Mini-Hoop Houses Fit Raised Beds

Mini-Hoop Houses Fit Raised Beds FARM HOME Miscellaneous 30-3-26 PVC pipes and plastic can turn any raised bed into a mini-greenhouse, says Steve Upson at the Noble Foundation, an Oklahoma-based agricultural research foundation. "It's a good way to get the benefits of a tunnel or hoop house without the expense," says Upson, who estimates a 40-in. by 30-ft. raised bed can be protected for less than $90 with a mini tunnel. Basic components include 1-in. and smaller PVC pipe (schedule 40), 1-in. nylon rope, 6-mil. greenhouse poly plastic, a few wood screws and a couple of pieces of rebar. Upson uses 1-in. dia. PVC pipe to make holders for the hoops which are made from the smaller diameter PVC pipe. He screws the 1-in. pieces of pipe to the sides of the bed. Once the hoop holders are in place, the smaller diameter PVC pipe can be cut and inserted into the holders to form hoops. Upson notes that a 20-ft. piece can be cut into three 80-in. pieces resulting in a tunnel 2 1/2 ft. high at the center of a 40-in. wide bed. Plastic sheeting needs to be wide enough to hang over the pvc pipe and the garden bed sides and long enough to be twisted together at the ends. An 80-in. hoop will require at least a 134-in. wide sheet of poly film. Upson uses short lengths of rebar bent in a U and pounded into the ground at either end of the bed to serve as anchors for rope ties to the end hoops and for securing the ends of the poly film. "We recommend using 6-mil. greenhouse grade poly," says Upson. "It will reduce light by about 15 percent, but it will last longer. You can get it custom cut by suppliers like FarmTek." Upson secures the plastic with 16-ft. lengths of nylon rope between each hoop as hold-down straps. The rope needs to be tight enough to hold the plastic in place in a windstorm, yet be able to be loosened so it can be raised out of the way when gardening. "In the fall you could put taller hoops in place with wider plastic to protect tall plants," notes Upson. "To protect against frost, just add a trouble light for warmth and a fan to keep air moving." Detailed plans for the mini-hoop houses as well as plans for both corrugated tin and car tire raised beds are available from the Noble Foundation at 580 224-6500. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Steve Upson, The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, P.O. Box 2180, Ardmore, Okla. 73402 (ph 580-223 5810; sdupson@noble.org; www.noble.org).

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