.

I had been planning a plastic tunnel "cropping house" but am glad that the greenhouse came up on eBay at that moment - but maybe I just got lucky that time around.

 

There are a few Greenhouses on our allotment site, but not many have a full compliment of glass (kids, stones and glass dont mix), that was part of the consideration of buying a tunnel, that and tunnels are more easily moved if needed. Once it has a real cover, that should last for ten years.

I am waiting for an 8 x 6 Greenhouse to come up on ebay for a good price and thats local to me to pick up, so I can enlarge my own 8 x 6 at home to a 16 x 6.

Steve...