Hight tunnel position

11 years ago

I am in the final stages of the NRCS tunnel approval. I am just getting landlord signatures on a lease. Below is the map. 1, 2, 3, are to scale proposed places to put the tunnel, My existing planting space is there and says Big Lake on it. The arrows are the general worst wind. Even though it seems position 2 would put the short end to the north and south to deal with wind, it seems like the wind never comes from straight n and s here. South wind days tend to come between the house and shed and north seems to come across the big field and W seems to come from the upper left arrow. The pump is on the east side of the pole shed.

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grnnygrn

11 years ago

I am north and west of you, and have a tunnel running north-south and two running east west. The northsouth one takes forever to warm up. I grow lettuces etc in it. The east west ones will be 10 degrees warmer on days like we have had this last month. The north south has better ventilation when the ends are open, but I raise the sides on the east west ones when it gets hot. No question in my mind, any new tunnels I add from now on will go east west.

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Comments (8)

randy41_1
11 years ago
getting the most breeze in the summer for ventilation is important.
jrslick (North Central Kansas, Zone 5B)
11 years ago
Since you are north of me, I would say you put it #1. I am assuming that east is on the right and west is on the left.

If you are planning to use it in the winter, this will allow you get more sunlight into it in the winter time when the sun is low in the sky.
Jay
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barrie2m_(6a, central PA)
11 years ago
I agree with Jr. In that #1 option allows better light input from sun. If you visualize the sun moving across the southern sky from east to west you'll get more exposure to it if a long side of the greenhouse is facing south.

I don't give a lot of attention to wind but your exhaust fans would be better placed to not work against prevailing wind. In our area wind most often is from the west so I have exhaust fans on east ends of the greenhouses.
little_minnie
Original Author
11 years ago
I have been planning position 1 but was worried when folks said the short ends should be north-south due to the wind. I have been there since 2008. It is terribly windy but the winds never come from straight N or S at this location. So I think 1 will be it! Thanks!!!
grnnygrn
11 years ago
In my experience and in discussing this with other growers, it seems that it is much more important to close the high tunnel completely if you are expecting very strong winds. It is much easier for the wind to harm it if it can lift it from the inside. Another really important part is to make sure you use a series of boards on the bottom of the steel arcs, each bolted to the next board and next arc. The wind may be able to lift one arc from the ground but when they are all linked together it gets harder for the wind to do damage. Some of these things are the learn the hard way things ;-}, like not securing the plastic well and having the wind buffet it back and forth till the plastic rips.

I'm so excited for you! You are going to love your tunnel.
little_minnie
Original Author
11 years ago
That is what always destroyed my greenhouses. It is when it is too hot to shut the door and the wind goes nuts. Since I don't live over where the high tunnel will be it may be trickier and involve runs there in my PJs. I have done that many times when I wasn't sure I turned the water off LOL. I am going to ask the people renting the house to help me out and pay them in produce and plants. The plan for this year is clover cover crop- Build the frame mid summer as we have time- seed/plant fall crops in August- put cover on in September.
grnnygrn
11 years ago
Sounds like a good plan. Taking the time to prepare the soil before erecting the tunnel is really smart.