Help me decide please

[SarzWix]

Can you take/post a picture of your proposed site VC?

Have you thought about how you'll manage watering when you're not there?

I agree with Marchogaeth, you should talk to your nearest supplier and take advantage of their experience in your area x

[chris]

Are you adverse to cutting down some trees to make room for it, VC?

[veggiechicken]

Thanks All for your thoughts - I'm more undecided by each post!!
Newton - deffo not a lottie - I have enough trouble spreading myself around 2 gardens and a wood as it is!
Marchogaeth - I've only been into 2 polys in my life - yours and Bunty's and its all your fault that I want one. Its the out of season winter veg that attracts me most - not so much the summer crops as the GHs cope with those.
Sarz -there are a few different places that it could go - all needing clearance and all with partial tree shade problem.
Chris - I won't cut down any mature trees, only saplings. Not all of the trees are in my garden anyway - some are in the neighbours or the hedgerow.
Books - I've just bought 3 on GreenMetropolis - the 2 Andy Mckee/Gatter ones and one by Bernard Salt. That'll be my homework

[redser]

If its more for the winter produce cant you use the greenhouses?

[veggiechicken]

I grow salad leaves and small stuff in the GHs and tatties in pots overwinter, but both GHs are on solid bases so the beds are shallow. I need more room

[chris]

You could always put the PT in my garden? Ill look after it well for you

[veggiechicken]

^^^^ ^^^^

[poly]

As you are thinking much of the use of a new poly would be for winter/out of season crops, being part shady may have some benefits by helping to keep it that little bit cooler in summer. And as long as the trees surrounding it are deciduous they shouldn't cause too much of a shade problem following leaf drop.

Tree roots may be an issue, robbing moisture and nutrients?

If funds are available, I'd go for option 2, with base rails so no trenching needed. Covers do seem to last a fair few years both mine are past 5 years. Size wise, the largest you can, as they just seem to shrink each year!

[Dusty Rhodes]

A coldframe made from recycled windows is good for "salad leaves"...that would free up some space in your greenhouse.

An electrician would probably bend metal electrical conduit for hoops to make your tunnel house. It's very easy to do!

Buy a sonic screwdriver and you'll be able to do it all!

[veggiechicken]

I'm so clueless I goggled sonic screwdrivers You tease!!!
How about this idea - turning the trampoline raised bed into a dome polytunnel?
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ml#post1119586
All I need are a few lengths of water pipe that cross at the central highpoint, a mega size piece of polythene to stretch over the whole thing and a little door to access the middle
Don't suggest geodesic domes as they look far to complex, even with a sonic screwdriver

[marchogaeth]

Marchogaeth - I've only been into 2 polys in my life - yours and Bunty's and its all your fault that I want one. Its the out of season winter veg that attracts me most - not so much the summer crops as the GHs cope with those.

Then I think the shade is less of a problem. Infact the trees might help keep your Winter temperature up by reducing air movement around the tunnel..

It is the out of season veg that always looks so amazing becasue people don't expect it. Everyone thinks of tomatoes and chillies/peppers, they don't think French Beans in November. You have never eaten cauli's until you have had one grown in a tunnel! I didn't manage this last year but this year I'm going to start things like PSB and Brussels in Morrison buckets and keep them outside until the autumn then bring them inside so they are ready even earlier than they would be outside. I am really impressed with my Autumn planted garlic which would just die here otherwise (have a look on the Things You Do Want to See in Your Polytunnel thread.)

Books - I've just bought 3 on GreenMetropolis - the 2 Andy Mckee/Gatter ones and one by Bernard Salt. That'll be my homework

You won't regret any time spent with McKee and Gatter.

As you are thinking much of the use of a new poly would be for winter/out of season crops, being part shady may have some benefits by helping to keep it that little bit cooler in summer. And as long as the trees surrounding it are deciduous they shouldn't cause too much of a shade problem following leaf drop.

Tree roots may be an issue, robbing moisture and nutrients?

If funds are available, I'd go for option 2, with base rails so no trenching needed. Covers do seem to last a fair few years both mine are past 5 years. Size wise, the largest you can, as they just seem to shrink each year!

Why do you think you will only get five years from the plastic?

[mothhawk]

How about this idea - turning the trampoline raised bed into a dome polytunnel?
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ml#post1119586
All I need are a few lengths of water pipe that cross at the central highpoint, a mega size piece of polythene to stretch over the whole thing and a little door to access the middle
Don't suggest geodesic domes as they look far to complex, even with a sonic screwdriver

It's 12ft diameter, isn't it? You'd need very sturdy support to hold up the polythene across it - it will weigh quite heavy I should think. Otherwise, brilliant idea!

[veggiechicken]

Why do you think you will only get five years from the plastic?

For me, its a sort of worst case scenario - budgeting time and money on a replacement cover - that may not be required if I bought a greenhouse instead.
There is rarely frost under the trees and they are all deciduous - mostly standard apples, with a perimeter hedge of massive ash trees, hawthorn and holly and a couple of huge oak trees in the middle of the garden.The roots can be very near the surface though, so raised beds of some sort required.
I've been wandering round, trying to imagine a PT in all sorts of odd places

[poly]

Why do you think you will only get five years from the plastic?

I don't, my experience is they last a good bit longer (just couldn't remember the exact age of my covers to give the example, but current ones are probably 6 and 8 or 9 years) I was just going on VC's option two's estimate of 5 years until replacing a cover, but was trying to say they often last longer

[veggiechicken]

Thanks poly!! Very reassuring. I've just realised how old I'll be when the cover would need replacing. Maybe I shouldn't worry too much about that