Mrs Gti has set me the challenge of building her two polytunnels to fit snugly over the top of her vegetable beds, which are made from house joists forming raised beds 210 cms x 300 cms. They need to be on frames, which fit over the joists in a way that they can be fastened down against the wind and then unfastened and raised at either side or end to pick the vegetables and she wants traditional curved polytunnels on top of them. Traditional “gables” with double pitched roofs would be easier to make but no, she insists on curved covers.

I’m thinking I might look around for some plastic plumbing pipe that is springy and will hold a nice curve if pulled in at each end.

Any other suggestions?

Use garden canes then slide the piping over the top, it makes them very secure. I have two on my allotment that have withstood all manners of abuse.

http://www.screwfix.com/p/mdpe-blue-pipe-25mm-x-50m/19606 ?

That’s the stuff ^

Rather than garden cane try and get hold of some steel road pins if you can, you can drive them well into the ground so should be nice and secure.

Stuffed cats.

Replacement tent pole kit?

The hoops have to be mounted on a frame, that can be lifted with one hand while a prop is placed underneath so so far the tent poles look best. Added to that, I’ve seen them for sale at a camping and caravan place just up the road from where I work.

Get some Pols to just hold it, I’m told the Polish are very hard working.

They certainly save my mate who is a grower from a lot of stress; they are good workers and very reliable, unlike the English dross who the Job Centre kept sending him.

I use Mdpe blue as ninfan suggeted.

I’ve got half a dozen holes drilled in the tops of my beds which they slot into when I need to use them then I have two canes(for weights) zip tied to either side of the mesh I’m using and just lay it over the top. I’ll see if I’ve got a photo for you

[edit] nope no photo’s on my phone, but I leave the pipe hoops in and just lift up the mesh or plastic and roll it up when not in use[/edit]

The pipe is good, I’ve just made 3 curved supports over the steps of our deck so we can get even more loganberries this year. I used a paint suitable for plastic as they are on show a lot of the time.

Glass fibre rod

I never thought of leaving the hoops in place and just rolling up the poly sheet. Will suggest that this evening and see if she shoots it down.

Have exactly the same issue. Our raised beds have that fleece material stuff on top, more to stop cats crapping on it!

So plastic piping is cheapest ?

unfastened and raised at either side

Like a bread bin, but able to open from either side?

Yes, the whole frame with poly lid needs to be lifted from any side so as to give access.

15mm plastic plumbing pipe is the nearest I’ve seen so far. Quite affordable too.

D we used old water board blue plastic water pipe. Simple.

It’s going to be something like that. She was planning on spending £100 each on professionally-made polytunnels that wouldn’t even fit the beds. Sheesh.

yeah blue water or yellow gas pipe is the stuff. dont buy cheap plastic to cover it though, spend a bit extra for the anti mold stuff

It’s no good – my attempts to spend family funds wisely met with the usual insults and she is determined to waste £200 on four galvanised steel hoops and some PE sheeting in a size that doesn’t even cover the raised beds. To my surprise, when I got home I discovered that I was supposed to have diverted to Barrowford, near Burnley, to pick up the damned things on my way home from a tiring day at work. Oh the joys of marriage.