Can you give us more info on the tunnels. What size, where you purchased them, and approximate cost.

I have thought about them but never found them at a reasonable price. My guess is that if you have 1000 feet you must have found a good price.

koreyk: I got my supplies thru Glacier Valley Enerprises. The plastic cost about 59.00 and the wire hoops were 48.00. The hoops are obviously reuseable. The plastic will have to be replaced each year. I bury the edges of the plastic with soil because I don't like the idea of using the landscape staples to keep the plastic from blowing around. This afternoon I put up another three tunnels (about 300 feet total.) over the early string beans I planted. I bet you could buy the #10 smooth galvanized wire from a local hardware store even cheaper. Just cut it into 6'3" pieces. The plastic is 6 feet wide. I placed my hoops 6 feet apart, I probably should have spaced them a bit closer, but this is just a trial. Hopefully a good one. The plastic is slit so that when it rains, some water does get to the plants. It does seem to stop them from being drown by heavy rains....I'll try to keep you informed as soon as things start progressing. Heidi

Watch your spinach carefully. It doesn't like to be hot. Slotted row cover won't open enough on a sunny day to keep from damaging the plants.

Have you thought about replacing the plastic with something like Agribon when it gets too warm for the plastic? It's a great barrier for cabbage worms on broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. It's also helpful with flea beetles on greens. You do need to check under the cover though, because flea beetles emerge from the soil after over wintering.

We use low tunnels and hoop houses to extend our season. It's a big help to us.

i use tunnels for my tomatoes. i have 400' (200 plants) that are planted in IRT plastic with t-tapes and then wire hoop tunnels covered with agribon 19. i have been doing this for many years. in good years i will have ripe tomatoes in very early july. i grow oregon spring.

I had also tried planting out some tomatoes under low tunnels. About a week ago the temperature dropped to 28 degrees..as you guessed, I lost those tomatoes. The low tunnels did not save those tomatoes. However, my string beans were NOT hurt by that saame frost. I replanted the tomatoes...bad news, another LIGHT frost on Sunday nite wiped them out again. I think the whole catch to this tunnel thing is using a different(heavier) type of covering. I will definetely look into it for next year. I will still be using the tunnels for my cukes and melons to see if there is a difference thru the summer. Heidi

I have been looking at low tunnels for not only starting but also extending the season.
There is a ton of information out there and have come to the conclusion that using a general 2.1 oz./ yard point bonded row cover.
The nice thing about the poly tunnels is that they are manufactured ready for inserting the hoops. I have not found any cloth covers that have this design. Anyone have found them??
I plan to use pvc tubing that I can bend to a hoop shape and strech the cloth over it, while holding down the sides with re-rod and rocks. The material I plan on using says it can allow for 28 degree temps. We will have to wait and see. I'll report back when the time comes :)

Another catch is to use them with the right plants at the right temperatures. Some plants will be fine at 28°. Others are too damaged when their cells freeze the cell walls burst to survive. Covers don't keep the temperatures that much higher, less than 10° over night, usually less.

The responses pretty well noted advantages and shortfalls of low tunnels. A step up to high tunnels allows you to provide extra heat or add more tunnels within the tunnel to buy a few extra degrees on frosty nights.

This spring I wanted to save on fuel by setting up a frame within my high tunnel and covering it with Typar fabric. Under it I placed random wire hoops and spread Agribon 19 over it. All seemed to go well but there were hot and cold spots that caused tomato plant losses. There is nothing quite as sure as a reliable heat source and a few circulation fans to move the heat around. I guess that's why it costs more.