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BuildingaMoveableHighTunnelfromaKit
Inthefallof2014,studentsandstaffconstructedthree30’by48’moveablehightunnelsontheSERPplotsattheMSUHorticultureFarm.Thehightunnelsfeatureasinglelayercoveringofgreenhousepolyethyleneplasticfilm,rollupsidewallsandwovenplastic‘fabric’endwallswithzipperclosures.
Formoreinformationcontact:DavidBaumbauer(406)[email protected].
Picture1.Beforepurchasingahightunnelkititisagoodideatoaskthemanufacturerforacopyoftheassemblyinstructions.Thequalityoftheinstructionsgivessomeinsightintotheeaseofassembly.Whenyourhightunnelkitarrives,takethetimetotakeaninventory.Therearemanysmallpiecesandafewspecializedonesthatmaybedifficulttosourcelocallyifyourunshortduringconstruction.
Picture2.Locateyourtunnelonlevelgroundwithhighqualitysoil.Avoidareasthatareshaded,especiallyinthespringandfall,sincethesunisatalowangle.Layoutthefootprintandcornersofthetunnel.Usethe3-4-5ruletoget90⁰rightangles.
Picture3.Assemblehoopsonaflatsurfacewhichwillaidinhavingthehoopandtrussassembliessquare.
Picture4.Levelandcompactthesoilunderthepipetrack.Rolloutlandscapefabricandplacethepipetrackontopofthefabric.Thefabricwillkeeptheweedsdownandhelpkeepthecastersoutofthemud.
Picture5.Settingthefirsttwoarchesrequirestemporarybracingtoholdthearchesinplacewhilefasteningthepurlins.Unlikeatraditionaltunnelthatutilizesgroundposts,moveabletunnelsarenotattachedtotheground.Withthefirsttunnelweusedropeandratchetstrapstoholdthearchesinplace,butitproveddifficulttouse.Subsequenttunnelsusedfixedbracingtoholdthearches.
Picture6.Notethetwowoodenjigsthatwereconstructedtoaidinspacingthearchesonfourfootcenters.Webuiltthreespacingjigsandtheywereveryhelpfulintheconstructionprocess.
Picture7.Fourarchesareinplace.
Picture8.Thearchesarecompleteandtheendwallframingisnext.
Picture9.Thehipboard(wooden2X6)isattachedtotheframeandispositionedatthetopoftherollupsidewall.Tunnelswithoutrollupsidewallshavethisboardlocatedatthebaseofthehoops.Thebaseofthepolylockisattachedtothehipboard.Fabricendwallsareattachedpriortoinstallingtheplasticfilm.Thecrewispreparingtopullthegreenhouseplasticfilmoverthehoops.Aminimumcrewoffourisrequired,threetopullthestringsattachedtotheedgeoftheplasticfilmandthefourthtokeepthefilmflowingoverthehoops.Calmandcoolconditionsarerequiredforpullinggreenhouseplasticfilm.
Picture10.Theremainingcrewmembersliftthefilmsothatitdoesn’tsnagontheframeasitisbeingpulled.
Picture11.Plasticfilmisattachedtooneendwallthenpulledjustenoughtogetthewrinklesoutofthefilm.Polylockholdsthefilmtothegreenhousewithoutpenetratingthefilm.Thefilmisattachedtothehipboardswithpolylockandthebottomedgeofthefilmisattachedtotherollupsidewallsystem.
Picture12.Thecompletedmoveablehightunnel.Castersatthebaseofthehoopsarevisibleasarethestakesandstrapsthatattempttoholdthetunnelinplace.Endwallsarefullyopenandsecuredwithstraps.
Picture13.Oatcovercropisterminatedandthesoilwithinthetunnelhasbeenbroadforkedandrototilled.
Picture14.Twoinchesofcompostwereappliedtotheplots.
Picture15.Thecompostwasincorporatedwitharototiller.
Picture16.Thefirstcropwasplantedinmid-March2015.
