Market Farming

["five springs farm" <fsfarm AT mufn.org>]

> Jim and Jo just mentioned they use a 3/4" black plastic pipe as the hoop
and
> use pieces of old garden house like clips to prevent row cover from flying
> away.
>
> Jim and Jo, could you tell us more?
>
> Was I correct in interpreting that the hose pieces act like clips?   yes,
adn they hold up well in our fairly windy conditions. The clips are about 6"
long, one or two on each hoop.
>
> How long are the plastic pipes before you bend them into hoop
> shapes?
about 4' peices work well for our 3' beds, and we place them about every
6-8'
>
> How wide are the rows or beds that these hoops are covering?
>
> Why are you covering them - for frost or insects or both?

both, plus for shade cloth over lettuce in the heat of summer.
>
> Do you fit them over pins that are in the ground, or just push them into
the
> soil?

I have tried both ways, but prefer putting a larger piece in the ground as a
sleeve. 1" black plastic works well, as the 3/4" slips nicely in. The
sleeves are pounded gently into the soil, a process that may work for us
because of our sandy soil...heavier soils may require a more rigid pipe,
like PVC.
>
>
> We're putting together a hoophouse frame - well, as soon as the snow
reveals
> the ground again - and we're using 20' lengths of PVC pipe fitted over
rerod
> (steel reinforcing rod).  But this is a large-ish building and will be
> covered with 6 mil poly.
>


Jim and Jo
The Community Farm Newsletter
http://www.mufn.org/public/tcf
>