Help me decide please

[veggiechicken]

Hi Mike, You know the terrain and understand the issues I'm really undecided A few years ago an 8x6 GH further down the garden was crushed by a branch from a neighbour's tree. Trees are so unpredictable!
I prefer the look of a GH - I like to be able to see out and have a nose around I'd spend the money on something decent if only there was an ideal spot for it - but there isn't, not without removing trees - lots of trees
Still puzzled but constantly thinking!!

[Mikey]

I think the answer is go for an all singing and dancing gorgeous greenhouse and put it in full view of the house away from the trees. Something like a gabrial ash or a hartley. Blow the bank!!!!, there's not a lot of point in having savings these days anyway...

There have been a load of polytunnel looking structures put up on our allotments over the last few years, done on the cheap using alkathene pipe some 2 x 1 for added support and screwed down onto a timber frame base. I've no idea how much they spent doing them, next time I'm down there I'll take a couple of pictures for you VC.

[veggiechicken]

You're a bad influence Mikey! I've been thinking about something along the left side of the garden, where the GH and work shed are. Replace the 2 of them with a big GH with a shed thing at the end under the oak tree. I've no idea how much it would cost though Nice to dream, eh?

[chris]

Did you want that lawn area you have for lawn usage? could you clear your bluebell area - and extend it that way? i haven't read the entire thread, so may have missed that.. but whenever I've been around it's certainly been sunny there!

What about the old chook summer part of your garden? That wasn't overly crowded with trees? - The part that "mysteriously" was soft under your foot, with all the weeds that magically disparaged!

[veggiechicken]

I don't want anything that stops me looking down the garden from the house, any building on the lawn would be right in the way!! I'm not sure what you mean by the bluebell area but if its the ground to the right of the garden, that's in the shade of next door's horrible conifers. The left side is the best as it faces south.
The summer chook area is OK ish - but big apple trees to the south that I wouldn't want to lose completely. The winter chook area is another option - where all the fruit bushes are. Too many options but none of them perfect

[Mikey]

I don't remember that bit of the garden, is it the west one? Or the wood?

[veggiechicken]

Which bit, Mikey? Its all in Cardiff!

[chris]

I'd go for the winter chook run if you wanted a proper poly then, I'd keep the workhouse if I were you - a valuable option as I'm sure you know if you came to sell. May have missed the point though, but only skim reading doesn't help

You could use the timber from the chook house/run for a gertrude frank bed thingymajig?

[veggiechicken]

I'd keep the winter chook house as a storage shed and its under the oak so very shady. There's loads of timber here for beds anyway - I just need the skill to build them!!
This is the winter chook run - where I've just planted 3 fruit trees

Plus points are, it faces south, reasonably open to the south, half way down the garden and on the best side for power/water. Not in my line of vision.
Minuses - alongside my neighbours' trees that dropped a branch and crushed my 3rd GH . Lots of fruit bushes to move. Have to move the new fruit trees.
Its one of my preferred options!

[chris]

If the branches overhang your garden can you not remove them, or get them removed?

[Alison]

Hi VC, had a thought, if you can fit guttering to the polytunnel then you could have a water but where you need it that would minimise the amount of water you need to pipe down there. Did a quick search and you can get lightweight adhesive guttering that just stick on to the side.

Don't waste your money on that, it doesn't work. I had that to start with but got rid as the water butts remained pretty much empty, the guttering bit is just too small. We then made up a standalone guttering with a plastic gusset strip between the tunnel and the guttering which is absolutely brilliant. I've commented on other threads about how well it works and it's then linked to a system of porous pipes in the tunnel beds. Works really very well although the other summer when it was actually dry for a few weeks (remember that?!?) I had to top the butts up a few times with the hose but when I get time I'm going to rig up a similar system on the other side of the tunnel to double the capacity.



Just noticed you can still see the rubbish stick on guttering on the last photo which gives an idea of how thin it is.

[veggiechicken]

Debris netting vs plastic sheeting

Tell me, O Wise Ones, if a polytunnel frame was covered with debris netting instead of plastic, would it keep crops warmer over winter than growing them in the ground?
Why do I ask? No worries about summer watering with netting! May be less vulnerable to being blown away?
Just pondering whether a cheap and cheerful £60 squid type of poly could be covered with debris netting instead of the cover, or perhaps just use the plastic cover in winter? I've no idea how easy those covers are to fit though

[Alison]

Well put it one way, I keep my brassica beds covered in enviromesh pretty much all year round (although the taller ones get reduced to wider spaced netting when it might snow. The cabbages etc just have it laid over the top of them and I'm pretty sure that the ground remains a little bit warmer underneath. The carrots also have a layer draped over them all summer to avoid the dreaded carrot fly and I tend to leave it on over winter just to make it easier to pull the carrots when the ground is frozen. The only problem I've had with the enviromesh is as it's such small gauge it gets very heavy in the snow but that's no different to a solid plastic so any frame that can hold that up won't have a problem. Back to your original query (sorry about me rambling ), it will stay warmer but only slightly and not as much difference as in a proper tunnel.

[veggiechicken]

Thanks Alison, that's very helpful - I'll excuse your "Rambling"
Subconsciously, I'm trying to "invent" something totally different that would fit my particular needs. Its good to have you all to ask as your combined knowledge of different growing systems is phenomenal.

[redser]

It would indeed.its called a shade house. I read about it in the polytunnel handbook I think. It was used there for the height of summer for more cool weather plants and seedlings. But I think anything that would protect a plant from the wind is good.