Content
- Building a cold-break tunnel yourself - That's how it's done
- Material and tool list
- How to build - How to build a cold frame tunnel yourself
- Tips
The construction of an early bed tunnel made of foil is not difficult
Building a cold-break tunnel yourself - That's how it's done
With a cold-weather tunnel your plants are well protected against the weather. Compared to a construction made of wood or double-skin sheets, a foil cover is easier and more flexible to handle. This guide explains how to build a cold frame tunnel yourself.
Material and tool list
The quality of the film determines significantly whether a cold frame tunnel works. Conventional plastic film is not suitable for this purpose. Instead, grab a greenhouse film or similar UV-resistant PE film. The following materials and tools are required to build a cold frame 120 cm wide and 300 cm long:
For the film tunnel to have an acceptable height of 75 cm, the round bars should be 300 cm long and flexible. To achieve a greater height, correspondingly longer rods are required.
How to build - How to build a cold frame tunnel yourself
Setting up a coldbed tunnel is so easy that you can do without extra helpers. The best time for the construction is in early spring, as soon as the ground is completely thawed. How to proceed step by step:
To stabilize the individual round arches, wind the string around the highest point around each rod once. Tighten the two ends of the string tightly and tie them to wooden pegs that you have previously knocked into the ground. Only then do you stretch the film over the construction. The supernatants complain with stones or staples.
For the care of planting and airing, simply push up the foil on the sides.
Tips
To develop the correct germination temperature in the cold-weather tunnel, prepare the site with natural heating. Lift a 50 cm deep pit, which you fill with two 20 cm thick layers of horse manure and half-ripe compost with garden soil. Then build the film tunnel according to this manual.