Originally Posted by mrdinkle

I got a couple of thems lidl ones the other year for about £3 for 5m poly. They had em in our local lidl still at weekend just gone.

i bought a couple last year, they were a bit flimsy for my plot but then it has been known to be a bit breezy here now and then. in the end i used the poly water pipe to reinforce the tunnel, they lasted the year (just)

What bore diameter pipe do you use. I read Paul`s article where he says he used 22mm, but I can only source 20 or 25mm, so I am presuming that was a typo. I guess if its too narrow you will get the drooping. Too large and it wont bend enough?

I bought blue piping at mole valley farmers for £13.80 plus vat enough to make 4 tunnels using 4 hoops and one with 3 hoops my OH has cut them quite long.

I use blue water pipe as well - and converted some net curtains i bought from ikea £2 for 4 lengths !!

When I had my first allotment about 30 years ago, I was fortunate enough to use a lot of 1" mesh "checken wire".

I used to cut lengths of this, about 1m, lay it on top of some polythene, fold the edges up to grip the polythene. Then if you bow it like a cloche with the polythene outside, it goes nice and taut.

Then fix it down with canes. The ends I made in a similar fashion but just folded the netting on all 4 sides. When not on use, they can be laid flat.

I suppose you could do the same thing using fleece.

Here's the cloches that I have using the blue water tubing.

You can also see one of the "watering stations" that I have scattered around the plots for when OH goes to the allotments of a morning when I'm at work

sorted me out very impressed