[Moregin]

Hello everyone,

I am looking for advice on tunnels as I plan to put in a medium sized one of about 20'x12'.  After the obligatory internet search and a few calls to companies I was left with lots of questions.....I wondered if the trench method is better or pinned to the frame rail is best?  Do I really need all the bits the companies want to sell you?  Is there anyone in the Falkirk/Stirling area with a tunnel that I can speak to or visit?  I realise the old addage 'You only get what you pay for' is true but where do you draw the line.  I was hoping to do it for somewhere between £400-£600.

I will be putting two raised beds inside and an area for grow bags with a view to grow the standard things and try out some winter salad in the first season or two. Also does anyone have any experience of citrus fruits in a tunnel?

Thanks in advance

Stu

[HappyHippy]

I've no experience (yet) but I bought mine from http://www.premierpolytunnels.co.uk/index.asp The service was excellent and the prices seemed to be competitive.
I'm going to go for the belt and braces approach for the cover, by pinning it AND trenching it in - but I'm on a fairly very exposed site.
We're also going to use base plates for the hoops rather than concreting them in because we might decide to move it's position (but going to make them ourselves out of some steel plate and exhaust clamps rather than pay silly money from the specialists)

[Anke]

We have used First Tunnels, and again good advice. But ours is a lot bigger (commercial size) and cost quite abit more. We are quite exposed, and the tunnel withstood the snow this winter (just - I was out after every snowfall and brushing it off). Be aware that snow is VERY heavy!

We have base plates, and the plastic is buried, we also have strengtheing bars across the top end of the hoops. So far wind has not been a problem, although in the first year I wouldn't be able to sleep at night when it was stormy and on more than one occasion sent my OH out in his bathrobe in the middle of the night to check that the tunnel hasn't blown away...

Our biggest problem so far has been rodents... mice and in particular voles. They dig very deep and have found their way in by chewing through the plastic in a few places. So now we have started to wiremesh (finer than chicken wire) around the bottom end, but are at our wits end as to how we stop them digging in. The voles eat plants and rarely go into mouse traps (not even baited with peanut butter ones!).

If you look around garden centres (esp small ones) they often have tunnels and are friendly and talkative... We bought ours after a recommendation and chat with our local garden centre!

[Hermit]

I use First Tunnels as well. You design your own from the many options they have on offer to suit your site.Ours is fixed by an aluminium plate onto concrete as we have no soil in its situation and have built raised beds inside.They have an excellent website with videos and lots of advice on the different options,including irrigation systems and different covers.I did not know you had different covers for different reason.We chose them for their storm proofing options and has served us well for three years now.

[sellickbhoy]

hi

if there is anyone in the falkirk/stirling/west lothian area that wants to show me round their polytunnel too - i'd love to come and have a right good look at one

I'm planning on building my own one - not likely to bein time for this season, but I hope to get the framework up late autumn and then get a cover on it in jan/feb to get an early start

I'm planning on building my own one using this DIY design

http://www.albertahomegardening.com/how-to-build-an-inexpensive-hoop-style-greenhouse/

[Hermit]

I have a small polytunnel for my brassicas made of pvc water pipe.They do collapse in the snow and blow a bit but for a summer job that can be taken down and rebuilt, excellent . They do pop up again but weaker and weaker each time. Hermit