Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Hoophouse Number 3

We finished up our third hoophouse last week. Eventually there will be four. They are made from a framework of rebar covered with white Irrigro soaker tape. The rebar, being dark, will heat up and degrade the plastic touching it if it isn't white. You can paint it. Or like our first two hoophouses, you can wrap it with white duct tape. But that broke down too quickly. So this is Joel's new idea.

The rebar is pushed into the ground, supports are fastened along the length and frames for the doors built into the ends.
Then the plastic covering is put over the frames. This plastic comes from Northern Greenhouse and has an expected life time of 6 to 8 years or more.
The edges are buried in trenches along the sides and ends to resist the wind.
The ends are folded up against the door frame. The piece we get is 10 feet longer than the house and that gives us enough to cover both ends and cover the doors with what is cut off. The tomato plants in the greenhouse are nearly ready to be planted in this new house.

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