Polytunnels ?

 

Am thinking of buying a "Gardman" polytunnel...My allotment is quite
exposed and fairly windy..I was thinking of putting a piece of wood on
the skirts and then covering the wood with soil this would stabilise the
base and also prevent draughts ??...Anyone used one of these polytunnels
and have any thoughts on my ideas ?

 


When covering or recovering poly tunnels we used to trench along the
sides, making a square sided trench, then bringing the polythene down
into the trench and back out, the trench was then back filled with the
soil traping the polythene against the trench walls. You could lift on
the waste side of the polythene and by pressing down on the soil you
could tension the polythene
We started from the centre and worked out to the ends.
We would then trench ther polythene in at the ends.
This way we could get the sheeting as tight as a drum, esp covering in
sunny weather.
You would put the pheet over the frame and let the sun warm the air
inside before the final fixing.
David Hill

 

The message


I have a very strong tunnel from Northern Polytunnels in Lancashire.   I
live in Caithness in the far north of Scotland and it has survived five
years and two hurricanes with the original poly.  Having trenched in the
same way as Dave, I doubled the poly back over the soil and then covered
it again, making a double layer of poly and filler (no pun intended).
My tunnel faces North-South.  This is in my experience not ideal and I
think that an East-West direction would give better results.

--
Compo

 


When covering or recovering poly tunnels we used to trench along the
sides, making a square sided trench, then bringing the polythene down
into the trench and back out, the trench was then back filled with
the
soil traping the polythene against the trench walls. You could lift
on
the waste side of the polythene and by pressing down on the soil you
could tension the polythene
We started from the centre and worked out to the ends.
We would then trench ther polythene in at the ends.
This way we could get the sheeting as tight as a drum, esp when
covering in
sunny weather.
You would put the sheet over the frame and let the sun warm the air
inside before the final fixing.
David Hill

 

X-No-Archive:Yes

Dave has given very good advice.  My only comment is that the
polythene is usually too thin to last very long.  We are in the
process of having a polytunnel erected and the chap who puts them up
will only recommend a special poly covering with a mesh inside.

Judith (France)