Low-cost, Versatile Hoop Houses

Article Tools

Image Gallery

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

3. On the best building site, mark the corners of your hoop with stakes. A 100-foot tape measure comes in handy. Square the footprint with batter boards and string.

4. With corners square and sides straight and parallel, set your larger diameter pipes, Into which your hoops will be inserted. Start at one corner and work down the length of the hoophouse. Drive pipes to desired depth with sledgehammer. Check pipes often with a level to keep plumb. Stakes are usually spaced 4 feet apart. Use a template to keep spacing uniform — just cut deep notches the width of your pipe in a 2x4.

5. Once ground stakes are In place, bolt baseboards to the outside of the ground stakes and erect hoops. Attach purlins and end braces. Bolt on hipboards for rollup sides and attach any framing or locking channels to secure greenhouse plastic to end hoops.

6. Pull plastic covering tight and secure to end hoops and baseboards (or hipboards, if using roll-up sides). An easy method for rolling up sides is to attach a 1-inch plastic pipe to the outer edge of the plastic cover. A handle on one end of the pipe makes it easy to roll sides up and down, says Michael Orzolek, a vegetable specialist at Pennsylvania State University (see top right photo).

7. Frame ends of hoophouse to meet your needs and cover with greenhouse plastic or other material. Ends can be hinged or made completely removable to further improve ventilation.

The Kansas Rural Center is a nonprofit agency based in whiting, Kansas, that works to promote the health of the land and people through education, research and advocacy. Visit www.kansasruralcenter.org or write: P.O. Box 133; Whiting, KS 66552; (785) 873 - 3431.

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print