Unfortunately, it is pretty difficult (scratch that – impossible) to have a polytunnel delivered to your house fully constructed and ready to go. This means that self-assembly is required with a polytunnel, but I know how it is – life is busy and not everyone has hours to spare to put their brand spanking new polytunnel together. Likewise, not all of us are blessed with DIY skills, so ideally your new polytunnel will be fairly easy to put together. However, if you buy the BIRCHTREE as I have tested then they all rivet together without the need for any drills at all! They just snap together: BIRCHTREE Polytunnel just snaps together Once you have decided on the right size and build materials for your polytunnel, you are then going to have to try to sort through the remaining polytunnels for the best one for your garden or allotment. Here are some of the features that we love and would recommend looking out for! Of course, the way you use your polytunnel is totally up to you. If you wish to use it in the place of a shed, therefore simply as an outdoor storage space, then that is your prerogative. There area few key factors in ensuring your polytunnel stays still, even in a serious gale there shouldn’t be much reason to fear, though if you’ve already got one you do question at home, I hope the polytunnel is holding up 😀 – still, let’s look at how to fix one in properly and make sure it never blows away – and if it does, your neighbouring polytunnels went long before yours! So here’s some tips to hold polytunnel down here:

By far the first thing that you need to think about is the actual size of polytunnel that is going to be right for you. Whether you actually have an allotment or are wanting a polytunnel for your garden, you are going to need to consider the amount of space that you have available and then the space that you actually need. Polytunnels are traditionally quite large but there are now a wide range of models depending on exactly what you are looking for. What I’d use at home: Outsunny Steel Frame Poly Tunnel or the CHRISTOW Grow Tunnel Greenhouse, Garden Polytunnel for non full height and the FeelGoodUK PRO if I need taller Measuring 3-metres in length and 2-metres in width, this tunnel has plenty of room to grow a variety of crops. To compliment your polytunnel we also offer a range of powder coated wire shelving units and seedling trays. The video should serve as a prudent reminder buying is half the job or less, the other half is having this thing really deep rooted into the ground so here’s some tips to make sure yours doesn’t blow away: Anchor your polytunnel properly Garden Point Green Polytunnel – bit of a tear on the corner – is there anything duct tape won’t fix? 😀Temperature control for during those summer months is also important. Obviously part of the reason you will be purchasing your polytunnel is for it to absorb some of the heat from the sun to keep your plants warm, but during particularly warm summers this can actually make it too warm in your polytunnel – making it unpleasant both for you and your plants! Some of the best polytunnels actually have temperature control technology for over those summer months to reduce the extreme temperatures that can develop! Assembly The only thing it’s realistically missing but I can accept at this price point is a pivot door like the FeelGoodUK PRO– that would have elevated this unit a long long way and secured top spot – with the new range next year I’ll be paying close attention but for now, this is my top spot. Pros:

With this in mind, another consideration to bear in mind is the influence of the polytunnel’s height and length on their overall size. This is specifically relevant to the type of crops you are looking to grow. If you need a polytunnel which will house taller plants like fruit trees, then height will be a super important factor in your search. If, however, you simply need a polytunnel to grow vegetation such as carrots, cabbages and lettuce, then height won’t be an important factor and you would be better off conserving height and increasing the length of your polytunnel. The polytunnel does, however, have to be tall enough to fit you – otherwise who will see to your precious veg?! Materials Our final product is the VOUNOT polytunnel greenhouse, another absolute beast of a polytunnel which is incredibly similar to the huge VonHaus polytunnel described above. We found models started at around 10ft x 10ft and went up to as big as 20ft by 70ft! This is a huge difference which is obviously going to be impacted by the space that you have available. Make sure to consider that you will need space around your polytunnel to actually erect it but also to complete any maintenance, so we would never recommend FILLING the available space that you have, no matter how tempting this may be! Perfect to keep young plants protected during harsher conditions and to grow a variety of flowers, plants and vegetables. It features double stitched seams for maximum durability and has a double zip door that can be rolled up for easy access. There are also netted windows to ensure the temperature within the greenhouse can be controlled. These windows can also be covered by rolling down the PE covers. Our 3x2m polytunnel will make a suitable alternative to a solid structure to house birds during the Avian Flu outbreak. Our tunnel allows adequate light and ventilation and will help offer protection from wild birds that may be carrying the disease.It features double stitched seams for maximum durability and has a double zip door that can be rolled up for easy access. There are also netted windows to ensure the temperature within the greenhouse can be controlled. These windows can also be covered by rolling down the PE covers.

If you have a wooden base then screw it to the ground using long planks of wood around the edges. Roll the canvas in the wood, this will create loads of strength, pull the cover taunt reducing the damage on poles in combination with hot spot tape – what’s that you’re wondering? Coming next: Hot-spot tape

Accessories

Given this is 90cm odd high you’ve got loads of options – firstly you can get in and work no problem, secondly and also very favourable is the possibility of raised planters. You can grow your veg inside these without the worry of invasion – or at least far less! The big plus is it’ll trap the moisture so you’ll end up watering less too. Like the VonHaus polytunnel, the frame is constructed from four galvanised steel hoops, which support a strong, reinforced plastic cover. One key difference between the VonHaus polytunnel and the VOUNOT polytunnel is the door. Where VonHaus have included a swinging door, fit with a metal frame, VOUNOT keep it simple with a roll-up door which is secured shut with a zip. I do think that the VonHaus swinging door is a nice feature, however it is somewhat pointless, and given the extra effort the door takes in assembly, as well as the premium in price which you pay for this extra, I think VOUNOT have got the right idea in keeping things nice and simple with a roll-up plastic door. You’ve got your 6 roll up vents, they are definitely needed along with opening the door on the hottest Summer days, overall this is a real bargain. Pros: In general, you will find that polytunnels are arched in design (like a tunnel) – the purpose of this design is to allow them to be more windproof and aerodynamic so that they are not as battered by the Great British weather! However, there are downsides to this design, as you are going to have the “wasted” space towards the base of the arch to consider. Your other option is a more rectangular design with straight sides which is obviously going to eliminate this issue of headroom and wasted space. But, you are going to need to make sure that your polytunnel is well protected from the wind and has a strong enough build design to combat this!