Simple, cheap Hoophouse

[Shimon]

I found some good plans for a simple hoophouse at this site and just put it up. Took a couple of hours to assemble, parts are cheap and I have to say it works well. Built it over one of our raised beds for the tomatoes to keep 'em warm at night and keep the dew and fog off of them. Some photos below.

 

[mudcat]

Quick, easy, and cheap, I like it. Thanks.

 

[Chuck52]

Did you buy those black plastic clips holding the sheets or make them?

Chuck

 

[jinman]

Nice job! That's a nice site too with the parts list and instructions. some would say that the creosote from the poles could leech out into your garden, but that would probably be at a very low level. Of course, you could put plastic sheeting around the inside of the poles and isolate the soil from the creosote.

Here is another site with lots and lots of raised bed hoop houses in case you didn't know about it.

Noble Foundation

 

[Shimon]

Did you buy those black plastic clips holding the sheets or make them?

They are 1" black poly tubing cut to length and slit lengthwise. The idea is from the instruction sheet and they work well except the slit leaves sharp edges which can cut the plastic sheeting.

I plan on taking this down in the winter and reassembling every spring so I'll fix the clips then. The only plastic sheet I could find in 20x25 was 3mil which is lighter than I wanted; I would prefer 6mil but couldn't find any except in 20x100 rolls...I'll see how the 3mil works this summer and maybe buy the 100' roll next year and save the extra for following years.

some would say that the creosote from the poles could leech out into your garden, but that would probably be at a very low level. Of course, you could put plastic sheeting around the inside of the poles and isolate the soil from the creosote.

You are correct. My wife is part of the local Master Gardener program and she had some concern about it but those beds were here when we moved in a little over a year ago and the previous guy said the beds were installed the 50's or 60's so we thought we would be ok. We pulled some of the soil out of all the beds and amended it with composted goat bedding but I guess it's one of those things we'll never really know how much affect the creosote is having.

 

[jimg]

How are you going to shut the ends up if at all?

 

[Shimon]

I'm leaving the ends open. You can shut them by putting another piece of plastic over each end and you can get as fancy as you want on how to enter/exit the hoophouse.