Low Tunnel Construction: How to Build a Mini Hoop House

Reader Contribution by Doug S.
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If you’re interested in having fresh spinach, lettuce, chard, or any other cold-hardy crop on hand late into winter or early in spring, you should build a low tunnel or two (also called a mini hoop house). These easy to build, easy to use, and relatively inexpensive structures can extend your growing season by several weeks, if not months depending on your region. Plus, they can be built in only about an hour.

If you build just one low tunnel, it will cost you about $58.00 in materials. However, you’ll be left with an extra piece of plastic sized perfectly to make a second low tunnel, which would only run you about $53.00 extra. If that sounds too costly for your tastes, you could always substitute the 1″x2″x10’s in my materials list with some cheaper wood or scrap wood you might have on hand, and that could save you about $27.00 dollars per low tunnel. Also, if you own your own electric hand grinder, you could purchase the rebar in longer lengths and cut them to size, which would save you about 42 percent, or $5.00 per low tunnel.

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