Following on from our wrecked raised bed area we have moved into the wrecked polytunnel, boy did those dogs make a mess through the winter. To be honest it was starting to look a little tired so when the dogs moved in last autumn, I was busy working on the new Running Man being filmed in Leavesden Studios and just didn't have the time to do what was needed so I just let them have their fun. I used to run strawberry's in hydroponics in the metal frame with drainage pipe seen in the pictures below. Worked really well till the temperature got up in the high of summer. Keeping the water cool and free from pythium meant I was using chemicals that just didn't feel right so I abandoned it. I think a new lease of life is needed for this metal frame and a re-think on the growing method and medium.

Strawberry tiered frame

This metal frame started life as a storage rack for lengths of steel in a special effects shop, (I think it was Tarzan that we filmed at Leavesden) anyway it was surplus to requirements which is when it ended up in the polytunnel and converted into a hydroponic strawberry grow, as you do!! It has a very large wall thickness due to it needing to carry lots of steel. It was so heavy I can't tell you to carry back and forth from the workshop...It's too wet for the fork lift in the field at this time of year. I carried it back to the workshop and re-configured the frame to how you see it now with two tiers for giant grow bags.

When you are eating our strawberries later this year you can look back and see the plants being planted. We have chosen "Mara de bois", they are super sweet like an alpine strawberry but a decent size. I seem to be getting somewhere with Graham, he's not wrecked a thing in the tunnel for weeks...Even taught him to high 5!!

Into the buggy from the grow room, then I cut them into the bags keeping the cut out small as possible to avoid the bags drying out too quick. I plan to put cut off inverted plastic bottle to help with watering. I have trimmed all flowering heads before planting to encourage them to grow, not flower. Need them big and strong before asking for fruit, imo...

Planting time

And this is after we have cleaned up!

Suspect no.1

Old metal rack from Tarzan SFX

So I sat and thought

Every idea I had was scuppered by the angled shelves

Only one solution, back to the workshop

Trim them angled shelves off out of here

Cut them square, shortened them and welded them back

Then onto fabricating some shelves

Starting to take shape

Weld them up

I used a poly carbonate for shelf , maintenance free

It was left over from a Ken Branagh film shot last year

Made for the job!

Installation time

Looking tidy

Grow bags laid out

Just add Strawberries!!

Raised beds

This metal frame started life as a storage rack for lengths of steel in a special effects shop, (I think it was Tarzan that we film at Leavesden) anyway it was surplus to requirements which is when it ended up in the polytunnel and converted into a hydroponic strawberry grow, as you do!! It has a very large wall thickness due to it needing to carry lots of steel. It was so heavy I can't tell you to carry back and forth from shop...It's too wet for the fork lift in the field at this time of year.