High tunnel construction, part 1

We started the week by counting the poles for the high tunnel. Terry assumed that since there were 7 hoops to the hoop house, everything should be in multiples of seven. I preferred the approach of comparing the inventory sheet to what was delivered. Between both methods, we arrived at the conclusion that we were missing 6 posts for the hoop and one of the ground pipes. Before Terry called the company, I thought it prudent to check the rest of the inventory. I know that Terry doesn’t have the patience for that activity, so I did it myself. There were lots of boxes.

Boxes of hardware

And about ten thousand “Tek screws,” which I assume are proprietary to Farm Tek, the company from which we ordered. Every one of those screws will have to have a hole drilled for it in metal. I just hope we don’t have any big parts left over when we’re done.

So many Tek-screws!

Terry started by putting in wooden stakes and getting the corners square. I helped by holding one end of the 100m tape measure. I couldn’t get my head around what needed to be done to get the corners matched up. The Pythagorean theory was involved somehow. Terry had a better mental image from having had more experience, and soon it was exactly how he wanted it, or at least close enough.

Marking and squaring the corners

Terry then drilled holes for the ground posts. 

Drilling the post holes

After the east side was done, I held a string so he could adjust the posts up, down, or side to side so all the posts were in line and the same heights, or at least close enough.

East side posts in with base board

Two days later, he had the west side done. 

East and west sides done, with baseboards

He was raring to start drilling holes in the hoops today but got rained out. It was a nice, gentle, all-day rain with an accumulation of only 0.3”. it will all soak in and do the plants good.

Hilda and I reinstalled the fence around my woodland garden. I hope that with the rain and the exclusion of the damned varmints, what’s left of the plants will start to grow.

The re-installed fence around the woodland garden

In all my experiments with aggressive native plants that might out-compete garlic mustard, the only one that is showing promise is the mayapples. Here’s a picture of 5 out of 10 plants that are coming up. I keep finding more and more as time goes along.

Five of 10 mayapple sprouts

Still no orioles at the grape jelly. This house finch has acquired the taste, though. So much for hard-wired food preferences.

House finch eating grape jelly. It's for the orioles, silly bird!

We’re hoping for warmer, drier weather this week. If all goes well, we will move the chickens to their summer pasture in the orchard. They love that. Best thing ever.