More work on the Polytunnel

 

We now have electricity and water in the polytunnel. It's really nice to have those done. Without water, I couldn't bring any plants up. But it was a big job. Alex had to dig a ditch from the field to the garage and around three sides of the polytunnel. That's a long way. 

First, the yellow drain pipe around the polytunnel for drainage. Then an electric wire from the garage to the tunnel and up into the field for the electric fence. Finally, a water hose from the field down to the tunnel and on to the garage. 

I shlepped stones and clods of dirt to fill in when all was confirmed in working order. Finally, I topped it all off with the remaining soil that had been dug up. 

Alex has straightened the door surround which got flexed when the plastic was made taught, causing a poor fitting of the doors. Then he continued with building the shelving and stand for the farmhouse sink. It's all coming together. 

My rotating composting drum has arrived but it had a broken wheel which was replaced by the company within a couple of days. Now I just have to continue to level the soil so we can finish the floor. 

Happy June Bank Holiday

 

Rubble collected in fishboxes

It's not the way I would have chosen to spend a June Holiday, but we got it done before the rain. To keep the polytunnel from flooding due to rain, we had to improve the drainage. That meant digging a trench, laying a drain pipe and covering it with stones to improve the percolation. 

The downside, I was soaked after working so hard on the inside with the sun out. I was using Alex's heavy-duty crowbar to break up excess cement spread across the dirt floor, then picking up the pieces and tossing them into fish boxes. Backbreaking work. 

Alex finished digging the trench on the outside of three sides of the tunnel (East, West and North) and laid the pipe, then spread the rubble over the pipe while I continued breaking up cement and carting soil to close the gap between the polytunnel and the earth. Just as we were finishing up, the sky opened up and I thought we'd be testing our work. But the shower passed, and we realised it was lunchtime. We finished laying the soil inside along the north side of the tunnel and called it quits. 

We've decided to hire a rototiller and till the entire floor to level it out. So use of the polytunnel will have to wait. Then we'll lay down black plastic sheeting and a walkway of gravel. On the right will be vineyard equipment storage and an old farmhouse sink with running water. On the left will be raised beds, a potting bench, and some shelves. I'm going to get a few pallets from the coop and build some pallet furniture -- for the shelving and benches. Beyond that will be a table and chairs and possibly a hammock. I can see coming in there for lunch or a gentle snooze in winter sun. 

The rest of the afternoon got chilly and showery. Tomorrow, we may have to go to the boat if the weather improves.