[sunshineband]

I was going to use council weight paving slabs (2ft square)  around the flaps of the cover, and metal pegs for the frame itself.

Does that sound OK?

[mumofstig]

 Sounds ok to me.........I hope you enjoy using it............I enjoy growing in mine.
I must source a new cover for mine during the winter though..or I won't be able to use it next year

I'll have to refer back to all those 'how to fit a cover' threads from the top

[mumofstig]

What are people sowing or planting in their polytunnels for the winter?

[Poolfield2]

Mine will keep me going in parsley, thyme, oregano, salad onions, corn salad, rocket and winter density lettuce. I have strawberries that will fruit a month earlier than outside and french tarragon that wouldn't survive outside.

I start off some very early potatoes in January, sometimes it works and sometimes I lose them, I also start onions off in January.

My polytunnel has 6 small beds and the rest is storage, I'm wondering whether I can pinch enough space for an extra bed this winter.

[GrannieAnnie]

All I've got in mine these days is a lawnmower, 2 non working rotavators and loads of wood and ply sheets!

[mumofstig]

I seem to have bad ventilation in mine........things going mouldy

I sure couldn't use it for storage........how do you keep yours dry and ventilated 

[arugula]

We still have the (very green) Roma tomatoes in there and some turnips and spring onion.

We have our central panels at either end, one opening and the other fixed, made out of windbreak fabric which can be covered fully or partly in ply etc, during the months when the weather is doing its worst.

[GrannieAnnie]

All the holes the rats gnaw through the poly and the rips the chickens make when they are abseiling down the polythene!  So it gets plenty of ventilation

It's getting on now, the polythene was already 5 years old when we got it and we've had it 5 years, so its not doing badly except there is more repair tape on it than poly!!  

But its very dry.

[Poolfield2]

I leave the double doors open both ends all through the summer and in winter I'm not watering much so it's fine and like Grannie we have a fair few holes some caused by me mowing too close

[natpod]

We've just finished putting our tunnel up, in the Midlands. What shall I get in now?

[Goldfinger]

on my new lotty, we have a greenhouse with no glass in the sides but the roof's complete, so that's not in use at the moment.

I so want a poly! But don't have the space.    It's only a half plot.

[rowlandwells]

we bought our first tunnel some twenty years ago and then 2 large greenhouses and then another small tunnel about 7 years ago found both tunnels and greenhouses good value for money just a bit concerned about the cost of replacing the poly covers 

don't grow much in the winter in the tunnels or greenhouses use them more for storage usually start things going about the end of February with our solid fuel boiler heating pipes under the benches when i put the tunnels up i buried the poly cover  in the ground 
had no problems doing it that way also have raised beds in both tunnels for those of you who have polytunnels do you cover the tunnel up with shading in the summer to protect from the sun we always cover our tunnels with shading 

[mumofstig]

what are you all planning to grow in your tunnels over the winter?
I'm planning on winter hardy lettuce and endive/radichio, corn salad, parcel, some chard and a few onions to start from seeds.

[DirtyShovel]

I'm personally put off polytunnels as a few friends of mine's have been utterly trashed by weather down the years !

[Poolfield2]

Ours has withstood 80mph wind on an exposed site but we have trouble getting more than 5 years from one cover, they seem to split where the fold lines are in the plastic.

The only greenhouse that is designed to cope with the weather here was £25000 so it's polytunnels for me unless we win the lottery (which given I don't buy tickets is unlikely).

We are on a replacement year next year and I hate doing it, I'm getting too old to dig around a 14 x 34 foot polytunnel but the call of growing will get me through