Yesterday after school, Monkey Boy helped me put together a small polytunnel {or mini greenhouse} to cover one of our raised garden beds. According to the Farmer’s Almanac, it’s going to be a cold winter up here in the Pacific Northwest and since I’m attempting to grow a winter garden this year, I figured I needed one.

Well, actually, the plan is to build 4 small poly tunnels this winter. 😉

Anywho, turning a raised garden bed into a mini greenhouse is rather simple. Our garden beds are 4 feet wide by 8 feet long with the newer garden beds being 12 inches tall.

We simply screwed in 16 C shaped brackets around the sides of the garden box.

Then slide 7/8″ pvc pipe that was 12 feet long through the brackets.

You could do this on inside of your garden box if you wanted to but I think it’s easier to work with the pipe on the outside of the garden box.

Then, drape a sheet of heavy duty polytunnel plastic and staple it to the bottom of your garden box. Be sure and leave at least one end of the poly tunnel open so you can reach in with a watering can and give the plants a drink as needed. You will get some condensation, but you will need to water your plants as well.

I found my plastic sheeting in the paint section at The Home Depot. Is it air tight? No, and that’s a good thing in my opinion. Why? Because plants need air to breath, and if every nook and cranny is sealed off, tiny bits of fresh air cannot get in.

Here’s what it looks like inside the poly tunnel. Once the weather gets super cold, I’ll close up the other end at night to protect the seedlings from frost, then re-open once end of the tunnel one the weather has warmed up.

Now the only thing left to do is let Mother Nature work her magic. 🙂

How about YOU? Are you trying to grow anything outdoors this winter?

Mavis wants to know.