• Post Reply Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic
permaculture forums growies critters building homesteading energy monies kitchen purity ungarbage community wilderness fiber arts art permaculture artisans regional education skip experiences global resources cider press projects digital market permies.com pie forums private forums all forums
this forum made possible by our volunteer staff, including ...
master stewards:
  • Nancy Reading
  • Carla Burke
  • r ranson
  • John F Dean
  • paul wheaton
  • Pearl Sutton
stewards:
  • Jay Angler
  • Liv Smith
  • Leigh Tate
master gardeners:
  • Christopher Weeks
  • Timothy Norton
gardeners:
  • thomas rubino
  • Jeremy VanGelder
  • Maieshe Ljin

Homemade poly tunnel advice

 
Posts: 4
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
I've inherited a second allotment which has a netted frame on it (about 3m x 1.5m), presumably to keep butterflies off brassicas.  It's pretty robust and I'm thinking about how I could convert it into a small poly tunnel.

Has anyone got any homemade inspiration they can share?  Also, I am wondering how well it would work if I kept the sides netted ( about 1m high) and just had a poly tunnel roof?  Would that be pointless or would it still create a warm enough environment to grow some more tender veggies.  Peppers etc...   I'm in South UK.

 
gardener
Posts: 3249
Location: Cascades of Oregon
815
  • Likes 1
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Leave the netting on and create roll up the ploy sides.
 
pollinator
Posts: 2339
Location: Denmark 57N
598
fungi foraging trees cooking food preservation
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
Having no sides would be pointless, unless you want to grow tomatoes out of the rain, and it sounds to short for that.
Is the roof flat? If so you'll need to do some alterations to add a pitch or rain will soon destroy it. Also remember it will need anchoring netting doesn't add much wind resistance but film does!
 
pollinator
Posts: 1495
855
2
trees bike woodworking
  • Likes 2
  • Mark post as helpful
  • send pies
    Number of slices to send:
    Optional 'thank-you' note:
  • Quote
  • Report post to moderator
It sounds like a fruit cage - Have you thought about using it to grow fruit bushes and building a separate polytunnel? Or just adding a hoop house to a raised bed?



My concern would be if it’s box shaped, then it might appear sturdy, but when you add large sheets to the sides, the wind becomes a big factor. Tunnels are far more resilient and also shed rain - I don’t think snow should be much of an issue in southern UK.
 
Catch Ernie! Catch the egg! And catch this tiny ad too:
rocket mass heater risers: materials and design eBook
https://permies.com/w/risers-ebook
reply
    Bookmark Topic Watch Topic
  • New Topic