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Greensboro,North Carolina

im a new grower (first year) and was wondering how to build a hoop house? please reply and thanks in advance
kev

2/14/2002 5:56:40 PM

canal winchester ohio

In the how to section, Kilr has a article on how to build a hoop house

2/14/2002 6:02:29 PM

Rexburg, Idaho ([email protected] )

I'm not sure you'd need one where you are at, but they work great for me. There are several types the one I used is from Joel Hollands video and it works great. It is 16' x 16' (or20'). Every two feet along the sides place a 4' piece of rebar 2' into the ground. On the ends place a post in the center and then run a beam 2x4 or 4x4 along the top down the center. The run 20' schedule 40 PVC pipe over the top and place it on the rebar on either side. This then makes the frame for the plastic. Bury the plastic around the edges and make a door on both ends. You can see a picture on my diary from last year. On a bright not so warm day the temps can get hot so I had to put fans in mine to help keep the temps down. Forget to remove the doors on a warm day and I recorded a temp of 137 degrees inside, fortunately I didn't have anything planted yet.

2/14/2002 11:32:27 PM

Puyallup, WA

137°....great for warming the soil up here in the Pacific Northwest!!
I've noticed that when the houses hit 100°, the plants begin to suffer heat stress.

2/15/2002 1:29:50 AM

South Hill, Virginia

kwass,

I'm not too awful far from Greensboro. Your plants won't go in until late April and by then we are past any frost warnings. If we do happen to have a chilly night after the end of April you can just cover the plant with a cardboard box or something similar. Enjoy it while you can because what you don't spend in hoop houses you will spend in trying to keep your plants cool during the summer heat. You may want to view Bruiser's diary from last year to see his mini greenhouses he made from cardboard boxes and clear plastic.

2/15/2002 3:45:15 PM

Greensboro,North Carolina

i just wanted to tell everyone thanks for all the replies its nice to find people with the same interests willing to help a new grower since no one around me knows anything about AGs.

thanks again
kev

2/15/2002 5:18:36 PM

Western Pa.

kwass,

If you do get a few "cool" nights, you can cover your young plant with one of those "Cheap" styrafoam coolers(they're insulated!). I can pick them up for about $1 apiece. Might want to also spread some black plastic around the outside to keep soil warm in the "root zone!"
kilr

2/16/2002 9:44:54 AM

Amherst, WI

Brian C. I saw pictures o.f your hoop houses in your diary and was impressed. I will defenitly be making at least one just like yours this spring. Over here in God's Country Wisconsin, we can get some chilly nights even into June. What size pvc do you use for the hoops? Could a small propane heater be placed inside on cool nights, or would the fumes hurt the plant? Thanks, Randoooo.

2/23/2002 12:50:52 PM