Last week, we had the pleasure of hosting one of our favorite guests here in Williamson. Terry Hudson, from Hudson Farms.  Over the winter, as I mentioned in a previous blog, we had some trouble with our high tunnels.

Due to a huge storm, ice had fallen on the high tunnels and snow collected on it, which caused the high tunnel to collapse. We let the tunnels stay throughout the summer, despite the way that they looked, allowing for natural rainfall to water our plants.

Now, finally, as winter rapidly approaches, we have fixed them. And, as you can see from the pictures below, OSHA may or may not have approved of the conditions.

high tunnel construction 2

high tunnel consturctionHT construction 3

 

There are a few things that I have learned about high tunnels and I thought it would be worth sharing.

 

  1. Brace the tunnels for winter! Terry Hudson said this would be as simple as getting a few pieces of lumber to place under the PVC
  2. Order everything in bulk. Whether it be wiggle wire, screws, plastic or supplies for the drink line- you are always bound to need more of it at some time in the future. It ends up being cheaper to have it all shipped at once
  3. AM Leonard & Growers Supply are currently my Go-To suppliers for plastic, drip irrigation supplies, wiggle wire and channeling, but if you know of others that are cheaper please feel free to share ideas!!
  4. You can never have enough ladders. We do not currently own one for our for the garden, and so I am constantly having to borrow them. This will definitely be an investment next year
  5. Furring strips are your best friends during the winter. Screwing them on the backs and sides will help keep the plastic from blowing in the harsh winter nights

That’s all I’ve got for today. Maria Arnot in Williamson acting like an expert on high tunnels 🙂