From

Location

Message

Date Posted

New York

I have my hoop house up and it’s completely sealed and I digged a trench around the outside. We had a rainstorm today and somehow the soil in my hoop house is very wet again. Does anyone know how this could happen? It sure to be dry enough where’s I could dog down and water wouldn’t fill up the hole but now it does.

4/9/2019 8:11:25 PM

New York

Not “it sure to be dry” I meant to say it use to be dry

4/9/2019 8:12:06 PM

Topsfield, MA

Hmm. It only takes 1 little area in the hoop for rain to get into. I would check it again. Good luck !

4/9/2019 8:23:46 PM

New York

Also would heating cables help it dry?

4/9/2019 8:48:47 PM

Topsfield, MA

Heating cables would definitely help

4/9/2019 8:54:10 PM

New York

Okay thanks

4/9/2019 9:05:13 PM

Bloomfield, Iowa

I have 5 hoop houses and greenhouses. I have tomatoes going and have done early tomatoes since 2010. Unless you dig a trench and put 4" drain tile along the edge of your hoop with gravel over that, rain water will leach in. Cost money, but it takes care of the problem.

4/9/2019 11:10:25 PM

Bloomfield, Iowa

P.S. heating cables will help on warming the soil, but won't do much for drying the soil. Warmer soil makes phosphorus available to the plant so it will do better than setting in cold wet soil.

4/9/2019 11:14:06 PM

stoughton WI

Humidity in the hoop may be staying high, you should try and open it up duribg the warm dry periods of the day.

4/10/2019 7:56:29 AM

Guelph, Ontario

It is a water table issue. Also water migration through soil. This problem will resolve as water table goes down as spring progresses. An option is to raise soil in greenhouse above soil level outside greenhouse. But a lot of work for a problem that will resolve itself in a few weeks.

4/10/2019 8:02:29 AM

Topsfield,ma.

Henry you've just been schooled. Learn from this posting. There are no simple answers to a simple question. Find all the fact's first then if you can, give an informed answer. Henry's Mentor Woody

4/10/2019 8:39:50 AM

Upa Creek, Mo

Interesting post, never had this happen. My planting area is always a little higher than the rest of the patch though. I make sure of this when I till\dig\level in March and April.

4/10/2019 8:49:58 AM

Hadley Ny

I'll agree with Woody 100%

4/10/2019 9:39:23 AM

Guelph, Ontario

Heating cables would be of limited help, and only after water table has gone down. Otherwise, yes you are removing water from soil from top, but comes back from below.

4/10/2019 10:13:28 AM

Walhalla, ND.

One possible cause could be your frost level. I noticed you live in New York somewhere. Therefore it’s possible you could still have frozen ground under your top level of soil. It’s almost next to impossible for your rain water to penetrate through the frost. If this is the case it could be the cause of your water still wanting to stay on the surface. Just a thought.

4/10/2019 12:10:46 PM

Hadley Ny

Good thought on that Hobbit. Mine patch is frozen solid and I've still got snow in the backyard. Colder than normal winter. Frost went deep here.

4/10/2019 3:31:20 PM

New York

Maybye that’s it I live outside of Albany New York and it is still getting cold here at night. The soil is still very cold

4/10/2019 6:30:04 PM

New York

Thanks for the help!

4/10/2019 6:30:12 PM

Guelph, Ontario

A trench will only help if it is a drainage trench, that is drains water away, no standing water in it. If it is just a trench that water sits in, it will work against you as it will provide a source of water to seep through soil and into greenhouse.

4/10/2019 7:01:53 PM

Upa Creek, Mo

Frozen soil, heating cables.... sounds cold.

4/10/2019 10:04:27 PM

Hadley Ny

It is... 19 degrees this mornin..liked what i saw on your walk yesterday..be awhile here

4/11/2019 6:31:08 AM

Muddy Waters

How big is your hoop house if its like 5 x 8 ?? Not big enough to stay dry inside. soil is like a sponge water will wick through several feet of soil. Trench would not help much & actually could make things worse.You need at least a 10 X 10 hoop house to have it drier in the center.Also the water that rolls off the hoop house gives you double moisture around the perimeter.This moisture will wick. towards the center of hoop house.Next time a big rain comes get a big tarp much larger then the hoop house & cover the house & surrounding soil say 4 feet in every direction more if possible. This will keep water farther way from your center.

4/12/2019 6:50:22 AM

New York

Okay thanks I forgot to tell everyone that I have very clay soil that doesn’t dry out fast. I also was talking to another grower around here and he said there is probably still frost in the ground. Thanks for the help

4/12/2019 7:29:27 AM