When I purchased the used tunnel, I had intended for it to go between the smaller tunnel and the next one to the east. The problem was I left enough space to build another 18 foot tunnel there, not a 30 foot tunnel. The distance btwn the two was 35 feet. That only left me with 2.5 feet between tunnels, not good for air flow or build up of snow. Also, I did not have another space that was large enough to put it that was already in production. In order to put this tunnel in a new location, I would have to have done lots of dirt work and that would have added to the cost. I did have a space that I was wanting to build another smaller tunnel on. It was currently in outdoor production, it was level and ready to go. So, I decided to build over the smaller one. I started this project in November and I knew the ground would freeze and I would have had a hard time getting it built if I waited until spring. So I set all the ground posts, in both locations. Then I have slowly, as weather allowed, finished the big tunnel. I also have established beds in the small tunnel that I am going to continue to use in the big tunnel. I didn't want to loose these wonderful beds. I have worked hard to build my soil with compost and organic matter. Last winter this tunnel was uncovered and we had lots of rain and snow. It was very wet. That would help with any salt build up to flush it out. Also about salt build up, I have heard conflicting reports about this. I have heard a lot more that it isn't a problem. In fact one College professor/researcher presenter said he has never seen a salt build up problem in a tunnel. In addition, I had a few crops still growing in the smaller building that I didn't want to loose. To answer you question about the purlin. There is another purlin that goes down the center of the building. I was unable to put it on because I would have had to walk down the center of the smaller tunnel or hire someone with a bucket truck to come out and help put it on. Also, I didn't want to remove the inner plastic before the outside one was ready for plastic. Now, I have the plastic on the big tunnel, I am going to finish the doors on the big one and take the plastic off the smaller one. Then remove the ribs, add the third purlin to the big one, and then remove the rest of the small one and move it to its new location. About cross bracing, I was wondering about adding that too, but I have contacted the company, Stuppy's and they said they are engineered to not need them. Also, we don't get the snow that you do in the Northeast, so I am not too worried about it. The person I purchased it from lives one hour away and his location was very similar to mine. Top of hill, no wind break and he never had any problems. So I am trusting the company and the previous owners experience with that aspect. Will I add some cross bracing, maybe, just in case. Thanks for the questions. Jay

Lorna, why did you take your hummer feeder down, because of the ants? You could have just purchased an ant moat to go on top of it or purchase a feeder that has an ant moat. Is there a problem with killing ants too, are they beneficial, cause here at my home I have millions that invade my yards and land and even my home every single year. I was told I have several colonies. I think sometimes they live in my walls. As far as wasps go, they like to build around my back door, they do not bother my hummer feeders, like the ants used to. But......they do get into my house a lot since they build right next to the back door. And there is nothing like having flying wasps in your home, along with ants. I do nothing about either, except kill them when they are in my home.....and use an ant moat for my feeders. Now if I was getting wasps on my feeders, I would probably do something about that. Whenever my daughter tries to weed eat, she get hoarded by bees and gets stung sometimes. I suppose it is the kind that burrow in the ground. She is 16 and scared to death of bees, but still does it. What do we do about this situation? I think in certain situations, you have to do something, whatever that might be, good or bad. Do you get JB's? What do you do about them?? I am at a loss because I think I am going to lose a large tree because of them.

For kicks this year I put a late planting of what were advertized as storage tomatoes into the hoop house. They are supposed to be able to be picked green, stored in the cellar and ripen in a month or so, then keep for another month or better. I'll push the plants as far into the winter as they will go, but I'm not going to waste heat on them. I'm also going to start some Beaverlodge tomatoes, which are always weeks ahead for ripening in the spring, and do them in containers with bottom heat as early as I can come spring. Quality probably won't be the best for either, but I just want to see If I can actually pull off "fresh" tomatoes year round in Z6. Might be fun. I'm finding my late fall hoophouse tomatoes to have poor texture, but the Black krims are still holding good flavor. I'm picking them when they first blush color and letting them ripen in our much warmer kitchen. When real cold gets here, I migh try ripening them next to the wood stove, just to see if more heat helps.

I am a little over halfway done rebuilding everything. I am getting good at patching together hoops from a pile of bent pipes. My cordless reciprocating saw is getting some good use. The high tunnel is 26 pieces of top rail; I bought 3 new ones. The rest will be the smashed pipes. It will be lumpy when I'm done, but it will still work. I had high hopes for the sleeve clamps, but they are junk. They rip apart immediately under stress. I have had much better luck by cutting up pieces of 1.5" EMT conduit elbows. They fit over the outside of the top rail. I think I could use the elbows to make an A-frame with top rail quite easily. A gothic arch would be trickier, but by cutting sections of the EMT elbow, I can make sleeve clamps that are angled. I'm surprised I hadn't read anything anywhere about connecting top rail with EMT elbows. It is easy and cheap. A 1.5" 90 degree elbow is about $4. Cut in half, it makes two nice 45 degree elbows. Tek screws hold it all together. If the same EMT pieces were sold as special greenhouse connectors, they would be 10x the price.