Poly Tunnel

[okra]

Has anybody built a poly tunnel. Looking at new prices they are very expensive. If you have built one any advice would be welcome.

[marshlander]

Have a trawl around the forum you'll find loads of threads, here's one http://www.selfsufficientish.com/forum/ ... st+tunnels

[okra]

Thanks for the link Marshlander. The polytunnel built by Green Aura looks amazing but also very expensive.

[Green Aura]

It was indeed! But necessary up here with our prevailing weather conditions. I wouldn't imagine you need one as robust as ours in Cyprus.

The upgrade we made is built on a First Tunnel frame, which is brilliant and wasn't the most expensive (nor cheapest) around. We needed the 35mm frame and all the storm bracing etc which, again, I can't imagine you'd need. You might need to look at things like shading and ventilation - not often required up here

[woodi]

If you want something not too huge, then I saw a poly-bender at Lammas - just weave yourself a bender type frame from willow or hazel (or whatever is going really) and cover with plastic. Bury at the sides to keep it tight and stop it flying away.
Alternatively blue plastic water pipe - the 2 inch stuff. Best way is to put short lengths of scaffold tube in the ground, and the pipe can fit over them to anchor it. Drill through pipe and tube to secure. Then brace with timber and cover with plastic. I've made mini-tunnels like this to get stuff started. Obviously more economical if you can get end of lengths of pipe.
Last cheap option is the cheapy 'tunnels' you see on ebay with the greeny covers. Had one of these, and strengthened it with some plastic 3/4" conduit to add a big more rigidity. It cost less than £200 for an 8 foot by 16 foot tunnel, and although not as good as a proper tunnel, it is still there after 2 years and I had no trouble growing in it. Also made a door frame for one end as they come with a sort of zip up thing. People will scoff at them but they do the job.
As a stop gap option I'd try the polybender, at the end of the day it'll get you through the winter if you put it together well enough, and the end result will be more or less the same. Then if you find £900 hidden under a floorboard you can get one from first tunnels later on...

[okra]

Thanks for the tips

[woodi]

I should add that we have a commercial tunnel too, and they aren't hard to put up, but you do need a few people to help. The hardest part is marking out where the anchors are to go. Once they are in, it all pretty much just slots together. Spend plenty of time measuring before you put the whole thing together.
Also try advertising on gumtree for a frame wanted. They seem to come up fairly often, dont cost a lot, and you then just need to get a cover (get a proper one, ordinary polythene sheet wont last 5 minutes).
:)

[diggernotdreamer]

I bought a 35ft x 10ft polytunnel from Ferryman for £550 about 10 years ago, I looked on the site a few months ago for a friend and the prices seem to be almost the same, I got two doors and the best quality cover, it was still in good order when I took it down after being in use for 7 years. they do send abroad as well if you contact them.

[boboff]

i have been looking for a while, and I think the thing is you get what you pay for.

The market really sets the price.

I have been watching two 35ft x 14ft tunnel frames on ebay, and they are making £250, then you have to collect it, buy new anchor fixings, and plastic, plus deal with rusty screws etc etc, so all told it's more agro and about £500, against £1000 for a new one. This is a big saving obviously, but still not cheap.

If your good at Bodging then the pipe idea is good, I am not, I tried, it fell down......

Hope it works out.