Extend your garden season with this DIY hoop house greenhouse! This simple hoop house is sturdy, and easy to construct with recycled materials.
Barrels in our old shed Windproof spot between our new sheds! Over the winter, Bea spent quite a bit of time wondering and researching why nobody ever seems to install gutters alongside their hoophouses. We're on well water and want to conserve as much water as possible so we don't run the well dry by watering our gardens! The hoophouse is a 1,000 square foot structure, which could collect 600 gallons with 1" of rainfall. Plus, we had already gone through the hassle of moving 20 non-nestable barrels several hundred miles when we moved here last fall, so we needed to put them to work for us! Most hoophouse designs already feature a hipboard that runs the length of the hoophouse for stability -- Bea figured if you slanted this slightly then you would have a nearly perfect surface to mount gutters. Why don't more people do this?! After extensive research, Bea found mentions of gutters on hoophouses only three times. The most helpful article was this tutorial from the Leopold Center of Iowa State University: Rainwater Catchment from a High Tunnel for Irrigation Use. They have a really professional setup costing $1,900 (including a pump) which unfortunately was way beyond our non-budget for this project; still, it was a great starting point. Sara over at the “put your shovel where your mouth is" blog authored a post about installing gutters on her hoophouse. This was awesome to see that it could be done on a home-gardening scale without major expense! She told us it's way more popular in England to install gutters on “polytunnels" (as they call hoophouses across the pond). Bea found this article on Seedstock, featuring some innovative permaculture techniques happening at Sunnyside Farm, including the first photo we'd seen of multiple barrels (like we intended to install on ours). Dru who writes at “Sunnyside Dru" featured posts about their rain barrels a few times between 2010-2012 (1, 2, 3) before they went “gutterless" in 2013. It sounds like removing/installing the gutters every time the season changed was a huge hassle! So it didn't seem like anyone had a perfect DIY system they were truly happy with, and we didn't have a couple extra grand to spend on super professional cisterns and gutters. We'll write up how we connected the barrels and drip irrigation system in separate future posts, but for now we're just talking about how to hang the gutters themselves. (For how to build the hoophouse structure itself, see our previous posts here: “Hoophouse Step 1", and Windows, Doors, & Sides.) How to Install Gutters on Your Hoophouse Step 1: Acquire Supplies Lumber: 2x4s +Cameron Forklift (our favorite DC-area reuse store) sells really affordable used lumber that's older and denser (i.e., longer lasting) than modern pine. They don't often have treated lumber, so we just buy untreated and paint anything that will be exposed to increase its longevity. You'll need as much lumber as the length of your hoophouse, times two if you want to install gutters on both sides (and why not?!). You'll also need some short scraps of 2x4s (about 1' each) for joining the longer sections. Lumber: 1x2s You'll also need the same length of 1x2s. Check around, sometimes it's cheaper to use a table saw to rip 1x4s in half than to buy 1x2s. Brackets We had no idea what this type of bracket was called, but Bea found it at Lowe's in the section with joist hangers. Here they are on their website. You'll need twice as many brackets as you have hoops. 1" self-tapping metal screws These are the same screws used to assemble the hoophouse. If you're buying new, just be sure what you get is rated to cut through steel, not just sheet metal. Galvanized Screws Just regular 1-1/4" and 2-1/2" screws, galvanized for outdoor use. Rain gutters, “seamers", endcaps, downspout adapters, & downspouts We found what we thought would be most of the gutters we needed at Community Forklift; they were pretty heavily used (meaning bent and torn up in places). Unfortunately, due to having to trim so much scrap from the used gutters, we had to purchase half the gutters new. We used regular metal K-style gutters, which are about $7 per 10-foot section (new). You'll want as many feet of gutters as you have length in your hoophouse, times two assuming you want gutters on both sides, plus 1' per side for overhang. Add another couple extra feet to your shopping list “just in case." Seamers are used to join two sections of gutter together, so buy however many packs you'll need given the length of your hoophouse (they come two to a pack). For endcaps you'll need two left and two right endcaps. Buy 2 downspout adapters. For downspouts, you'll probably just need one 10-foot section which you'll cut in half. Gutter Screws & Rivets Buy enough boxes to attach a gutter screw every 2-3'. Use aluminum rivets with aluminum gutters. Step 2: Mark attachment points for your brackets To do this, you'll attach a string with a line level to each end hoop, approximately 5' above the ground, running along the outside of the hoops. Your side will only roll up to this height, so you can make it higher if you want. Once your string is level where you want it, make a mark at its height on each end hoop. (Note: if you perfectly leveled your hoophouse when you built the hoops, you can just measure up from the ground. Ours sits on a slight slope, hence the line level.) Then before you remove the string, get a tape measure. You'll need to do a little math -- gutters should slope at least 1/2" for every 10' of run. So if your hoophouse is 50' long, you'll need to measure at least 2.5" up from the string on whichever end you want to be “uphill". We turned our natural downhill side into the uphill side of the gutter system -- meaning that water will run off the roof, into the gutters down to a single downspout, then collect in rain barrels, and from there use gravity to flow back downhill through the drip irrigation system. In fact, taking advantage of this gravitational flow was the main reason why we didn't put a huge amount of effort into leveling the slight hill to install the hoophouse. But it means that when you look at the side of our hoophouse it looks like the gutters have a really steep pitch, even though it really falls only a handful of inches. Anyway, once you have your pitch figured out, move the string on your uphill side up to the 2nd mark you made, and X out the first mark. Double-check that your downhill side of the string is still in its original spot, then go along each hoop and make a mark where the string crosses (it should make a nice long, even diagonal for you). Left: original bracket Right: bent bracket Step 3: Bend your Brackets to 45° Since the point where you'll be installing the brackets on the curved hoops isn't 90° vertical, you'll need to bend the brackets to about 45°. It's OK if your hoops aren't exactly 45°, you'll be able to adjust them with further bending once you get them attached. Wear gloves since the metal edges can be sharp! Step 4: Attach Brackets Use the self-tapping metal screws to attach one bracket to each hoop using the the marks you made as guides. Step 5: Attach 2x4 Hipboard to Brackets Starting with the end hoop (doesn't matter which end), use the short galvanized screws to attach a 2x4 to the brackets. The board should be long enough to have attachment points on at least two brackets. Step 6: Use wood scraps to join 2x4s Use 2-1/2" screws to fasten a wood scrap to the end of the 2x4 that you hung up (use 3 screws in a triangle pattern) -- you'll want the scrap on the inside and overlap it about halfway (6" or so). Then hang the next 2x4 butted up against the first. It's easier to butt it up, then screw into the brackets, and come back and screw it into the scrap joiner once it's not levitating. Repeat this process until you get to the end of the hoophouse, then repeat again on the other side! (Even though this picture is of Chris painting, just check out the joint where he's working. That's the scrap-wood-butt-joint we're talking about!) Step 7: Hang 1x2s The 1x2s are going to be attached flush with the top of the 2x4. Their purpose is to create a lip so that the plastic sticks out past the gutter, and water will flow down into the gutter (as opposed to sliding down the plastic behind the gutter). Just use the shorter screws to attach the 1x2 into the 2x4. You don't want any joints to match up with the seams of the 2x4s, so you might cut a 1x2 in half and mount that, then use full pieces in order to stagger the seams. Or if you're using secondhand lumber, they're probably random lengths so chances are nothing will match up anyway! At this point, you can really see where we messed up bending some of the hoops -- from certain angles the boards are totally out of line! But from other angles, it looks just about perfect! We'll just photograph the hoophouse from there ;-) Step 8: Paint if applicable If you've used non-treated wood, you'll want to paint these because they'll be in contact with the plastic which accumulates condensation. Watch the video to see Chris demonstrate a neat trick for dripless painting: With everything painted bright yellow, darkness descended and Bea packed up the tools for the night. It wasn't until several months later (after completing the rest of the hoophouse build project), we finally got back to Project Gutters! You'll need your plastic covering attached before proceeding. During the spring, after Chris accidentally ran over our garden hose with the lawn tractor, Bea set our gutters out in a long line as a hose-protector. This worked great, but when we finally got around to installing them on the hoophouse they had collected all sorts of grass clippings and insect ecosystems! Unless your gutters are brand new, you'll want to them scrub out because whatever's in them will end up falling into your rain barrels and you want to filter out any solid particulates. Step 9: Connect endcap to downspout adapter We started on the downhill end of our gutters. First, Chris notched the adapter so it would overlap and sit properly into the section of gutter. Remember to “Think like a raindrop" whenever you're overlapping gutter sections (or roofing, or anything dealing with moisture protection!) -- overlap the uphill section over the downhill section so water runs across the seam (rather than through it). Step two on this website shows a nice graphic of how to notch the gutter so they'll overlap properly. Then, rivet an endcap in place with aluminum rivets. Step 10: Hang first gutter section on hoophouse Hang the gutter on the bottom half of the 2x4 hipboard (butt it up immediately under the 1x2). You'll use 7" gutter screws driven into the 2x4; install them about every 2'. You want the downspout to hang out past the endwall of the hoophouse by at least 6", so the very end of the gutter won't be supported but for such a short distance this doesn't pose a problem. You'll want the sides rolled up so you can reach the gutter (or have a place to put your ladder). This would've been much easier to do before planting our beds! Here's a closeup of how it fits right under the 1x2 -- so you can see the 1x2 just juts the plastic out over the gutter trough to facilitate water flow: Step 11: Hang the rest of the gutters using “seamer" connections Attach the seamer to the end of the next gutter section while it's still on the ground, it will make your life a lot easier! Pre-bend the back seam at 90° so it doesn't stick up into the 1x2. Then lift it up into place to butt up with the previously-hung gutter section. Once it's hung, come back and bend the loose end of the seamer down flat with both gutters it's connecting. For now just use these metal connectors; you can come back and caulk the connections at the end after you've hung everything up. Step 12: Connect endcap on final gutter section West side Use a hacksaw or tin snips to cut the final section of gutter to length. Then use the aluminum rivets again to connect the other endcap to the uphill end. Hang it up and you're done guttering! The rollup sides roll up to the lowest part of the gutter. East side Step 13: Repeat on the other side of the hoophouse Step 14: Connect downspout Even if you're going to tie into a rain barrel manifold that isn't quite ready yet, you'll need some type of downspout to divert the water away from the base of the hoophouse. Here's our temporary one-barrel system. Stay tuned for the 20-barrel system, coming soon! Step 15: Test the system with a hose (Optional) Project hoophouse gutters: success!
White Vienna is an early dwarf variety, with pale-green, smooth skin over a slightly flattened globe root that forms above ground. It is best harvested at 2.5” diameter. The plant grows to 12” tall. Sweet and mild with a flavor reminiscent of turnips. Good raw in salads, boiled, creamed, or froze. White Vienna is a pre-1860 heirloom variety that is also known as Early White Vienna and Di Vienna Bianco. Tags: Harvest: Early, Color: White, Size: Small, Heritage: Heirloom,New Listing, Season: Summer, Certification: Organic."
If you grow tomatoes in a hoop house, you will get tomatoes 6 weeks sooner and keep getting fruit 6 weeks longer. A comprehensive guide.
Cold-Tolerance of Alliums Alliums are more cold-tolerant than most people believe. Here are my observations of killing temperatures for outdoor crops. Note that crops often survive night-time lows …
This is my take at a hinged hoophouse for my raised bed. I am really happy with the way it turned out! It's a simple and cheap build that gives your raised bed…
Dear friends, Welcome to week# 46 of the Farmgirl Friday blog hop! Your favorite place to gather with kindred spirits who love to get their hands dirty whether it be working some magic on a trash to treasure makeover, planting food and flowers, canning, quilting, whipping up delicious food for families and friends, or sitting quietly knitting, crafting or reading a favorite homesteading book! Inside or out Farmgirls ( and boys ) have the can- do spirit to get the job done! Does anyone else have a case of spring fever yet? I certainly do! Part of my garden plan this year is to add a hoophouse to our backyard so I can extend the growing season of select cut flowers and some produce. I got my hands on a terrific resource through Growing for Market ( a monthly newsletter ) called The Hoophouse Handbook and it's companion Hoophouse Update. These books are a must have if you are interested in learning how to extend your growing season for produce and/or flowers. Today, I'm excited to offer both books to one lucky farmgirl/boy just in time for you to consider incorporating a hoophouse into your backyard garden plan! I'm making it simple to enter! Leave a comment telling me are interested in these books! I'll announce the winner next Friday! Growing in a hoophouse has many advantages. Crops and flowers are protected from high winds, and pounding rain which can be harmful to tender young seedlings. Managing soils, weeds, pests and diseases is easier. You can extend the growing season on nearly anything you plant inside on either end of the growing cycle by planting earlier than you would outdoors. If it's flowers you adore, enjoy your blooms later in the season or get a head start with your spring flowering bulbs. This book covers Crop production and recommends the best crops and flowers for hoop house production. It gives suggestions for what to grow in a heated or unheated hoophouse as well as timelines for planting. It also covers siting and building our hoophouse with extensive diagrams and materials list. There are even plans for a * moveable * hoop house in the Hoop House Update book. These two books together are a 25.00 value but are priceless if you think you might be growing into a Gardner who wants to garden longer, harvest more and reap a profit as well. This is similar to the size and style I'm considering for our backyard. 12 x16. This will give me space for 2 4 x 8 beds down one or both sides of the hoophouse leaving a walkway down the center. I could also set up tables at one end for germinating seeds. Hoophouses (also called high tunnels that are generally UN-heated ) can be designed to incorporate ventilation by allowing the sides to roll up as needed or doors on either end to be opened letting out very hot air in high summer temps. There's so much more to learn about growing in high tunnels! I'm excited about the new possibilities in my backyard garden and I can't wait to share them with you as we progress beyond the planning stages. If any of you have experience building and growing in hoophouses please, please, share your garden wisdom with us! Now it's time to link up for your weekly dose of Farmgirl Soul~food! Here are the rules for the Farmgirl Friday blog hop! 1.) Write a post about your farmgirl lifestyle and brag a little about your farmgirl talents while your at it! Share what being a farmgirl means to you. Include lots of photos of your farm, crafts, animals, quilts, home decor projects and thrifty make overs, your backyard garden, chicken coop, recipes, studio or workshop. You get the idea! 2). Leave your entry in the Mr. Linky space to your Farmgirl Friday post. 3). Please include the Farmgirl Friday button ( or link back here ) in your post and remember to share this hop with all of your blogging friends! This blog hop is co-hosted with my farmgirl pal Heidi of White Wolf Summit Farmgirl blog! We both appreciate all you share with us each week! This post is linked to Heidi's Simple Country Living Garden Showcase blog hop!
i saved these gems from the goat milk damaged camera. just a little swab of rubbing alcohol and the memory card read with no problems. just in case anyone has any illusions – i am far from t…
Having early tomatoes is a new goal of mine going into the first spring with my hoophouse. Join me and follow my blog to see if my strategies work.
Expand your farm with a customizable 20ft-wide hoop house kit. Our greenhouse kits come complete with all of the hardware, durable greenhouse plastic, and cross connectors you'll need to get started. Order your custom DIY greenhouse kit online to start building your own custom hoop house today.
A raconteur is an expert storyteller, and Atelier Altern takes on this responsibility of spinning a tale through their project, On vous raconte des
fava beans and ground cherry cucumbers and romaine flowering leek herb boxes on the patio more artichokes coming golden delicious orange banana tomato, in the hoop house for last night’s din…
View pictures of our Deluxe model greenhouse. The Deluxe has straight side walls set on either a 32" base wall (Standard) or 9" base (Glass to Ground model)
How to build an inexpensive 12 by 32 foot hoop-style greenhouse made from pvc pipe for under $400
For the purpose of visually illustrating our growing process, and since I don’t have a complete sequence of shots from any one season (dang it!), I’ve woven together both hoophouse and field production photos in this post. Hopefully it isn’t too confusing! *Be sure to leave any questions down below in the comments section and […]
I'm in love with our attached greenhouse. When we found our off-grid homestead, I'll admit the greenhouse was one of the main selling points. Finally, a convenient place for starting all my seedlings for our
Discover how to make a hoophouse on a raised bed with our guide. Learn about garden hoops for raised beds and create your own DIY hoop house raised bed.
Top tips from John Harrison on Growing your own Chillis in your garden greenhouse. How to grow chillies advice and information.
Do you have a huge garden? Then, this is the ideal project for you--a large greenhouse allows you to grow plants all year, unlike a small one that lasts only for 1 or 2 seasons. If you live in a windy area, look into this project that shows you how to build a windproof house.
Lauren (left) and Carole Mapes of Flywheel Flowers. Photo by Ashley Jardim, She of the Woods, sheofthewoods.com Karen Volckhausen. Photo courtesy of Happy Town Flowers Dahlia flower protected from tarnished plant bug by an organza gift bag. English photo Zinnias grow tall in a hoophouse at Happy Town Flowers. English photo By Jean English This session at […]
Set amid 14 acres of gardens and paddocks is St. Catherine's Court, Avon, a part-time residence for the British-born actress
Discover how to make a DIY hoop house. Explore the steps and tips to make a sturdy, efficient hoop house for your backyard!
The polytunnel in October is starting to feel totally different to how it was in the heat of the Summer. The cooler, shorter days and much colder nights mean that things have slowed right down. But still there is growth and we are still getting lots of lovely homegrown things to eat. I have just transplanted these sturdy Beetroot seedlings to the bed on the left as you walk in. Beyond them is the small bed of Kohlrabi ... ... and after that we have Carrots and then a half bed of Mixed Salad Leaves. Further along near to the other doors is a small new planting of Perpetual Spinach ... ... just in case the original plants at the opposite side near the front doors decide to give up the ghost on me. Looking back the other way from the the back doors it looks lush and green, and the French Marigolds flash of colour is even more appreciated in these gloomy Autumnal days. The biggest change this week is that the top half of all the doors have been covered with polythene, pinned in place over the mesh that has kept the tunnel aired throughout the Summer, just leaving a small gap for ventilation, With this additional protection even on a coolish day, with a little bit of sunshine I am managing to reach the giddy heights of almost twenty degrees, not bad for mid October. The watering I was doing each evening has also slowed right down now, and with the cold nights that seem to come on us so quickly as the sun dips behind the hills opposite, I try and make sure if things do need a drink, and it's not every day that they do now, they get it during the warmest part of the day, just in case temperatures plummet so much that frost appears .... it won't be long now. This mornings little harvest. Kale, spinach, lettuce, carrots, radishes and the last, the very last courgette ..... oh and a couple of eggs that I picked up from the henhouse as I went into Chicken World to throw the chickens all the scraps and trimmings from my picking and weeding session, as I made my way back to the house. Sue xx
Go green and create your own hydroponics system by growing plants in water. Read on to learn 20 incredible ideas for DIY hydroponics
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