Super Cheap Hoop House

[Bubblingbrooks]

I posted a bit about this in my journal, but thought I should start a thread on it.
Keep in mind that we do not have a working camera right now, so no pics for now

I came up with the idea that we should take needed measurements for hoops, and then go out in the forest and cut down skinny Willows of appropriate length.
When we get them home, we will bend them and tie the ends with rope, to set the shape for the hoop house.
Those will dry all winter, and then we will build a bottom frame for them to be set in.
Extra supports will be used to tie the hoops together along the top, sides and ends.
We will then stretch plastic over it, using duct tape to seal seams.

 

[Wifezilla]

I did a tiny version of that using japanese crab apple suckers. I made a little tent over my sweet potato container

I think willow will work great for a hoop house.

 

[moolie]

We've found that a good plastic to use is vapour-barrier plastic from home centers--it comes on a roll and is reasonably wide and thick/strong plus doesn't break the bank

 

[hwillm1977]

We've found that a good plastic to use is vapour-barrier plastic from home centers--it comes on a roll and is reasonably wide and thick/strong plus doesn't break the bank

You can ask around commercial greenhouses too, our neighbour scored a 40x200 piece of greenhouse plastic when he found out the greenhouses down the road change their plastic every year. It was completely free last fall and I'm sure will last a few years.

 

[moolie]

Cool!

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

We've found that a good plastic to use is vapour-barrier plastic from home centers--it comes on a roll and is reasonably wide and thick/strong plus doesn't break the bank

That is the kind we intend to use