Author Topic: poly tunnels/cloches.  (Read 5609 times)

adam04

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poly tunnels/cloches.
« on: July 06, 2005, 18:06:23 »
anyone know a good source of them? have looked at ebay, but wanted a few other places before buying. I would need any from about 5ft to 20ft. prefeerably either the fold away types of the ones made from corrugated plastic.

Thanks.

wardy

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Re: poly tunnels/cloches.
« Reply #1 on: July 07, 2005, 14:19:56 »
I thought I'd try and make my own cloches out of chicken wire and water pipe etc and one out of fleece or netting.  At the mo I am potless so am using upturned metal shopping baskets to keep the birds off me cabbages (the supermarket ones)

Build your own polytunnel instructions can be found at

www.powen.freeserve.co.uk/Projects/polytunnel/polytunnel.htm

Wardy

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jennym

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Re: poly tunnels/cloches.
« Reply #2 on: July 07, 2005, 14:22:42 »
There's a company called First Tunnels that do polytunnels.

carloso

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Re: poly tunnels/cloches.
« Reply #3 on: July 08, 2005, 02:20:42 »
on the above plan for making the polytunnel i tried to make but found that the water pipe was a little flimsey but i strengthened it up by screwing a light wooden frame on the inside of the pipe ill have to get a picture of the finnished thing for you
I then used First poly tunnels (http://www.firsttunnels.co.uk/) and ordered my Plastic cover (mine was 14ft by 8ft and required a piece 9.3m by 7.2) if you put your measurements into the above link itll work it out for you (it also allows you to either bury the plastic to hold it down or you can buy pieces specially for holding the plastic into (its starts to get a little pricey)
i just wanted something that resembled a polytunnel and to be fair its prettyy neat and been admired by far and few across the Allotments
i made sure that all the surfaces where covered with duck tape(there are cheaper versions that do the same job which i aquired from B&Q bout 6 quid i think it was for the tape the plastic cost 45quid and the rest i either begged borrowed and well not quite stole lol

it took me about 3 days to complete mind you i still have doors to make !!! one end is presently covered in with a nice piece of perspex that i found

ow another good point is that i grow my tomatoes on sand which is a little easier to handle than soil !! (a commercial grower gave me the tip)

any way have fun if you go about it that way

carl

ps if you need a bit o advice then do leave a message
another member of i forgot my password

adam04

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Re: poly tunnels/cloches.
« Reply #4 on: July 08, 2005, 15:25:29 »
all the above message are great, but i am looking at the small types of polytunnels, eg for bringing on salad crops earlier. the ones that are about 1.5ft high!! i already have a greenhouse and that is big enough for me!

philcooper

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Re: poly tunnels/cloches.
« Reply #5 on: July 09, 2005, 20:53:53 »
Lidl or Wilkos did a 4' x 6' for about £10 I think - they have them ebay for 2 or 3 times the price

Phil

carloso

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Re: poly tunnels/cloches.
« Reply #6 on: July 14, 2005, 08:23:11 »
heres a thought

polytunnel semi circle build (ish) use the above styling for the poly tunnel except reduce the size
i made mine as per the following :-

2 pieces of 6ft * 2" * 3/4" ish  (anything you can lay your hands on!) with 3 * 22mm holes drilled in it (1 either end and 1 in the middle)
3 pieces approx 20" * 2" * 3/4" ish (depending on how wide you need the tunnel) (with 2 * 22mm holes drilled in then 1 either end)
20mm water pipe thats 4ft long ish (depends hole tall you need the tunnel
1 * 50" * 100"  piece of sun resistant plastic (or ordinary for one season if your lucky)

lay the wood out and overlap where holes drilled  you know have a small frame with 6 holes in view (maybe a good idea to use a screw just to secure them)  insert plastic pipe in to holes so as about 4 inches pokes through the frame (enables you to push them into the soil so as they dont blow away) secure the pipe with a second screw through the wood and pipe and then cover with plastic and secure with a few tacks

ok ill try and get a picture but hopefully you get the idea  can cover with netting - plastic - anything you like to protect and keep the little devils warm !
you can make then as big or as little as you like, I also made the with the plastic taped to the pipe so when you have finnished it flatterns out and you hang it up out the way ready to use nxt yr !!! and they dont go missing on the lottie cause they stand out like a sore thumb !!!

(ps it just takes a little patience, and todate its cost me very little for the clotches of the smaller size as most of the wood has been borrowed from skips etc etc )

carl
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supersprout

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Re: poly tunnels/cloches.
« Reply #7 on: August 09, 2005, 20:28:27 »
Have you tried a search on http://froogle.co.uk? Lots of suppliers will show, and you can compare prices ;D

 

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