Hoop house extends growing season
Thousands of Canadians start garden seeds indoors each spring, and most of us gardeners feel a tug-of-war between continuing to protect those seedlings indoors as spring emerges, while also being eager to get them outside into the ground so they can start to grow and pay off for us. Canada has some of the shortest growing seasons in the world, and this is where a hoop house can help. Think of it like a little greenhouse you build yourself using simple supplies, beginning with something that only electricians usually use.
Hoop houses get their name from the hoops that form the curved ribs that give the house its shape. Electrical conduit pipes are normally used to protect wires that would otherwise be exposed, but the right kind of PVC pipe is also strong enough to be used to extend your local growing season. In fact, PVC pipe is the DIY hoop house framework material of choice.
Secure the plastic hoops to the ground in a bent shape, strengthen the structure by bolting horizontal pieces that connect these hoops, then stretch clear greenhouse plastic over the frame and secure it along the sides. In a nutshell this is how to build a hoop house, but there are details you need to know about.
The ends of the house need frames to close them in, and at least one end needs a door so you can get in and out of the house. A door at each end is even better. This is the process of building your own hoop house, and there are details you need to keep in mind as you work.
The nice thing about building your own hoop house is that you can make it any number of feet wide that you like. The wider the width the more material you need, but it’s easy to build a hoop house that’s 12 to 14 feet wide. Length is entirely up to you.
The main expense will be the PVC pipe that holds up the plastic covering, but you can find it at most hardware stores. Call ahead to make sure they have enough lengths of pipe for your project.
The beauty of a hoop house is that it protects growing plants from cold weather, but there are other advantages, too. One of the biggest is wind protection. Garden plants don’t like wind, and calmer growing conditions will boost yield and plant health.
The challenge with hoop houses is how to prevent them from getting too hot during the height of summer. This is where roll up sides and a high tunnel design can help.
Roll up sides are just as the name implies. The plastic covering on each side of the house can be unfastened, rolled upwards a number of feet, then secured in the open position to let excess heat escape. Your plants enjoy immediate relief, while it’s also easy to roll the greenhouse plastic covering back down again at night, securing it to the PVC pipes and the wooden base they fit into.
If you’re serious about making your own DIY greenhouse, don’t do it alone. A pair of helping hands will be useful, but so will plans and a materials list. Visit baileylineroad. com/diy-hoop-house-plans/ to download a free hoop house building guide. Plans, instructions and photos can save you a lot of trouble and boost the odds that your project will be a success.
One area where people often make hoop house mistakes is the floor. No one builds a hoop house in a rainstorm, so it’s easy to forget that traffic and moisture can turn the floor into a muddy mess. Cedar bark mulch is an ideal material to put on the floor of your hoop house to keep things clean and tidy.