Thought an up to date of indide my 'budget poly' was in order

[ukmastiff]

And here it is, the peas are 6 foot tall and rather impressive for the time of year i thought

[chris]

Looks great, did you make it yourself? Just wondering what you meant by budget poly (it was a a budget poly? )

[ukmastiff]

I tend to call it my 'budget poly' as some folk online seem to look down on it , its an E-Bay special. Its 20 ft long by 10 ft for 150 quid. Budget by any reckoning.

I have to say I'm sold on polys now and next season i think i will be investing in a serious one but its going to cost me big time

Cheers

Mas

[chris]

Well, I think it was OWG saying that she paid £600 for a 10x20 poly.. my greenhouse which is 6x10 cost more than that! It was also a right pain in the backside to put together too (probably as I had to move a load of earth too, to level the site), but looking into it, it doesn't seem *that* difficult to errect a polytunnel. If I get another 1/2 plot on this new site I'm part of now, I think I'm going to go for one.

I've just taken on a half plot, but at the end where it could go it's only 12' wide, which goes to about 14' wide at 60' in length, then tapers further out to 20' odd, further down (but then goes into an odd shape). Currently, that'd take up a lot of my growing space. On the site where I have a full plot, I bet the day I finished it, it'd be burn down by the locals.. which is a shame as the plot I have there is enormous.

Did you have to brace the frame at all? Or is it sheltered from the elements?

[ukmastiff]

Its in my paddock which is about as exposed as the gobi desert !

A few months ago , I only saved 'poly' by literally hanging off of her for 2 hours no joke. I think I posted a thread on it somewhere. Now I have learned my lesson and its weighted down plus i have driven 18" metal stakes in to the ground at an angle ( which is th real key) and is how those luxury 1,000 pound plus hybrid polys are staked down ( the one I want next year).

Internally i have put extra braces on the windy side ( old gazeebo poles) and this stops the wind literally pushing the side to collapse. Now it can withstand gale force winds I kid you not. In fact it did last weak when my fairly decent gazeebo was shredded :P

Sadly due to rabbits therre is no point me growing outside at all. On the plus side I keep Mastiffs and no yobs will be attacking my poly I assure you.

Cheers

Mas

[susieq100]

It looks great - could you post a picture from outside so that we can see how it's braced? I am envious and thinking of getting a second plot so I can have one - my 6 x 6 greenhouse is fab, but it's just not big enough!

[ukmastiff]

By all means . The braces are inside though and dont get in yur way as they are mainly accross a growing area. They dont look much but trust me they have made it very rigid indeed. Where as the wind from that side used to threaten to push it over , now they dont touch it even in a storm. You can just see one of the stakes I drove diagonally in to the ground also so it cannot lift. Those are about 2 foot 6" long with a good foot in the ground.







Couldnt resist the last pic, my first fattened Pea pod of the year. My 6 year old has his eyes on it already I can tell you.

Regards

Mas

[chris]

Saw one of these tunnels yesterday - 1/2 price - £75. Can't say I wasn't extremely tempted. Then I walked around the corner to a wall of felcos. Bought one of them instead, thought they'd be easier to sneak past my wife

[ukmastiff]

£ 75 telll me it wasnt the 20 foot long one ?? , if t was where did you see it please I'll have a spare for that money

Cheers

Mas

[chris]

Unsure of the size, but it was in Cardiff - I guess, near Newport. Blooms Nursery - just off the M4/A38.

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[Alison]

Well, I think it was OWG saying that she paid £600 for a 10x20 poly.. my greenhouse which is 6x10 cost more than that! It was also a right pain in the backside to put together too (probably as I had to move a load of earth too, to level the site), but looking into it, it doesn't seem *that* difficult to errect a polytunnel. If I get another 1/2 plot on this new site I'm part of now, I think I'm going to go for one.

Yeah, think that's about what mine of that size cost, was lucky enough to get a bonus of just the right amount from work which was totally unexpected a couple of years ago (not seen sight nor sign of one since though ) so splashed out. Mine is on my plot and although not horendously exposed, I can't run out and check on it every day so I need something pretty sturdy, with the wind we've had recently anything less so would have been in another county by now . To be honest I found my greenhouse at home easier to errect but that is considerably smaller and I think the main thing that helped is that I could do most of that on my own whereas skinning a tunnel is most definitely a two person job - oh and don't let OH lose with a knife until he's listened to how you attatch round the doors but that's another story..................

[chris]

hehe

Ive asked for a poly for my birthday.. (30th, next year) - i must be getting older