Polytunnels

[grainboy]

Sure is an Allegro, site is a local transport museum, closing due to beareavment and end of tenancy, still a still a selection of vehicles been sold off.

 

[Pasty]

I use a very good chap called Peter Olek who does covers in this sort of area. 07854 873724. Good place to start as he will advise accordingly?

Thanks, have ordered a full kit now. Probably could have done it cheaper but potentially this way I can probably have it up by Xmas and may need that if they extend the poultry housing thing. Will probably go more DIY on a second one. Plenty of abandoned frames around our parish but that probably means dismantling too which is never simple.

 

[Pasty]

Yes you're right on that front, second issue was distance from road both of which meant it failed on pdo rules.

Thanks, I won't be mentioning the chooks. That's just an idea and possibly an emergency measure in cases like we have now. We are nowhere near a classified road so that won't be an issue.

Next question. Which way to plant it. EW or NS? It'll be at the bottom of a hill which rises up to the west and most of our weather comes from the SW. My idea was to ge EW so that it would get sun most of the day. Mrs Pasty says NS so the wind isn't blowing directly into it. But then it will get less sun I would think. To complicate we have ordered one with a vented side and a roll up screen thing so you can adjust the side ventilation without opening the doors. Should that be on a less windy side eg. N or W or on the windy side to get max airflow?

 

[Danllan]

Thanks, I won't be mentioning the chooks. That's just an idea and possibly an emergency measure in cases like we have now. We are nowhere near a classified road so that won't be an issue.

Next question. Which way to plant it. EW or NS? It'll be at the bottom of a hill which rises up to the west and most of our weather comes from the SW. My idea was to ge EW so that it would get sun most of the day. Mrs Pasty says NS so the wind isn't blowing directly into it. But then it will get less sun I would think. To complicate we have ordered one with a vented side and a roll up screen thing so you can adjust the side ventilation without opening the doors. Should that be on a less windy side eg. N or W or on the windy side to get max airflow?

If Mrs Pasty has spoken I'd have thought the solution was obvious... I know my place too (but would 'phone the supplier for advice anyway, secretly... ).

 

[Kidds]

Thanks, I won't be mentioning the chooks. That's just an idea and possibly an emergency measure in cases like we have now. We are nowhere near a classified road so that won't be an issue.

Next question. Which way to plant it. EW or NS? It'll be at the bottom of a hill which rises up to the west and most of our weather comes from the SW. My idea was to ge EW so that it would get sun most of the day. Mrs Pasty says NS so the wind isn't blowing directly into it. But then it will get less sun I would think. To complicate we have ordered one with a vented side and a roll up screen thing so you can adjust the side ventilation without opening the doors. Should that be on a less windy side eg. N or W or on the windy side to get max airflow?

Whichever way is most convenient to you or whichever way swmbo says, it won't matter. Theoretically you might gain or lose 0.5% production according to orientation but you will likely forget to water one day and lose an awful lot more than that. (everybody does it)

 

[annonimouse]

Be careful with the screen in on one side, we had an unexpected strong easterly and it totally flipped my tunnel, I am guessing that the wind entered along the mesh side but had nowhere to go, it ended up flipping the whole structure over. Bleddy nightmare.

 

[JohnGalway]

Thanks, I won't be mentioning the chooks. That's just an idea and possibly an emergency measure in cases like we have now. We are nowhere near a classified road so that won't be an issue.

Next question. Which way to plant it. EW or NS? It'll be at the bottom of a hill which rises up to the west and most of our weather comes from the SW. My idea was to ge EW so that it would get sun most of the day. Mrs Pasty says NS so the wind isn't blowing directly into it. But then it will get less sun I would think. To complicate we have ordered one with a vented side and a roll up screen thing so you can adjust the side ventilation without opening the doors. Should that be on a less windy side eg. N or W or on the windy side to get max airflow?

Sheep tunnel here. Have it running East to West, most of our worst winds will come from SW, W, or NW. But it was the layout of the field more than anything that decided EW. Our prevailing wind would also be from the SW.

Fella I bought it off recommended to have an equally open area for wind to get OUT of the tunnel as it had to get in, if you understand. Like if I have the double doors open on one gable, then also open the double doors on the other gable. Otherwise you can potentially get too much wind entering the tunnel with no obvious escape route. He wasn't bothered whether the wind comes at the gable or the side.

 

[renewablejohn]

Thanks, have ordered a full kit now. Probably could have done it cheaper but potentially this way I can probably have it up by Xmas and may need that if they extend the poultry housing thing. Will probably go more DIY on a second one. Plenty of abandoned frames around our parish but that probably means dismantling too which is never simple.

Only ever put one polytunnel up in the winter and that was to save 90,000 plants in a tunnel that had split in the middle. Never again, plastic was as tight as a drum when put on but within 6 months it was shredded as it went so slack. Now recover at least one a year but only between Apr and Sep.

 

[Pasty]

I figured if we put it EW and had the vent on the North side where we hardly ever get high winds from, that might be wise. Our prevailing is SW too but we get the odd wind from the East.

 

[renewablejohn]

Thanks, I won't be mentioning the chooks. That's just an idea and possibly an emergency measure in cases like we have now. We are nowhere near a classified road so that won't be an issue.

Next question. Which way to plant it. EW or NS? It'll be at the bottom of a hill which rises up to the west and most of our weather comes from the SW. My idea was to ge EW so that it would get sun most of the day. Mrs Pasty says NS so the wind isn't blowing directly into it. But then it will get less sun I would think. To complicate we have ordered one with a vented side and a roll up screen thing so you can adjust the side ventilation without opening the doors. Should that be on a less windy side eg. N or W or on the windy side to get max airflow?

Would not last a week on our exposed hilltop site. Ours are all North South with prevailing wind from the west /southwest so that wind flows over the tunnel. No side vents as ventilation is controlled by the non horizontal ridge line.

 

[Northern Polytunnels]

think it'd be more about if it were concreted in or ground anchors perhaps.....sorry to hijack thread a little but i'm looking at one for sheep....would 33mm hoops be ok or do they need to be 50mm?

Definitely 50mm for sheep housing polytunnels

 

[Northern Polytunnels]

Not sure where to post this. Anyway, we are going to get one (or more). Purpose is to grow food a bit further into the season that we could outdoors and also grow some things we otherwise couldn't. Also to dry firewood in pallet crates over summer which will then go into the big barn for use in autumn. Then the laying hens go in over winter and clean up all the bugs / create some decent compost.

Anyone bought one recently? I'm looking for recs on suppliers and also comments on size. Should I just go as big as I can afford or is that counter-productive in some way? Probably comments on suppliers should be done over PM if anyone has any.

Always get the biggest you can afford, the bigger you go the less you will be paying per square foot and it's much cheaper than expanding in a few years. Multi-Use polytunnels are possible as long as you have considered adequate ventilation for your chickens and for drying your firewood and not too much as you won't have the climate for growing out of season.