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Pocatello ([email protected])

Has anyone here first hand experience in using floating row cover instead of plastic to build hoophouses? I'm wondering how it holds up in wind and how warm do they get (compared to plastic)?

1/7/2013 1:40:08 AM

Breslau, Ontario, Canada

I did that in 2012. I did it because I can't always be there to vent my hoops in the morning. The only thing was at night they didn't "hold" in the heat as much as I would have liked. As a result, I added some heat lamps like the ones they use for baby chickens.
Check out my diary for some pictures John-D-Farmer

1/7/2013 2:04:50 AM

Muddy Waters

No but I use the inscect screen no vents needed,pull plastic over at night.less harsh sun on young plants.

1/7/2013 5:03:45 AM

Georgetown, Ontario

I've used it for two years now. Stands up fine to the wind. Increases the temp a lot during the day but almost never over 30 Celcius so they don't need to be vented and they will give about 4 degrees above outside temp during the night. If it gets cold you will have to cover the house with a blanket and put in a heater. I've never ghad to yet. You can check out pics in my diarries from 2011 and 2012 as well.

1/7/2013 6:54:07 AM

Omaha, Ne.

this is what i used for my green house and it what I'll be using this year. Its the best price I've found.

1/7/2013 8:33:45 AM

Bethlehem CT

I have built coldframes before with my gable ends having row cover. The top, front and back were covered with clear plastic to hold the heat in better at night. On the really cold nights I threw a blanket or tarp over the whole thing.

1/7/2013 8:40:27 AM

Pocatello ([email protected])

Thanks for the responses!

1/7/2013 8:57:41 AM

Rhode Island

we prefer plastic. heat is a big factor early season.plants dont grow well without that extra heat.day and night.
why risk freeze damage? go plastic and even extra plant covering (inside over the small plant - we use a wire fence piece shapped like a small hoop and cover with a towel ) during the really cold nights.
pap

1/7/2013 9:04:23 AM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Yes, I tried and for our climate (cool spring) they just simply were not holding any heat during the night. Like Shepherd said, great in the wind and dont need venting but need alot of extra power to keep warm at night.

I'd use again if I had soil cables to keep things toasty at night time.

1/7/2013 9:36:37 AM

Pocatello ([email protected])

OK, you all are making this interesting for me...

I have found that plastic makes the temps spike way too high during the day, and really don't hold any temperature at night. At least, that has been my experience. I was under the impression that the fabric would actually help temperatures at night by a degree or two. Hmmm...

One problem I have, is that if I buy the construction grade plastic, it lasts about 3 weeks in my wind before it starts to disintegrate... and I normally need to rebuild at least once during the spring season. Factoring that in means that the row cover would actually be cheaper. If I could use it two or more seasons, it would be much cheaper.

Anyway, I'm coming to the decision to try the row cover and continue to use the heat adders as I have always done.

1/7/2013 9:59:23 AM

Breslau, Ontario, Canada

I wrapped mine over the top with row cover and used plastic on the ends.

1/7/2013 10:41:52 AM

Pocatello ([email protected])

Yep Farmer, That was my idea. Using the cylinder design, cover the tunnel with row cover and use plastic on the ends.

Thinking about this more, I bet if you're using a heater to heat the air, that is going to work better with plastic, which will better trap that heat. But if there is no space heater involved, maybe the row cover is slightly better?

1/7/2013 11:21:50 AM

Ontario

I lay a second layer of row cover over the plant, inside the hoop house,I support it with simple wire hoops .over the plant, there is no wind to inside blow it off. I take that one step further, by adding heat under the inside cover. works great. Terry

1/7/2013 12:57:50 PM

Piqua, Ohio

I know growers in Ohio that use a double layer of row cover and just use soil heating cables and they stay warm at night.

1/7/2013 2:13:08 PM

Omaha, Ne.

great post. changed my mind of how I could make mine. I think I'll try row cover with a plastic slip cover. That way I could take the plastic off when its still cold in the morning. before I go to work

1/7/2013 2:32:09 PM

Hinckley MN

Double layers will always retain more heat than a single layer. plastic can, under certain conditions, actually be colder at night than the outside temps. Its called radiative cooling. Row cover is less prone to radiative cooling.

Plastic will have higher average temperature, mostly by creating higher maximum temperatures. Most gardening catalogs carry automatic vents for greenhouses and cold frames.

The higher maximum temps under plastic will warm the soil faster. Warming the soil isn't as much of an issue if you have heat cables.

there are lots of options available.

1/7/2013 2:56:48 PM

Pocatello ([email protected])

Great posts all! These last two posts have me thinking!

1/7/2013 4:29:55 PM

Little-TON - Colorado

We would go every morning andZ open up the hoopZ and uncover the blankets.... We have FroZt blanketZ that cover the entire hoop. Then roll down the SideZ front and back. Argibon 19 is hail stone tested with nickel siZe hail.

1/7/2013 4:35:40 PM

Little-TON - Colorado

This year, I switching back over to plastic....

1/7/2013 4:36:15 PM

Topsfield, Ma.

Check out greenhouse grade plastic...little pricey, but i'm on season 3 or 4 with the same material!

1/7/2013 6:05:51 PM

East Jordan, MI

I used heavy row cover material the first year and the hoops heated up too much during the day if not opened, and I leave for work between 4 and 5 am -- too early to open them, so I made cold frames using greenhouse plastic with automatic vent openers for last yeat, they work great (although I had to upgrade the vent openers from the original cheap ones I bought).

Greenhouse plastic remnants are available at farmtek (link below -- check often as supply changes, very affordable and like duff said last several seasons.
https://www.farmtek.com/farm/supplies/ScroungeCentralDisplay?catalogId=11551&categoryId=46354&group=%24ALL%24&subGroup=777&top=N&breadcrumb_trail=%7CGreenhouse+Film+Remnants&breadcrumb_categoryIds=%7C46354&maxRecords=35

1/7/2013 9:00:34 PM

Roblin, Manitoba

I used row cover this past season along with heating cables, and candles at night. I like that I don't have to worry about overheating and on the cool nights I just covered the hoops with blankets or plastic but on the cold nights used a candle to. I plan on doing almost the same this year but may use heat lamps instead of candles.

1/7/2013 10:24:10 PM

Scott County KY

My report is on durability no temp info. I built some 8'x 4' mini tunnels with floating row cover a few years back as bug protection for some of the kitchen garden stuff. My results were, house cats used them as trampoleans then tore doors into them they thought it was warmer or just a great place to hang out, There cats who knows . no use as bug deturants for me. Mine were made from a single layer of AGRIBON AG 15. So if you have cats in your area find a way to keep them out or all may be for naught. Mine were not whole long enough to give any kind of temp report. just something to think about, good luck

1/8/2013 7:57:11 PM

That State Up North

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=28196

that was AG 19, you can see it was destroyed, then rebuilt for two small plants and a melon, doesn't really last the entire season, but it is easier to use spring/fall for ventilation. I use a lot of row cover commercially for my farm and greenhouse growing

1/8/2013 9:08:09 PM