Polytunnel help

[cariann88]

I have a 6 meter polytunnel and in the storm we have just had it's tried to blow away and has bent. Been to the plot and it is fixable but need to replace to cover for it.
We had it held down with fabric staples and was going to hold the cover down with woodchip until we started building the raised beds inside.
We can't dig on the plot as the ground is full of stones.

Once we put the raised beds inside I don't think it will be strong enough and worried the polytunnel might try and blow away again. How have you guys managed to keep yours stay put in the bad weathers?

[lottie dolly]

HI,what a shame,with mine i was lucky enough to have some metal shaped like a giant staple,arox 2foot wide and a good 18 in deep,several of these were used around the bottom rail,just hammered in,not directly across the frame,but placed down the length placing the 2 rods 1 each side of said poly bottom rail,as for the covert,he best way with them green ones are,make a slit on an outwards slop,poke the cover down,trample well,and put some slabs around the outside,then hope for the best,or,spend the money on a big poly plastic and job will last far longer than them green ones,but still bury the edges and slab around,weigh up the cost of a new clear cover,and the green ones that do not last long,worth the investment in the long run,as you will not have that bother and expense every other year,also,where you have some weak frame from a slight bend,cut it though,get some metal and slid in,then tape it all up,thats the sort of things i have done on various frames over the years,even on wood and the blue piping,you could also use some metal or plastic tube on the outside of any brakes in the metal fram,just tape it all up securly ,good luck flower.

[nickdub]

I knocked some long pieces of metal uprights into the ground next to the hoops and used some metal banding to anchor the two together. That means the frame is solid. The cover however is another story. Having had a think (taking about two years so far) I decided that I'm getting to old for doing very much more badging around. So I've bought some clear corrugated plastic sheets, the aim being to put up a wood frame running the length of the tunnel using batten, and then to bolt the sheets to that. Each one bent to part of a semicircular curve across the width of the sheet

[nick the grief]

thats an issue with these cheaper types I'm afraid - If you search on hear in the dim and distant past you will see a post by Pigletwillie on how he built his and I think it was Snadger who made one as wll. what I would be tempted to do is get some fence posts and put them in and then fit the topsection of yours to these posts then re cover with 720gms polythene that way you can make the sides a bit taller if you want and being buried in the ground, the frame will be stiffer

If you can get some scaffold tubes put these on top of the polythene in the trench to help tension the polythene before you bury it. I fyou cant then you could get some plastic drain pipe ( about 3" dia or moreif you want) and fill it with concrete and put this in when its set

Don't let it get you down though amoebic dysentry happens

ntg

[nickdub]

Having had a look at your photos, I'm not sure I would be looking to re-use your existing structure, if it was mine. The metal parts look too thin to be strong enough to cope in anyhting less than a very sheltered site. A decent strong steel frame 6×3 m poly tunnel can usually be bought second-hand for around £50, and that would make a much better starting point, than what you have now.

[ecudc]

Mine is dug half a foot in to the ground and the cover is also well under ground. Corners have wooden posts and cable tied in. Having had a poly tunnel nearly kill a member of our allotment committee as it took off towards Birmingham airport I don't want that to happen again! I also have a brassica cage made out of the flying poly tunnel which was no longer strong enough to do it's job. That's covered with netting and the ground bars are secured with foot long u hooks.