How do I Build a Hoop House?
If you're into gardening and looking to go green on the cheap, building a hoop house for your plants is a good way to start. A hoop house is a very simple, unheated greenhouse capable of protecting your garden from rain, wind, and frost; the shelter they create can raise the daytime temperature by 5 to 10 degrees or more. Hoop houses are cost-effective and an easy way to extend the life of your plants and expand your gardening options. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- 16 PVC pipes, 3/4-inch, 10 feet long
- 16 PVC pipes, 1/2-inch, 30 inches long
- 7 PVC pipes, 1/2-inch, 34 inches long
- 6 PVC crosses, 3/4-inch
- 2 PVC T-connectors, 3/4-inch
- Plastic sheet, 24-foot by 20-foot
- Binder clips
- PVC cement
- Hacksaw (for cutting PVC and poly pipe to length)
- Utility knife
- Tape measure
Instructions
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1
Mark the spot in your garden where you will construct the hoop house. Be sure you have enough space. The hoop house will be about 10 feet wide, 21 feet long and 7 feet tall in the center.
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2
Drive the 30-inch PVC pipes into the ground every 36 inches along the long sides of the hoop house site. These will be your stakes. Cut the bottom of each pipe at an angle to fix them more easily into the ground.
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3
Form the hoops of the hoop house one by one. The two end hoops are made by joining two 10 foot lengths of PVC pipe together with one PVC T-connector. Secure with PVC cement.
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4
Form the six hoops in between the two ends by connecting two 10-foot lengths of PVC pipe together with the PVC crosses. Secure with PVC cement.
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5
Slide the ends of each hoop over the 1/2-inch PVC stakes individually. You should now have eight hoops in parallel lines every 36 inches along the length of your hoop house.
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6
Connect the hoops together with a ridgeline. Use the 34-inch sections of PVC pipe to connect the hoops together at the top, one by one at the PVC T-connectors and PVC crosses. Secure with PVC cement as you proceed.
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7
Hang the plastic sheet over the PVC hoop frame. Attach the sheet to the hoops on either end with binder clips. Do not try to attach to the hoops in the middle.
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Tips & Warnings
In high wind, secure the plastic sheet further by sandwiching it tightly between sets of two boards that have been screwed together.
References
- Photo Credit c and plants. Focus on short plants image by Supertrooper from Fotolia.com
