Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Growing in Greenhouses & Polytunnels => Topic started by: wolveryeti on January 09, 2020, 09:37

Title: Cheap Amazon/Ebay polytunnels
Post by: wolveryeti on January 09, 2020, 09:37
Are these worth bothering with, or will they just knack at the first sign of strong winds? I'm talking about the ones in the £75-150 range and willing to do some reinforcing.
Title: Re: Cheap Amazon/Ebay polytunnels
Post by: Plot 1 Problems on January 09, 2020, 11:30
I bought one a couple of years back it was perfectly fine, even stood up to a few decent gales.
I did have to reinforce a few week points with garden cane and cable ties but that was all.
Title: Re: Cheap Amazon/Ebay polytunnels
Post by: mumofstig on January 09, 2020, 12:07
In my garden protected by hedges, the frame was ok but the zip broke quite quickly and the little clear windows of plastic between the green mesh started to fall out in the second year. I ended up with a self-watering polytunnel.

If you really strengthened the frame it should stand up to the wind for a few years, but the covers won't last more than a year or 2, in my experience. You can buy replacement covers for them, or, even better, buy proper polytunnel plastic (usually guaranteed for 5 years) and recover with that..
Title: Re: Cheap Amazon/Ebay polytunnels
Post by: Plot 1 Problems on January 09, 2020, 12:43
That's a good point, I'd forgotten the zip broke in the first year!