It’s been a long time in the planning and some project changes beyond my control kept meaning I had to hold off on where I was going to finally place Polytunnel 1.
Due to a long wait for news about getting a fifth plot where I would have really liked to have placed this Polytunnel, a 2 year wait I might add… I was recently informed what I wanted wasn’t possible. So after a few final repositioning attempts of the frame to see where I felt it was best sited after the first choice site was no longer an option.
The frame was sited and the cover taken out of storage and unpacked, unrolled and put on at long last!!! 🙂
Polytunnel 1.
It’s a 6m x 3m tunnel and 2 meters high give or take. Hinged door on the end which is more important as it means more life span as the zipper or velcro versions usually fail after a short time.
It comes with a very handy feature where the window flaps can be clipped or rolled up in a way to allow airflow through the tunnel but also collect rainwater to harvest it in barrels or containers at the end of the length of windows. So on a good day could potentially be harvesting rainwater to collect in 4 barrels!
I’ve got to give a big thanks to JCB and Russell for helping me get the cover on and for final readjustments of the placing of the frame. Also big props to Russell for helping me lug the railway sleepers into place to hold the cover in place while it relaxes and stretches properly onto the frame so it will eventually be “Drum tight”.
P.G Tips Monkeys and Gru…
It was such a lovely day and ideal for doing this task. So we set about it after a few cups of tea or coffee and JCB elected that as he was the oldest and the wisest of the 3 cheeky monkeys present, he should be leader and delegate.
Russell and I agreed this was probably safest and wisest, so we moved the recently acquired Jack and Jill bench closer to the work area so the newly appointed “Project Manager” could have prime seating while his 2 newly tamed minions followed his bidding and a cover was brought out to be fitted.
The light breeze helped to breathe life into the plastic cover that had been in storage for a long time, the green and clear material eventually catching the breeze just right and inflating with the gusts. The whole length of the material rising high at one end like a scene from a Godzilla movie.
Was it too much to ask for a roll of Thunder and a howl from a Wolf?
“Growl” said Polytunnel 1.
“I live… At last… Good, now; let us grow many wonderful and interesting things and tasty ones too!”
It was at this point Simon tamed the beast and reminded it; that its purpose first was to raise trees and allow people to be taught and learn inside the Polytunnel.
This was agreed to be a wise and fruitful purpose in life and the cover allowed itself to be joined with its skeleton and joined the Rutland Bonsai Team.
Then cover and frame were then joined in unholy horticultural union and alliance and well…
It got hot.
Really hot.
Really fast.
I mean, like, sweating cobs inside 2 minutes hot.
The frame holding the cover, allowing the cover to spread out and be held. Supported to flex and flow over the frame, join with it and wrap itself around the metal. The sun soaking into the skin, warming it, making it soft and giving it fluidity to escape its rigid transport shape and folds time and heat to ease into final position.
This cover and frame allowing heat to be formed and generated inside increasing the heat levels to zones where it can become uncomfortable for humans on warm days, dangerously hot inside on very hot days.
The Polytunnel is up and heating up, it really was an awesome day.
Now it just needs filling with a few pallet work-benches, staging and a few old baths for water storage and carnivorous plants. 🙂