"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
...
Farm1 wrote:
"David Hare-Scott" wrote in message
...
Kay Lancaster wrote:
On Thu, 16 Aug 2012 13:46:47 -0700, Todd
wrote:

Have any ideas that will hold up to 35 to 45 MPH winds three
times a week and 75 MPH gusts two or three times a year?

Got an old book for you to ask the library for: Winter Flowers in
Greenhouse
and Sun Heated Pit:
http://www.worldcat.org/title/winter...=brief_results
or the original Winter flowersin the sun-heated pit, including the
lean-to greenhouse as a complement to the pit:
http://www.worldcat.org/title/winter...=brief_results

Exact same principles hold for cold climate winter veggies -- and in
high wind
areas, the pit makes a lot of sense.

Kay

How would one prevent it from filling with water?

Put it on the side of a slope.

So a sun-ward facing slope with a little ridge upslope to take away the
water to either side, a plastic lid and keep the roos off. Thinks.....

The chap who I knew and who had the occasional roo problems, had 2 sun pits.
IIRC, one was in flattish ground (although I cna't now truly remember this
one) and the other was most definitely on the side of a slope. I remember
the slope one best because I recall walking into it from the eastern side -
I can't recall though if he had some sort of door arrangement on it - I
dont' think so. i might even try to call him and ask him aobut them and/or
see if he'd be amenable to having me come and photgraph them. Mind you, if
I do do this, I'll bet I find that my memory is highly faulty.

This chap lives in a very moist place - he's had to plant his trees up on
mounds so waterlogging would be a potential problem for sunpits so he would
be interested in avoiding that. He also has a genuine Chinese walking
tractor which really impressed me.