Author Topic: Slow hoop house build at the homestead  (Read 1849 times)

ThangBom321

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Slow hoop house build at the homestead
« on: February 24, 2018, 11:25:49 PM »
I have started putting together and purchasing parts of my hoop house. I'm building this hoop house at my parents' homestead on the outskirts of Houston. They have 2 acres and are always fiddling out in the yard. Winter is their boring season as they basically huddle inside the majority of the time. Our winters are generally not that cold as I am able to run around in shorts and t-shirts through the majority of it. However, snow and cold ice freezes have been more common lately. These oddball events occur a day or two at a time and only once or twice a year. They don't occur every year either. However, I would like to stop bagging, dragging, and carrying lots and lots of pots to a makeshift greenhouse that we raise each year. It's just too much work!! The plants take a beating and it takes a good amount of work putting up the makeshift shelter each winter.

I have decided to take the leap and make a simple hoop house. They can get a jump start on and prolong their growing season with a nice hoop house. The hoop house will about 72' or 73' by 20' wide. I am undecided on the height of the structure but I'm thinking 11' tall. This will allow easier access to the two ends and they will have a short vertical ground post sides. The height will also allow trees to be grown a little taller before they have to be pruned.

So far, I have only purchased the hoop bender and the 1 3/8' x 10.5' top rails. I am currently in the process of bending those hoops. It's a decent amount of work given the fact that I plan to space those hoops at about 3' apart. Why you may ask? Because 1, they occasionally get strong winds; 2, more ribs = less flopping of the covering which in turn will reduce wear and tear; 3, it's only a difference of about $150 to significantly strengthen the structure.

I'll keep this first post up to date with prices (rounded up) on the material spent.

-hoop benders (I bought 3 sizes in case I felt like raising a smaller one (10' or 12' wide) at my house in the subburbs)= $130
-1 3/8' galvanized top rail ($12.48/each or bulk price if bought 30+ $10.24/each)= $700 thus far. I will need more as I need to but stiffening and perlins

I have bent about 45 of them. I still have more to do.


Thangbom

j-grow

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Re: Slow hoop house build at the homestead
« Reply #1 on: February 26, 2018, 06:43:08 PM »
Keep posting pictures as you go please ...... good luck on the project

Zpusher

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Re: Slow hoop house build at the homestead
« Reply #2 on: February 26, 2018, 09:44:27 PM »
Take plenty of pictures! I'm gonna start that same project towards the end of March.... Feel overwhelmed already hahaha

ThangBom321

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Re: Slow hoop house build at the homestead
« Reply #3 on: February 27, 2018, 10:21:55 AM »
I sure will. I plan to somewhat itemize everything rounding up. I plan to build it sometime in March also.

Thangbom

nattyfroootz

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Re: Slow hoop house build at the homestead
« Reply #4 on: February 27, 2018, 10:26:29 AM »
IF you are planning on having a lot of heat retention in the winter, get the poly latch channel that has room for two layers of poly. I just built a hoop house and one sheet of poly has very little insulation effect. Wish I went with the deeper latch channel  so I could upgrade if i need to.
Grow cooler fruits

www.wildlandsplants.com

ThangBom321

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Re: Slow hoop house build at the homestead
« Reply #5 on: February 27, 2018, 10:38:02 AM »
That's what I'm planning. We really don't get too cold. It's only a freek occasion that it happens but with global warming and erratic storms that we get now-a-days, you never know. I was thinking I plan to leave my tropical plants (whatever they may be) potted. That way, I can move them closer to the thermo-mass rocket heater I plan to build. They will have some decent cold protection from it.

Thangbom

nattyfroootz

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Re: Slow hoop house build at the homestead
« Reply #6 on: February 27, 2018, 09:38:58 PM »
Nice, yeah doesn't get too chilly here. Rocketheater sounds awesome, and double will layer will definitely help to keep that heat all in your green house! Sounds like an awesome set up, I cant wait to see pictures.
Grow cooler fruits

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ThangBom321

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Re: Slow hoop house build at the homestead
« Reply #7 on: April 17, 2018, 10:11:19 PM »
And so time has passed and we have done a little bit of work. Turns out we will make it a little smaller than what we originally planned. The hoop house (HH) will be 20'x50'. I have bought, used and bent the hoops. My dad soften up the plot already. I Asked my brother if I could borrow his post hole digger and he brought it over last Saturday. I'm hoping we will lay out the perimeter of the HH and put down the posts soon.






ThangBom321

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Re: Slow hoop house build at the homestead
« Reply #8 on: May 03, 2018, 12:11:39 PM »
Last weekend I was able to get back to the homestead and put some more work into the build. I marked out the 4 corners first. After the corners were marked, I tied up some string so that I could mark out where to drill down the line. I splurged a little and will be putting post every 3' instead of the standard 4'. Why? Because the cost for the two extra hoops or so is minimal and I get a structure that is extremely strong. The post are 8' x 1 5/8'' fence post. We used a post hole drill attached to the trusty tractor and went on with drilling. This saves a lot of time and effort. Even with an extension on the auger, we could not get the ground post in deep enough so I had to hammer then down a good 18''. It was tough work as there is a lot of clay down there. We will end up cutting 12'' off the post before we continue with putting the rest of the post in the ground. The structure will be higher than what I would like, but my pops wants it higher so he can have bigger plants inside. The ground post will be 7' long and 3.5' of it sticking above ground. We will then attach the hoops to these post once that are cemented or concreted whichever one is cheaper. That's all for now.