Polydebristunnel.

[Bigmallly]

Just want to run something past you all before I'm let loose with a Stanley knife.........
I've not quite got to grips with the Polytunnel idea. I've spent more time worrying about it taking off in the wind, then there's been the inconvenience of having to go down to lottie just to water it (not the tunnel of course)...........So, here's my cunning idea as I've not had one for a while.....must be an age thing......
I currently have wooden battens running down both sides of the tunnel. I'm thinking of dropping the battens to the metal tubes which are about 3'-4' up from the floor. To these battens I'm thinking of stapling the tunnel down both lengths. Once stapled, I'm thinking of cutting the poly a few inches above the battens & round both door arches. This would leave me with poly front, rear & sides (bottom). My next thought is to get some debris netting, cable tie it to the arch & roof tubes then pull it taught & staple it to the same battens as the poly, leaving about a foot spare below the battens.
My thinking is that the plants will be protected from winds but the wind will blow through the netting reducing the risk of take off. The added bonus is the beds will get watered when it rains. It's a kind of halfway house really.
As always your thoughts are appreciated...........assuming you can understand my rabble.

I've added a pic of what I have in mind...you can see the battens high up on the bend which I plan to drop to the horizontal tubes.........I've just put a row of dots to indicate where I plan to cut the poly.

[veggiechicken]

You have been peeking at the old envelope in front of me BM
It something like a hooped tunnel, with poly front to back along the roof and a couple of feet up from the ground, so a gap between them to allow rain in to the beds below. The whole thing is covered in debris netting to hold it all in place.
Does that make sense?

[Bigmallly]

Yes it does but I want to reduce the risk of it getting blown away & I think a netted top half would do it.

[veggiechicken]

I thought that the wind would blow through the netting sides. If you take away the "roof" you are left with a big netting cage with low poly sides.

[veggiechicken]

Having seen your pic, why don't you cut "windows" in the sides, cover it all with netting and see what happens. If you're still worried about wind, then cut again, higher up.

[Bigmallly]

I thought that the wind would blow through the netting sides. If you take away the "roof" you are left with a big netting cage with low poly sides.

Yes, that's the idea I have in mind.

[Bigmallly]

Having seen your pic, why don't you cut "windows" in the sides, cover it all with netting and see what happens. If you're still worried about wind, then cut again, higher up.

I would still have to go down to water it which is becoming a bit of a bind.

[veggiechicken]

You have a central path - so cut the poly so that, when it rains, the water drips off the edge of the poly onto the beds. That was my plan anyway

[Bigmallly]

I think if I just start cutting it, the first strong wind will just rip it to shreds, it needs securing where it is to be cut.

[veggiechicken]

So you don't like my idea Moving on..........
Do you need to protect the frame from the rain, where it will be exposed - like inside the doors. Keep the rust at bay.

[Bigmallly]

I don't think so as it has a white coating..........not sure what to do really but the watering is doing my head in.

[veggiechicken]

I think it would mine too. Its bad enough watering GHs in the garden.
How do you manage watering your GH? Does the netting over it stop it becoming too hot?

[mothhawk]

I don't know how much DIY you want to do BM, but this looks quite a good idea from Alison
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ing_63565.html

[Bigmallly]

Cheers MH, this would be a good solution but having only a half plot, I don't really have the space to rig water butts up...........

[vikkib]

I've got a hoop structure made out of blue water pipe and strengthened a bit with batons.

Last year I had it covered in debris netting and it made a fab brassica cage as the debris netting does allow the air to flow through but also reduces the wind battering the plants and helps keep frost off and lets the rain in.

Earlier this year I added some batton across the top of the hoops and stapled polythene to it, leaving the ends uncovered.

The wind rips through the tunnel though and the plastic sheeting started tearing away from the staples straight away.

I re-stapled the sheeting with the staples really close together and put gaffa tape over the stapled bits and it's held up a bit longer but it is staring to come away again.

If the cover does end up ripping you could always net the remainder... would make a lovely fruit cage!

I'm planning on getting one of those tunnels and plan to sink fence posts into the ground to strap it to and get it strengthened with batons as well. The watering is my main concern but I'm planning on setting up a gravity fed drip watering thingy with a timer... if that doesn't work mine will definitely become some kind of glorified fruit cage!