Square or rounded tunnels?

[jamiesmack]

Hello all,

first post on here, but have been reading for ages. Have picked up so many tips!

I have seen loads of threads on here about DIY tunnels with the blue MDPE pipe, but wondered if it was better to use the straight pipe, giving a square sides? I thought that this would give more room to the plants on the outside?

[Bigmallly]

Welcome to the vine jamie, do you mean something like this?

[Two_Sheds]

I think curves would be less prone to wind-damage etc

[Mikey]

What are you using it for jamiesmack?

I use small homemade polytunnels/cloches to bring on veg when they first go it, these are round, and I have a round one covering my strawberries. I have square nets for my taller leafy veg, horses for courses.

[Aberdeenplotter]

A square construction would be a disaster if there were to be heavy snowfall. There must be some way for the snow to naturally fall from the roof.

[jamiesmack]

Welcome to the vine jamie, do you mean something like this?

[ATTACH=CONFIG]34035[/ATTACH]

Yes that's the sort of thing I was thinking of. what would the support posts be made of?

Mainly be used to cover my cabbages etc. Cabbage white's ruined me last year.

I would hope snow wouldn't be a problem, I can move them inside during the winter if need be.

[Bigmallly]

The uprights on mine are made from 19mm round plastic conduit. The snow smashed mine this year until I discovered I could just them upside down..........

[Bigmallly]

A square construction would be a disaster if there were to be heavy snowfall. There must be some way for the snow to naturally fall from the roof.

I imagine the top could be apex shaped or just sloping..........not 100% sure if the snow would fall off though, it seems to stick to the netting like a magnet.

[veggiechicken]

I had one of these sort of things from LITL but instead of the plastic I covered it with chicken wire as an extension to the chooks' run. One snowy night - and the whole thing was flattened - luckily it wasn't in chook use then! That had a painted metal frame.

[Bigmallly]

I would imagine after autumn has finished, the sloping top could be covered with polythene..........just a thought...........I'll stick wi turning them upside down as I don't use them in winter anyway.

[veggiechicken]

Just remembered that I still have one of those frame thingys and 2 covers!! There's a bit missing from the frame as I had to pinch it to make up the first one but there must be a way to overcome that.......... Perhaps I should make a raised bed to fit it