Steve's Polytunnels

Well, recent chat on another members tunnel topic has reminded me that I needed to update this topic here after photobucket messed things up. So I have today uploaded all of this topics photo's once again so that it is coherent. It's been 2 years!! I have been busy though

Steve...

 

Rest of 2017

Main thing of note for the rest of the year was the new grape vines growth, from an 18 inch stick with roots planted in early spring, to this over the summer.





All growth except for the central main stem was pruned away, leaving me with a bigger "stick" over winter, about 6 ft now

Steve...

 

March 2018

Saw the tunnel in use as a workshop and the huge stud wall looking thing is actually the constructed and painted base for my new recycled pallet shed that can be seen here om GC Recycled/Pallet Shed.













A few plants laying about, potato buckets waiting to be filled and a few early spring bulbs for the vase complete the interior.

Steve...

 

April 2018

In the small tunnel I decided to try a new variety of potato to me, Kennebec



Sowing seeds carried on in the large tunnel, it's great for this and produces thosands of plants through the year.





Meanwhile it still provides food, like this Chard.



Peas in gutters.



The grapevine springing into life.



Tomatoes in their Hotbox protection.



Steve...

 

May 2018

Finally, the main tunnel is starting to look like...well..a polytunnel again rather than a workshop, with plants and seedlings everywhere.



The polytunnel is the powerhouse for the whole plot, so seeds are sown and grown then they are potted on into modules or just planted out, depending on type and variety.





Seedlings and planted Aubergines


In the small tunnel the early planted potatoes are doing well.


On the other side of the small tunnel the planted Tomatoes share space with potted dahlias, this allows me to speed growth on them before final planting out.


A temporary potting bench atop potato growing containers, nice to sit out in the Spring sunshine!


Steve...

 

Impressive Steve. Very impressive
Well thought out and executed

 

June 2018

In the small tunnel, the kenebec potatoes are growing on well and have been staked and earthed up.



The also have some new friends, these peppers.



The Tomatoes where surrounded by potted Dahlias, these have now been planted out so the tomatoes can spread into their bed.



In the Large Tunnel, the "Grape stick" is now resembling a vine and is spreading out, I have chosen 6 branches and tied them in.



Toms underneath are coming on well.



Left side of tunnel overview, Aubergines at far end, cosmos in front of them waiting to go out and spring onions at the front, loads of lines of seeds coming up in between.



Steve...

 

Hi Steve,

What make are your poly tunnels please?

The first pic's look like the cover has been specially made - by this I mean the ends are not gathered together - they are more like a fitted cover.

The later pic's look to me like the type of poly tunnel that I would normally see on an allotment.

Thanks.

 

Hi Clanless,

The ones with the fitted cover are what are loosely called "Blowaways" and I have had three of those, they are well named. This is the last one that I bought and with the previous experience of the other two I was able to use it in a way that has preserved it well. Steve's Polytunnels

They do need anchoring and you can see how I did it in the link above. That frame is the strongest of the three I have had with three ridge bars and I prefer to make my own doors (further anchoring) so I bought it with zipped doors rather than the metal doors that many of them have nowadays. Scrungee has some ideas for this too so have a look at his topic also.

I noticed on your allotment topic that you want a tunnel so I posted a few links yesterday of cheap polytunnel frames, they have sold now but it is how I bought my big tunnel. It is a part of a big commercial polytunnel that I got for £100. I would not now buy another "Blowaway" but would prefer an ex commercial frame every time.

Between now and Christmas many commercial frames will flood onto ebay for very cheap money, I have in the past seen frames 60-100ft long sell for a couple of hundred, if this was split between two or three plot holders, all would get big tunnels for cheap money. That is a little more difficult than a ready made kit such as a blowaway though as you will have to collect the tunnel and probably dismantle, transport it, buy the required fittings and plastic too.

But this is what I did for my big tunnel and it is well worth it as it is far superior to the blowaways in many ways.

Steve...

 

July 2018

Not much photography this monthbut a little warning of how mad Melons can grow, even this far north.



Now tamed and under reasonable control.



Steve...

 

Over the next couple of weeks I'll get this topic right up to date again finishing off the 2018 season and adding the whole of the 2019 season.

Steve...