This is a very useful review. I use foam pipe insulation tubes to protect the cover from the frame. I hoover up any discarded polytunnels locally if I hear of one being dumped because quite often I can repurpose it, especially if reinforced with timber, to hold netting over brassicas. I use timber on these polytunnels to create a conventional door because those zipped affairs drive me mad. It is very easy so, yes, I'd advise doing that when you change the cover. It makes life much easier!

@downtoearthwithjim

4 ай бұрын

Glad you found it useful! I'm also thinking something similar once the cover has degraded fully. I'll be replacing with a new cover possibly the clear stuff. Then I may make a wooden door. It's just getting the right measurements and figuring out a way of cutting it to size and attaching it to the frame. A future video potentially there

@fionnaheller1873

4 ай бұрын

@@downtoearthwithjim I used a metal strip which has holes studded along it and cut it to size so I can attach the wood to the frame along the base and across the front and back, and added wooden battens along the sides where the hoop starts and about halfway between there and the middle of the hoop which allows you to screw battens on from the outside that hold the plastic or netting very tight.. The wood at the front base and top allows you to fix the doorframe quite well. If you want to make it really strong you can add uprights between the base and the battens halfway up too. I use the slightly knackered ones that are being thrown away to make hoops for netting. I live in Caithness right at the edge of the sea cliffs and so far haven't lost one!

@fionnaheller1873

3 ай бұрын

@@downtoearthwithjim I found out that the metal strip is known as builders band - places like screwfix have it though I picked up a heavier duty version in a local builders yard.

Thanks for posting this vid , very informative . I was looking for info on poly tunnel and you seem to have covered the questions I would ask thanks again, happy growing 2024

@downtoearthwithjim

5 ай бұрын

You're welcome, I'm glad you found it useful! All the best and good luck with whatever poly you decide to go with 😊

Great work fella

@downtoearthwithjim

5 ай бұрын

Cheers! It's held up okay so far. Update video of 1 year later to come soon

Cheers, exactly all the things I want to know

@downtoearthwithjim

14 күн бұрын

Glad you found it useful 😊

Great videos!

@downtoearthwithjim

9 ай бұрын

Thanks for watching! ☺️🧑‍🌾

I’ve been contemplating getting a poly tunnel. I think the fact that the plastic doesn’t weather very well has put me off for now at least. So I’m glad that you have done this review. I’m only just getting started with growing and have a greenhouse and shed which I will maximise the use of better before investing in one of these. Thanks for a great review.

@downtoearthwithjim

11 ай бұрын

Yes the cheap ones do start to degrade after a couple of seasons. There again I'd say it's definitely worth getting one at some point, I don't regret getting mine 😊 I've gotten a good amount of use out of it. Thanks for watching!

I have a budget large greenhouse. To make the roof stronger I tied the rigid green plastic fencing that you used to get from Wilko. It stops the sagging between the roof bars. Also when the birds land it stop them going through. I put mine up in 2020 and it has survived every storm that has hit south Devon without any damage. I also put the bottom of the covers under the frame so that it gave it more weight. Not outside as they stated in the instructions.

@downtoearthwithjim

6 ай бұрын

That's a really good idea to make it stronger. I have an issue with water pooling on the top of the cover. I may have to do something similar to stop this from happening

Thankyou for the review. I'm evidently a bit ignorant, and thought Outsunny was the only budget polytunnel out there! I think I'll buy a Birchtree polytunnel next Spring, and turn my Outsunny polytunnel into a brassica cage, with debris netting on it.

@downtoearthwithjim

11 ай бұрын

I'd say the Birchtree one is definitely of better quality! I think there's quite a few out there all of varying quality - some good and some bad. Thanks for watching, I'm glad you found this video useful ☺️

@downtoearthwithjim

11 ай бұрын

How has your Outsunny one held up?

I have a similar tunnel, not exactly that shape, good strong frame, but I find they are just not tall enough for tomatoes and cucumbers to grow to their full potential, I wish it was like 2 ft taller!!

@downtoearthwithjim

11 ай бұрын

Yes I do agree! Some people raise them slightly, but then you need to consider how much overlapping cover you'll be left with. I take the tops of my tomatoes off once they have 5 trusses, and that's usually when they reach the height of the poly anyway. But yes, extra height is always going to be a bonus! Thanks for watching 😊

@lifeinthelabyrinth

11 ай бұрын

@@downtoearthwithjim Cheers Jim, keep up the good videos 👍

what is the name of the tape you used over the metal pipe to keep the plastic from touching the metal ?

@downtoearthwithjim

3 ай бұрын

Anti hotspot tape. Can be found on Amazon and eBay

Have you had problems with water pooling on top from heavy rains? Have you done anything to modify it for heavy winds?

@downtoearthwithjim

10 ай бұрын

Yes actually now you mention it! On both the Outsunny one and the birchtree polytunnels just in one area. Not mentioned in the video, but I think that's more of a case of me not properly tightening the cover around the frame so it is too slack, thus allowing water to pool occasionally. Or over time the cover has become loose around the frame. A quick push from inside with the hand is all that is needed to let it run off. Not a huge issue as the cover is pretty strong and holds some weight

@lindyswanson1

10 ай бұрын

@@downtoearthwithjim Thank you for clarifying. What's your average rainfall? I'd heard about pooling water collapsing a greenhouse in a review. I live in rainy Oregon, but we don't normally get torrential rainfall here. I'm just trying to figure out whether I need to take further precautions as mine is being set up. I loved your video. It's the best I've seen!

@downtoearthwithjim

10 ай бұрын

@@lindyswanson1 not sure on averages but we do get a lot of rain at times here in the UK. Dry spells and very wet spells, no in-between 😂 thanks for watching I hope I helped in some way 😀

Do you have a video of when you got this?

@downtoearthwithjim

9 ай бұрын

Sadly not. I purchased this polytunnel 2 years before I even started making KZread videos. Just a few pictures unfortunately. I did a build and review video of the outsunny polytunnel though! kzread.info/dash/bejne/Z5p10dqKmMffnag.htmlsi=lmJMp9zh4A8SehEr

Ill buy one. Its £174 only. Thanks.

@downtoearthwithjim

10 ай бұрын

Is that for one of the smaller ones?