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jrslick

High tunnel moving right along

Busy days "on the farm". I was able to pull the remaining ground posts from the old hoop building, then with the Kubota and box blade, I leveled out the new high tunnel pad or made it slope more evenly. Finally, I set my string lines and made sure it was all square. Today, it was ground post driving day. I drove all the post in, all 38 of them and dug holes for the ones I will put concrete around. Looks like tomorrow will bring setting the final height on all the ground posts and adding concrete and packing them in. Then the bows go up!

Comments (29)

  • Carol love_the_yard (Zone 9A Jacksonville, FL)
    10 years ago

    Always take cellphone/tablet photos in landscape mode with the bottom of your phone/tablet to your right. That way, you will never have orientation issues when you post.

  • jrslick (North Central Kansas, Zone 5B)
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Thanks for the info, I looked at it on an ipad, and Iphone and the picture was orientated correctly. Now on my macbook it is rotated. Oh, well I will have new pics tomorrow after the hoops go up.

  • jrslick (North Central Kansas, Zone 5B)
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Busy day again today. Got all the hoops up and one purlin put in place. I finished they other side purlin as the sunset. Tomorrow I will try to get the two middle purlins up and attach the baseboard.

    Jay

    This post was edited by jrslick on Mon, Mar 17, 14 at 23:19

  • franktank232
    10 years ago

    Looks awesome. Picture is upside down :)

    Can you tell us what greenhouse film your using? What kind of life span do you see out of whatever you've used in the past? Trying to figure out what I want to buy....

  • jrslick (North Central Kansas, Zone 5B)
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I reloaded the picture, it appears to be right side up on all the computers/devices I have at home.

    I am putting Klerks K-50 on this high tunnel. I have used it before and haven't had problems with it. The tunnel behind this one has Tufflite on it. It is hard for me to believe this, but this is the 4th year on that plastic. It has a few wear holes in it and a few taped up spots where a cat decided to climb to the top of the tunnel, but other than that, it is good as new.

    Most poly has a minimum 4 years, I have heard some people stretching that out to 7 or even 8 yrs+. I am hoping for 5 to 6 years.

    What determines my poly selection is what can I get and not pay shipping. I pick up the K-50 at a place in Kansas City when we go for specialists doctors appointments, it is only 4 miles from the hospital we go to. Another place is at a Vegetable conference, a large supplier will bring a big truck full of supplies that people have ordered and they will pick them up free of shipping charges. Paying for shipping of an 6 to 8 foot long box of plastic is terrible. it will weigh over 100 pounds. If you can pick it up, you will save lots of $$.

    Jay

  • rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
    10 years ago

    What are the criteria on orientation of your HT? I see new one is 90degrees (looks like it from your photo) to previous one.

    I don't have any experience with HT's or GH...
    I have to say, you work fast - looks like you work mostly alone? Impressive!

    Rina

    This post was edited by rina_ on Tue, Mar 18, 14 at 17:38

  • jrslick (North Central Kansas, Zone 5B)
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Generally speaking if you are north of 40 degrees latitude, it is best to orientate your tunnel east-west, to maximize the sun, especially in the winter growing season. South of this, North/south works best. Our prevailing winds, especially in the summer are out of the south, so the endwall is the smallest area on the tunnel, so that is why the tunnel in the background is north/south. This one is east west because, that is the only place big enough, flat enough that I could put it. I also took down a very tired home built tunnel to put this one up.

    Where I live, I am at 39.38 degrees, I could go north/south or east/west. I have 4 tunnels now going east/west and 2 going north/south. Both do a good job. I do lots of winter growing, so the east /west orientation is desirable.

    I am working mainly alone on this. I have the kids come out and help, but generally, they aren't much more than really good "Go-Fers". They will get their fill when it comes to planting and harvesting time.

    Jay

  • boulderbelt
    10 years ago

    Jay, I don't know if you have ever stretched plastic when it is cool/cold out but we found if it is under 50F degrees the plastic tends to be stiff and will not stretch tightly (which was a godsend this winter when it went below -12F and the plastic shrunk and get really tight on the tunnel and had it been really tight in November it either would have gotten too stretched out for warm weather or ripped over winter)

  • randy41_1
    10 years ago

    what do you see growing in there jay?

  • rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
    10 years ago

    Jay

    Thank you for the answer.
    I am at 44.10 degrees, not sure yet of prevailing winds (new location for me). The property is totally flat.

    Rina

  • jrslick (North Central Kansas, Zone 5B)
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Yes I have put plastic on with it was in the upper 30's, not the best move but it was my only choice. It was in February and I had carrots and other plantings just coming up.

    I lost the plastic on one building, a plastic failure, not a building flaw. The plastic split along a seem. I knew it was weak, but I couldn't stop it from happening.

    When I got the new plastic, the wind died and there were good snow chances in a few days, so we just put it on. The plastic was never tight enough. Later that spring, in May, I retightened it.

    I have also done the opposite, I have put plastic on when it was really warm. That plastic was as tight drum head that following winter. The best temps to put it on are in the 70's.

    Just my experience.

  • Rio_Grande
    10 years ago

    Looking good jay

  • jrslick (North Central Kansas, Zone 5B)
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Another busy day, I just wish I wouldn't get so many interruptions during the day.

  • boulderbelt
    10 years ago

    If it were late May you would have already finished this thing as you would have about 3 more hours of day light each day to work with. At least the time change has been in your favor

  • grow_life
    10 years ago

    Looks great. Man, you sure have the wide open spaces out there. How deep do you have to go with the ground posts with the wind? I got my homemade hoop house up a month ago and we had a day of 40 mph gusts this past week. It was a bit nerve racking watching the pvc hoops flex so much, but I figure it was giving with the wind rather than being a rigid structure. My ground post are 24" with 6" above to anchor, so they go about 18" into the clay soil. They are about 3' o.c. So far so good. Had a 60degree day to put the plastic on.

  • jrslick (North Central Kansas, Zone 5B)
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Wide open spaces, yes we have that!

    The ground posts that were used with it were 36 inches. I drive them int the ground 28-31 inches deep. I wish they were longer. I did also add half a bag of concrete, filled the hole 2/3 to 3/4 full, on all four corners and every 3rd post on each side. Basically each post is cemented or next to one that is.

    I am also going to add some long screw in anchors along the side. I think 3 a side, I have them hanging in the shed, why not. I have also thought about digging in some 4 by 4 posts along each side and bolt the baseboard to. Dealing with the weather and these structures, better safe and standing than not enough and destroyed!

    Having several PVC structures too,they do flex, don't be afraid to add some bracing.

    Jay

  • briannaorg
    10 years ago

    Jay, do you mind sharing the name of the place where you get plastic? I'm an hour from KC and have spent weeks trying not to pay $80+ shipping. Your new hoophouse is coming along quick!

  • jrslick (North Central Kansas, Zone 5B)
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    West endwall

  • jrslick (North Central Kansas, Zone 5B)
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    East endwall

  • jrslick (North Central Kansas, Zone 5B)
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    It has been a busy week. I started building this high tunnel last Sunday. With the exception of setting the hoops, I have been doing it alone.

    I am getting down to the little things, bolting on the wiggle wire tracks on the end hoops and hip boards, adding screws to help keep the hipboards in place, and the list could go on forever.

    I am happy with my progress, I just wish it wasn't so cold.

    Briannaorg: I picked up this plastic at Stuppy's Greenhouse in Kansas City. You can google them. Another place is Morgan County Seeds in Missouri.

    Jay

    This post was edited by jrslick on Sat, Mar 22, 14 at 23:21

  • briannaorg
    10 years ago

    Thanks Jay! I'd contacted Stuppy's a couple weeks ago, but their smallest cut size was 32' x 100' and around $350 so I sighed and looked elsewhere. It only just now occurred to me to ask for remnants, since we're covering small areas.

    I'm excited to see your progress, it's been so darned cold your recent posts here and on Facebook keep reminding me to get outside and get workin'. I hope you get warmer weather for the remainder of the project, though the forecast is pretty chilly.

  • jrslick (North Central Kansas, Zone 5B)
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    How small of piece do you want? Farmtek has a close out and remnants section. Sometimes you can find the right size piece at a fraction of the cost. I did that for endwall pieces several years ago and saved a fortune!

    Also Farmtek and Greenhouse Megastore will cut you a piece to fit your needs. You would have to pay for shipping, but it would much less than buying more than you need.

    I am almost ready for plastic. I was able to attach all the wiggle wire strips all around the end hoops and hip boards today. I can now start covering the endwalls and corners. It seems to have taken forever, but I have to remind myself that last Sunday, it was a bare piece of ground!

    Jay

    Here is a link that might be useful: Close out and Remnants

  • randy41_1
    10 years ago

    i would make those two purlins higher, the ones along the sides. they look too close to the side walls to be usable. try to center them over the future planting bed. its looking good.

  • jrslick (North Central Kansas, Zone 5B)
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I thought they were low too, but that is the manufactures suggested location, at the point of joining the two hoop pieces.

    Call me weird, but I don't hang things off the purlins, If I lose the building, I don't want all the plants tore out of the ground too.

  • jrslick (North Central Kansas, Zone 5B)
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I got all the wiggle wire attached on Sunday.

  • grow_life
    10 years ago

    A.M. Leonard has good prices on remnants. I picked up my 25X45 piece of 6mil for about 70 bucks. They had another one about that size online for 20 bucks, but someone got to it about ten minutes before me.
    Phil

  • jrslick (North Central Kansas, Zone 5B)
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Putting the wiggle wire on the bows, not the easiest job.

  • randy41_1
    10 years ago

    putting those channels on the bows without an impact driver would be impossible i think. looking real good.

  • jrslick (North Central Kansas, Zone 5B)
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    The impact driver did a good job, but actually the cordless drill did a better job. The Tek self tapping screws are more like a drill bit. I actually used both, the drill to start the screw and the impact to tighten them all up.

    What will be we be growing in here, I will be planting two rows of cherry tomatoes, 2 beds of lettuce, early beets, radishes, haikuri turnips, arugula, tatsoi, kale, mustard, then coming back with some cucumbers, after the lettuce. Then I am going to start a whole bed of scallions. They sell so well in the fall and winter. I just never allow enough time to get them started. I am not going to mess up this year.

    One thing I am excited about trying is to plant two beds of lettuce on the north side of the high tunnel, outside. They will be shaded some and hopefully I will be able to keep them going later in the summer.

    Jay

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