I've made cattle panel greenhouses in the past, but they've been snatched up before being used for their intended purpose. (In fact, if you have especially keen eyes, you can see one in the background being used as a chicken run for our new rooster).
This year I not only put them over plants, but I thought I could function-stack that with straw bale gardening. That way the bales add support for the hoops and, come the (now approaching) winter, straw bale decomposition adds extra heat to the greenhouse. Win-win!
They have worked well all summer, and now it's time to add the greenhouse plastic.
From the close-ups you can see:
1) I've added some plastic wire loom tubing to prevent the plastic sheet from finding any snags on the ends of the cattle panel
2) I've drilled and tied up some grey PVC pipe hanging from the peaks. The intention of that is making Eliot Coleman style scissor doors (
official-ish link).
So I vaguely see some potential going there...
Now for the problems I need help with:
First: how in the world do people hold greenhouse plastic onto cattle panel greenhouses!?? I tried folding it over and fusing it with an iron, but there's a razor-thin margin between too cold to get a good bond and so hot that it melts holes. I think I'm very much on the wrong track here! What's the best way to secure the plastic?
Second: I foolishly placed them too close together. During the summer, plants reaching out made the alley between impassible, but not a show-stopper. Now I'm a little worried about snow filling up the spaces in between and smashing things. I've added a couple of sketches how I think a person could cover all three with a common ridge pole and a few weights to cause snow to funnel down between. Not sure how I feel about that idea. So also, what opinions and/or advice do you have for that?