Hello, from a gardener in Greece

We live in Greece on a small holding and have been meaning to get a polytunnel for ages to extend our veg growing season. It's sunny here but winters are long and cold at 750m. I've just bought a 6 x 3 tunnel from eBay and plan to build wooden doors following plans and pics on here and using Andy McGee's polytunnel handbook.

Are there any others on here in similar med climes? There are a few gardeners here with large tunnels that often seems to get battered and fail but we have a friend with a massive industrial one who has amazing produce so felt inspired but we're not very handy with building so this project is daunting! How hard will the initial construction be I wonder.

If anyone has any pics of door frame stabling I would appreciate seeing them, there are some detailed written despcriptions that I have read, and I think I understand the concept of digging in the posts but, as they say, a picture says a thousand words.

 

@Safronsue Hi and to Gardeners Corner..... these were the best links i could find- it's very detailed with step by step pics so hopefully it will be of some use to you
Build a polytunnel (in pictures) | gardenersworld.com - gardenersworld.com
DIY Polytunnel
how-to-build-a-polytunnel/ - Google Search
could i also please recommend you go and read posts in this thread
Allotments Discussion its a very active thread with lots of Veggie growing lovely experienced folk there... so there may be some advice to be seen in there regarding Polytunnels
Happy gardening

 

Welcome to the forum!

Sorry we don't have climate in common but I look forward to your posts.

I have some hobby greenhouses -2 are not heated- and growing in those might be similar to your experiences to come with your set up

 

Hello all and thanks for the welcome. Those links are very interesting BeeHappy and I'll be checking them out later! I decided to go for an eBay one, which is what the handbook and most advise against I believe, because i was inspired by Steve's pictures on here with the timber frame door. Those are the details i'm most interested in. It seems quite straightforward though, to follow the door frame construction details from the complete self build. Thanks so much for taking the time to post the links.

I have not yet received delivery of the tunnel but am clearing the site now. We have a good spot with a huge east west windbreak of conifers cutting the considerable north winds but my main worry is heavy snow fall. The site is next to our house so will usually be around to knock the weight off but is there anything that should be done in construction to lessen risk of tunnel collapsing?

 

Hello Safronsue, I'm in a similar position re. climate and have a largeish polytunnel right at the bottom of the sloping garden. It's wonderful! One tip for ensuring that the weight of water or snow doesn't do any damage is to place horizontal wires running the length of the tunnel, spaced at roughly 50cm intervals, and that you check them from time to time to make sure they're still in place, as they do have a tendency to slide down.
Will you be burying the sides of the plastic in the ground? If so, the more taut you get the plastic, the better. (Obvious, I know, but....) If pockets do form in between the wires, then sliding some form of light, flat material or mesh between the topmost wires and the plastic usually does the trick. Oh and cats....if you have cats, they do have a tendency to want to bounce up and down on the top of the tunnel. Great fun. Until they slip and out come the claws.....

 

Thanks for the tips! I've got four semi feral cats, they're too smart to go sitting on big plastic thing, they'll be indoors given half the chance though looking for snug place.
Tunnel still not here yet.

 

@Safronsue Your most happy browsing

 

North Greece, off the beaten track you could say.