1000th post! Polytunnel question.

[RobinOfTheHood]

I've managed to get a hold of some 63mm MDPE pipe and scaffold tubes with a view to making a polytunnel.

Question is, what would you consider to be the maximum reasonable spacing between the hoops? At the moment the potential length will be limited by the number of scaffold tubes I have rather than the length of pipe (I bought a 100m roll). I have 12 tubes.

And while we're at it, any other advice from people that have gone the DIY polytunnel route would be welcomed.

[RobinOfTheHood]

[johhnyco15]

i made a temp one last year for my pumkin id have as many hoops as you can and as many crossmembers as you can fit so the rain wont collect and cause the cover to sag

[RobinOfTheHood]

What's the spacing on that? I've had people on Facebook telling me 3 feet centres between hoops.....I was thinking 7 feet at a push but yours looks like more?

Also, how wide do you reckon I could go with 63mm pipe? The bigger the better......!

[johhnyco15]

What's the spacing on that? I've had people on Facebook telling me 3 feet centres between hoops.....I was thinking 7 feet at a push but yours looks like more?

Also, how wide do you reckon I could go with 63mm pipe? The bigger the better......!

id go as close as you can closer the better  mine was around 8ft however the rain really made it sag at 3ft or even 2ft6" it really will help that what im going with this year and 2ft side crossmembers  it did last the season but only just i used 8ft bamboo canes for crossmembers they just wasnt man enough im going to use metal conduit this time around all i say  as much bracing as you can and make it so you can roll up the sides this really helped me last year to get air around the structure hope this helps

[ancellsfarmer]

And now there is the polycrub. Food for thought?
http://www.nortenergy.co.uk/

[johhnyco15]

And now there is the polycrub. Food for thought?
http://www.nortenergy.co.uk/

they look really good the only trouble is on our site we have a strange rule no permanent poly tunnels however we allowed greenhouses strange but true

[picman]

The wider and higher the better, there are some 'standard ' sizes of pre cut cover 'Visiqueen'  is one ,( £100 or so +vat )  7.2m x 14m  I reconstructed two pollys some years ago , 4m wide and 2.7 high, and just short of 14m ,1m spacing with top centre joining rod. and timber / plastic , heavy end sections. they were donated metal hoops . Plastic will require some strengthening. Its a good idea to put the sheet on in warm weather  as it expands quite a bit .