Derald wrote:
"David Hare-Scott" wrote:

If I had an unheated hothouse (I wish) that provided frost protection
and some warmth in mid winter I could probably grow tomatoes all
year round. The winter ones wouldn't do as well as the summer crop
but I would get *something* off season.
Would some manner of hoop house or hoop tunnels help? They're
simple as dirt. Tried and discarded?

A hoop house covered with plastic does give some warmth through the day by
trapping the sun's heat but doesn't give much frost protection as the heat
radiates right back out through the plastic on cold clear nights. Also the
humidity can be high here which leads to fungus risks. So I need something
with adjustable cover and adjustable ventilation. Add to this the fact that
we can get very strong winds here so there is a risk of the whole thing
taking off or ripping apart if it isn't well built. A neighbour had his
whole shed (made of timber and corrugated iron) moved about 40m by wind a
few years ago.

I think a minimalist design using ready at hand materials might not be such
a good idea for me. So I have spent my time and money on other aspects of
the garden and when my ship comes in I will go for a more solid structure.

David