With a cold frame tunnel, your plants are well protected from unpredictable weather. Compared to a construction made of wood or double-wall panels, a cover made of foil is easier and more flexible to handle. These instructions explain how to build a cold frame tunnel yourself.
How do I build a cold frame tunnel myself?
To build a cold frame tunnel yourself, you need greenhouse film, long round rods, string and wooden stakes. Insert the round rods into the ground at a distance of 75 cm, bend them into semicircles and stretch the foil over them. Stabilize the structure with string and stakes.
Material and tool list
The quality of the film largely determines whether a cold frame tunnel works. Conventional plastic film is not suitable for this purpose. Instead, use greenhouse film or similar UV-resistant PE film. To build a cold frame tunnel 120 cm wide and 300 cm long, the following materials and tools are required:
- 600 cm long and 250 cm wide, transparent greenhouse film (€299.00 on Amazon)
- 4 pieces of 300 cm long round rods made of galvanized steel, stainless steel or fiberglass (diameter 5-8 mm)
- String and wooden stakes
- Hammer, ruler, scissors
So that the polytunnel has an acceptable height of 75 cm, the round rods should be 300 cm long and flexible. To achieve greater height, correspondingly longer rods are required.
Construction instructions – How to build a cold frame tunnel yourself
Setting up a cold frame tunnel is so easy that you don't need any additional helpers. The best time to build is in early spring, once the ground has completely thawed. How to proceed step by step:
- Place the round rods 30 cm deep into the ground at a distance of 75 cm from each other
- Then bend each rod into a semicircle and press it into the ground on the opposite side of the bed
To stabilize the individual arches, wrap the cord once around each rod at the highest point. Pull the two ends of the string tight and tie them to wooden pegs that you have previously driven into the ground. Only then do you stretch the film over the structure. Weigh down the excess with stones or staples.
To care for the plants and for ventilation, simply push up the film on the sides.
Tip
So that the right germination temperature develops in the cold frame tunnel, prepare the location with natural heating. Dig a 50 cm deep pit and fill it with two 20 cm thick layers of horse manure and semi-ripened compost with garden soil. Then build the polytunnel over this according to these instructions.
