[Import]

Digger Dan your poly tunnel looks like the business. The only criticism I have is that you did not install a door in the back plane as well. During summer you will need a bit of cross ventilation to get rid of some of the heat. Last year I had to switch on a fan in the tunnel as the temperature was in the excess of 50o C! Even though I had both the front and rear doors open.

With having a flat plastic in the back it should not be too difficult to add a vent ion the back wall.

I love the idea of making the hoops from wood. I had some hoops bent for me from 50 mm galvanize water pipe. An overkill if ever there was one.

Another advantage you have is that your tunnel has high walls, perfect for growing cucumbers!

Good luck with the tunnel and may you grow a magnitude of delicious vegetables in it!

[Digger Dan]

Thanks Import for your comments. I have a solar powered fan that I plan to fit but it won't shift much volume of hot air, just create some circulation. Already the hut has reached 32 degC so I definitely need to look at some extra ventilation for the summer (hopefully!!).

What's best a high or low level vent in the rear panel? There is already a vent over the door.


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Digger Dan

[Import]

A high vent will be preferable - hot air rises and you want to get rid of the hot air.

I installed a door in the back coved with fly screen to keep the cat out. During winter I have a plastic covered frame that I screw onto the door.

I also installed stays to the doors (front and back, to keep the door open. A small gust of wind blows it closed and you are unaware of this.

[John H]

Well Digger Dan you are a great inspiration to everyone. The work you have done is great. It goes to show what can be accomplished in a relatively short time.

The photo trail is a good idea.

I am going around my garden with the camera, so down the line if I get a bit disheartened I will be able to look at the progress.

I hope you will keep us updated with your garden.

Keep up the good work.

[Liparis]

[Digger Dan]

Finally getting a few things growing in the Polyhut.

I finished out the rainwater drip trays by lining the inside boxes (100mm high) with some visqueen. This created a plastic collection tray for the rainwater runoff. I then filled the tray with some pea gravel and set the pots into the gravel.

The photo below shows a BEFORE and AFTER


The water collection is working and there was plenty of water in the trays from the rain over the last couple weeks. Time will tell if the idea works well over a long hot summer (hopefully!) and it reduces the amount of watering by hand needed!!

I re-used a collection of odd and damaged pots we had for the plants in the polytunnel. I reckoned pots would work better with the watering system rather then filling full tray up with compost.

The plants are spaced at 500mm centres and maybe a little packed for the size of hut? But this is what I planted:

5 x Tomato plants (2 x Moneymaker, 2 x Gardeners Delight, 1 x Roma)
3 x Pepper plants (sweet, medium and HOT!)
1 x Courgette
1 x Aubergine (Solanum Melongena)
8 x Strawberry plants (some plants from old strawberry box)
5 x Herbs (parsley, corriander, basil, thyme and chives)
1 x Salad bar (mixed Mesclun leaves)

I may have to cut back if things grow a little too vigorously!



The staging table is an old patio table cut down to size. The rest of the set ended up as kindling.

Fan still needs to be fitted so hopefully plants won't burn up before then!

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Digger Dan

[Digger Dan]

Some four months ago I set about rejuvenating a small run down vegetable plot to produce some fresh food for our family. As my last post on this topic I thought I might show how things have turned out.



Maybe hard to make out with all that foliage but I have a bumper crop of potatoes and blackcurrants, mange tout are ready for first pick, cabbage and carrots doing well and even the Calendula officinalis are about to flower!!

One of the main things I wanted to achieve was to grow some plants under cover and I'm happy with how the polyhut has turned out considering that I 'shoehorned' into a very confined spot.



The courgette is thriving and would take over the whole hut if let! The tomatoes are doing well so far, plenty of trusses.
But the best success so far has been the 'salad bar'. It's great to be able to pick a fresh selection of salad leaves just when you need them. The peppers haven't faired aswell with only one plant remaining.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to this topic over the last few months.

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Digger Dan

[michael brenock]

The courgette will take over the hut and outgrow everything else and yet may produce very few courgettes they are cuckoos in small places.
Michael brenock horticultural advisor (retired)