I posted a couple of pictures of our plastic tunnel earlier in the year and want you to see how it ends the growing season. We have had frost on the rooftops so it isn't going to be green here for long.

The photo isn't very good - I had to stand on our garage roof to get far enuf away but that gives you an idea of how protected this area is. There's a bed of mostly basil to the south of it and then a board fence. To the north is my 9' x 20' greenhouse.

In March, seed for Asian leaf vegetables go directly in the soil in the tunnel. Some of the plants are transplanted to the larger garden in April; those that remain reach maturity inside the tunnel while these warm-weather vines begin to grow amongst them. Then the plastic comes off.

With a few tomato cages to get them started and some baling twine to hold everything together - off the vines go! After weeks of Asian greens, lots of bitter melon, snake gourds, and luffa gourds have come out of this little structure over the last couple of months.

Steve

The plastic on the nearby greenhouse is UV-resistant. There is a difference between the two in price but the UV-resistant will probably easily pay for itself. However, this year was the first that I've used it.

Construction plastic is terrible! I used to be able to count on it lasting at least 10 months & used it on the greenhouse as well as the tunnel. Lately, it has begun to fall apart in 3 to 4 months.

Of course, it only needs to last 3 months if I only use it in the Spring as a temporary cover for this little hoop house or on smaller tunnels (4 footers) in the garden. But, reusable . . . it isn't.

I have never recovered the tunnel in the Autumn but rather wait until early March. I try to stop the Autumn frost with the sprinklers but that doesn't always work. But, neither did Remay row covers when I use those. My gardens are too large to cover entirely or, really, in part. I just have various protected growing structures for the beginning of the season.

Steve

Joy, the tubes are pvc pipes - 1/2 inch. Lowes & HD carry 2 grades and the heavier works nicely. With 10' lengths, I cut a few in half and coupled them together so as to have 15'. They are pushed over light weight re-bar arcing over an 8' by 20' area. I excavated a 2' path, 18" deep so that I could walk in there - it is only about 5' high. So it covers 2 beds, 3' by 20'.

Door and window frames are made out of 2 by 4's. I ran baling twine down the ridge to tie the pipes to so they stay in place. I also crisscross over the plastic with baling twine to hold it down in the wind. Nothin' to it - - simplest shelter imaginable.

Don't know the price of the pipe - really cheap.

Steve

You are also using some "strapping" instead of the pvc pipe in one frame in the 2nd photo. What is that?

Does the tarp on the fence behind the cukes serve a purpose for wind protection? Generally, I find that whatever I can do to reduce the exposure to wind and heat loss (within reason), benefits the Asian veggies.

Steve

Luong, We have too much snow in Upstate NY to grow anything year round other than in a greenhouse, and then only cool weather crops. (Unless the greenhouse is heated). But there is a lot to greenhouse growing, and I have never tried it.

This country seldom has a snow fall of more than 6 inches at a time (gets less than 20 inches of precip. year-around - arid). It's not like Upstate NY by a long sight - to my understanding.

Luong, you may get away with Trekker's approach if your zone 6 climate doesn't dump too much snow on you. Those cucumber tunnels especially certainly look sturdy and like they'd shed snow well.

Steve