Top tips for the diy polytunnel maker

[safronsue]

There's lots of advice on the net but I would welcome more from people on here. Anything really , from good sources to personal experiences and pics. They re not widely used here in Northern Greece but I'm hoping to really extend the growing season and have something to eat all year from the garden. What have you got?

[Crastney]

how big are you talking? two feet high, or tall enough to walk through?

[doofaloofa]

We madew a tunnel from bender poles(hazel) and second hand plastic. The wood rotted where it went into the ground after about 3 years. Any sharp edges on the limbs punished the plastic

saw a good one made from grid iron for reenforcing concrete

http://www.brainright.com/ourhouse/Cons ... 0house.jpg

Theese 8'x16' sheets were pushed into the ground along the 8' edge and bent over to form an arch

[safronsue]

Halooo, dimensions will be 7m by 4m by 2m high.
Using benders sounds idealistic . Don't understand the sheets, how do they add up to a complete tunnel?
We are pretty rubbish diy'ers but not daft. Low tech instructions like http://paulsallotmentblog.blogspot.gr/2 ... unnel.html
seem doable. Which instructions have people found useful for their own projects?

[doofaloofa]

Well you stick both short ends into the ground, so far apart, and you have an 8' section of frame, add more for longer tunnel

[Marc]

For that size of tunnel I think you really need metal pipe. Smaller (narrower) tunnels can be made with largish diameter polythene water pipe, but it's not very rigid or strong, and would need supporting in the middle at that width.
I made one a few years ago form the old type galvanized iron/steel water pipe, about 1 inch diameter. I bent mine round a very big metal fuel tank, but you can bend it round a curved row of posts banged in the ground. It all depends on what you have available. There are lots of designs for tunnels made of plastic pipe on the web.

[diggernotdreamer]

I showed this post to my partner who is an engineer and knows a bit a stuff. His observation is, that the dimensions are very ambitious to make out of plastic pipe, even smaller tunnels made from plastic pipe are not as stable as a proper tunnel. When you put on the plastic, the plastic pipe gives and it would be tricky to secure it down firmly, plus high temperatures would send the pipe a bit haywire. I have seen a few of these home made tunnels, from an ecological point of view, they don't always make sense because they only last for a few years whereas a purpose made tunnel will last almost a lifetime save having to change the plastic film, which if you buy the best and look after it, could last 10 years or so. Mine stand up to gale force winds and everything else that is chucked at it.

[jamesintayside]

All good advice to read and share. I am trying to make a poly tunnel - just one side - so it is supported by the shed on one side.

[diggernotdreamer]

All good advice to read and share. I am trying to make a poly tunnel - just one side - so it is supported by the shed on one side.

That would be a lean to type greenhouse then, probably a bit easier to construct than a polytunnel

[safronsue]

Right, I'm being too ambitious with the size. 3 m would be ok though??? and we have a great location with a massive conifer wind break on the north side. Appreciate your comments everyone.

I would really be disappointed if the tunnel didn't last a few years! I understand it's worth getting the best sheeting we can and pulling it taut. Purpose built? With alluminium frame or just a firsttunel kinda thing? Is there a link so i know what you mean. I don't discount this idea if I could show relevant workman here it might be a better option and i would readily give someone the work here if the price is right.

[diggernotdreamer]

Have a look at Ferryman http://ferrymanpolytunnels.co.uk/index. ... ommon/home. They do some great tunnels for not too much money really, I think they can ship to Europe, or you may have your own way of getting stuff. They are not too hard to put up really, the grafty bit is digging the trenches either side for the plastic to be sunk into, we got our small one 10 x 35 up in a couple of days and the 16 x 72 one up in four days. You need to be able to make the doors out of the wood supplies, level the poles correctly and skin up the plastic, which you can do with a little help from your friends, although we did the smaller one without any help at all, the people at Ferryman are really helpful. You get all the stuff you need in the kit, instructions, much less headache than trying to construct something out of unsuitable materials in my opinion, I do like any easy life though

[safronsue]

Hello, gosh how remiss of me not to have replied! I was back uk for a bit and phoned and got quotes. You can about double the cost of just tunnel skeleton for the postage so about 500 plus another 500 quid. Silly money. We'll be having fun and games with pipes etc come the autumn. So looking forward to it. No really!