Building a Poly Tunnel for the Winter

To build a poly tunnel, you will need:

  • 6 10-foot pieces of PVC
  • 5 90-degree PVC elbows
  • 1 roll of twine or rope
  • 10 2-foot long pieces of rebar
  • 1 roll of clear vinyl sheeting
  • 2 concrete blocks
Area to be used for the poly tunnel
Cut 5 of the 6 PVC's in half. Connect them to the elbows. Hammer the pieces of rebar into the ground. They should be at the same angle as the PVC. Slide the PVC with the attached elbow over the rebar on both sides. Space the rebar 2 feet apart
Framework of the poly tunnel
Take the remaining 10-foot piece of PVC and lash it underneath the elbows using the twine or rope.
Lashing the support pole to the 5 crosspieces.
Drill a hole at each end of the ridgepole. Attach twine to each end of the ridgepole. Attach the other ends of the twine to the block. (I used to use another piece of rebar but kept tripping over it during the winter. It hurts.)
Attaching twine to a concrete block
Place your trees under the framework, near the center. (Note the brick in the foreground putting tension on the framework.
Trees placed under the framework
Place the vinyl sheeting over the framework. Make sure there is ample amount on the ends. Place rocks, logs, or bricks around the outside to hold the vinyl down. Lastly, cut an opening on both ends to allow air movement and temperature control
Cut pieces of PVC laid out on the ground