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  • From: Owsley lucy <boulderbelt AT embarqmail.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Winter's coming - hoop houses
  • Date: Sun, 25 Sep 2011 04:08:34 -0400

nan,

you should be fine using row covers on #9 gauge wire hoops and held down either staples, rocks, etc.. And if you are growing plants like lettuce, kale, chard, arugula, etc. know they are not fazed by frost and will take a freeze down to around 28F totally unprotected and be fine. Any lower and you will find slight damage to the leaves but the plants will not be harmed.

A hoophouse would be a lot more trouble than it is worth simply for  frost protection but would be useful to even things out temp wise and to get great harvests.



On Sep 25, 2011, at 3:53 AM, Nan Hildreth wrote:

Can someone answer a few questions about hoop houses?

The good news is we're making money now growing frost-hardy winter 
greens and are selling at the farmer's market and to 
restaurants.    The bad news is winter is coming, and growth will 
slow to a halt.   Here n Zone 8b, winters are mild, but we'll have 
maybe 15 frosts and maybe a hard freeze.   If would like to smooth 
out night lows and day highs and warm plants up 10 or maybe 20 
degrees in December, January and February.

I've been reading Eliot Coleman's Winter Harvest Handbook.  I haven't 
used frost cloth before nor used a greenhouse.  We grow in beds, 4x10 
or so, irrigated by micro-sprinklers.

I could:
1) Cover with frost cloth held up by wire wickets when too cold.  I 
may need to switch irrigation to drip tape.
2) Throw up 4 foot tall "quick hoops", that is, pvc pipe looped over 
my beds to hold up greenhouse plastic.  Then fuss around all winter 
pulling it off when too warm, driving myself crazy and wearing out 
the plastic.
3) Put up 7 foot tall plastic tunnels over several beds and open up 
the ends when too warm.
4) Put up tall hoops and also put down frost cloth over plants when very cold.
5) Plant carrots instead of greens.  And then take winter off,  tell 
therestaurants "See you next March." and spend two months building 
new beds.  Harvest carrots in February.

Suggestions?



Nan Hildreth




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