Hoop House Growing

[curly_kate]

My dear, sweet, wonderful DH is building me a hoop house! In addition to growing veggies in it, I'm going to see what I can do with starting perennials from seed. Anyone know if there would be any benefit to starting the seeds this fall & overwintering them? I wasn't sure if they'd do anything, even inside the hoop house.

If anyone has tips or suggestions for growing in a hoop house, I'd love to hear them!

 

[catjac1975]

My dear, sweet, wonderful DH is building me a hoop house! In addition to growing veggies in it, I'm going to see what I can do with starting perennials from seed. Anyone know if there would be any benefit to starting the seeds this fall & overwintering them? I wasn't sure if they'd do anything, even inside the hoop house.

If anyone has tips or suggestions for growing in a hoop house, I'd love to hear them!

My hoop house has been disappointing.I planned to extend the growing season in both directions. The lengthening of the season is small and not worth the extra work. I did get tomatoes a week or so earlier but the weeds grew twice as fast. By the time the regular garden was in full tilt what I had in my hoop house was not that important any more. It did grow great broccoli the first year , quite early. The wood chucks said it was delicious. I now use it to protect daylilies that i overwinter in pots. I don't know if you plan to heat it. That would be expensive I would imagine. I have a greenhouse , like a sunroom attached to the house that I use all winter. It is insulated and gets heat from the house. That is very valuable to my growing. I grow my daylily seeds and all seedlings for the veggie garden in it.

 

[digitS']

Cat' is right on all fronts ... and, genus Marmota agree about the taste of broccoli.

Growing it in that protected environment is a benefit, I'm sure. It works well for Napa cabbage .

Many cool and warm season plants can get a few weeks head start. For cool season lettuce and such, that can give you veggies at a time when they are most appreciated.

A few weeks is about it, unless you add heat. You could put in low tunnels and that double insulation may be sufficient to hold crops for winter harvest.

Really, hoop houses can be as sophisticated or simple as you choose . I have one attached to a shed for the spring - that wasn't difficult.

Oh BTW, I have another that is only about 5' high to cut down on exposure. I've excavated the central path to make it more comfortable for me.

Steve

 

[so lucky]

Well, if it is going to be completely enclosed, with a door, you might try some passive solar heat in there, such as water filled barrels painted black. Also, as Steve suggested, double hooping crops in the coldest part of the winter might help keep growing greens from freezing.

 

[curly_kate]

Thanks for the suggestions, guys! I'm hoping that since I'm further south, maybe I'll have better luck. Our neighbor down the road has an orchard, and has hoop houses for some annual crops. He has pretty good luck, but he's got a much more professional (aka expensive) set up than I do.