I live in Norcal and have have already started the very early planning stages of next years grow. After reading the Big Plants outdoors thread with Tom Hill, Nomad and the other outdoor biggies i'm trying to understand the purpose of these hoophouse they start their grows in! Doesn't the plastic block out light? It just seems like an expensive way to baby the plants in spring. The plants outgrow the hoop houses so its not like they protect from Fall moisture in the battle against mold. Anyway, any advice on this would really be helpfull.
Whats the point of a hoophouse?
- Thread starter Nugga Boo
- Start date
bendoslendo
Member
Hoops houses also allow you to manipulate photo-period.
Greenhouses/hoophouses will block out some light, but the degree of blockage depends on the building material of course. Basically, they give you the advantage of controlling the environmental conditions in the outdoors, and keep your plants and soil at more constant temperatures. Plus you can protect your crops from spring frosts. It's what greenhouses are all about, right? There isn't much to it.
R
Rysam
GH's help keep the cold out and a small amount of heat in, thereby extending your season in the beginning. Just like HL, you can then use the frames for netting, or like my mentor does and makes them high enough that covering for rain is easy and cages each plant .
stringing some lights to extend the photo period can also extend the season by a few weeks.
longer season=bigger plants. my GH cost me 50$ for a roll of visqueen, thats it. costco carport frames are easy to come by if you ask around, 3/4"PVC is like 3$/20' stick, duct tape is another 5$.
less than 75$ and you have a temp. greenhouse/trellis frame/rain cover.
stringing some lights to extend the photo period can also extend the season by a few weeks.
longer season=bigger plants. my GH cost me 50$ for a roll of visqueen, thats it. costco carport frames are easy to come by if you ask around, 3/4"PVC is like 3$/20' stick, duct tape is another 5$.
less than 75$ and you have a temp. greenhouse/trellis frame/rain cover.
beans4theladies
Member
I luckily just built my hoop house a couple of weeks ago. The following day, s. california got drenched with rain. I would have lost my plants for sure without the hoop house.
During the summer I will be able to block out the High Temps of summer with shade cloth.
I grew 11' tall plants in a hoophouse this season. It definitely keeps the temps warmer. It also keeps rain off, and elk and deer out. It keeps wind off, too. The plants loved it. There was still some mold, but nothing like there would have been outside. the shelter aspect of it let me hang fans near the plants which would obviously not happen outside. Hoophouses are just very affordable greenhouses. Its up to you if you use transparent plastic, white plastic, or black "blockout" plastic for flowering. I use transparent plastic and actually put shade cloth on it since it gets so hot in the summer. The buds still get plenty of light. I pulled more than the equivalent of a 3 year supply off 5 plants.
I came across this if anyone is looking for an inexpensive way to make a hoop greenhouse.
http://www.albertahomegardening.com/how-to-build-an-inexpensive-hoop-style-greenhouse/
Here is a stronger version of the same style. I would use the design of this one regardless of what type of poly you use over the top. This one has a couple slight modifications but they increase the durability tremendously.
http://www.albertahomegardening.com/an-inexpensive-hail-proof-pvc-pipe-greenhouse/
Peace
http://www.albertahomegardening.com/how-to-build-an-inexpensive-hoop-style-greenhouse/
Here is a stronger version of the same style. I would use the design of this one regardless of what type of poly you use over the top. This one has a couple slight modifications but they increase the durability tremendously.
http://www.albertahomegardening.com/an-inexpensive-hail-proof-pvc-pipe-greenhouse/
Peace
catcherintheye
Active member
thanks for starting this thread.Maybe i can use screen on the side to allow maximal airflow otherwise it will be far too humid inside, i need a good protection from caterpillars.
why do people dig out their hoop houses? for headroom?
why do people dig out their hoop houses? for headroom?
beans4theladies
Member
I don't dig out mine but it would create a Basement effect, cooler in a hot summer. Yes, you can put Screen on the side. About May 1, I will be changing the plastic for Screen and shade cloth.
catcherintheye
Active member
is shade cloth that green stuff? where can u purchase. thanks.
T
theJointedOne
shade cloth is rated in the ammount of light it blocks so i.e. they have 5%, 10%, 20%
each one blocks out that much light, while still providing a somewhat decent cover for your plants from sight above. Also plants that are in constant full sun like to have a nice 5% shade cloth over it during the high noon hours to keep them cooler imo
dug outs are cool lol underground temps are more constant with less fluxuation so it helps to have your garden down a bit as long as you have ample airflow. you could even have one buried with just a clear roof, as long as you could regulate airflow in and out....dam now that would be tight, kinda like a giant pool but deeper''haha ok cool thread lets discuss more
edit also a great way to regulate your temps in GH's is to use water mass. line one side of your gh with large barrels of waterduring the day the water will warm up enough that as nightime temps drop the water has just enough heat to make your gh very very nice. I feel the fluxuation of temps day and night really has an effect on growth rate, the less the better imo.
also woodstoves work great in gh's
each one blocks out that much light, while still providing a somewhat decent cover for your plants from sight above. Also plants that are in constant full sun like to have a nice 5% shade cloth over it during the high noon hours to keep them cooler imo
dug outs are cool lol underground temps are more constant with less fluxuation so it helps to have your garden down a bit as long as you have ample airflow. you could even have one buried with just a clear roof, as long as you could regulate airflow in and out....dam now that would be tight, kinda like a giant pool but deeper''haha ok cool thread lets discuss more
edit also a great way to regulate your temps in GH's is to use water mass. line one side of your gh with large barrels of waterduring the day the water will warm up enough that as nightime temps drop the water has just enough heat to make your gh very very nice. I feel the fluxuation of temps day and night really has an effect on growth rate, the less the better imo.
also woodstoves work great in gh's
The idea of filling water barrels that heat up in the day and keep temps constant at night.. Thats brilliant! Ok so if I were to make a hoop house my length could be clear/white/ polly etc. But should I make the widths out of shade cloth? Seems like poly on the width and sides wouldn't provide airflow. Shade cloth on the front and back would give some pretty good airflow. Or one could roll the poly on the sides up the frame the same way one would roll up a pair of pants that are too long 
catcherintheye
Active member
All the norcal brilliance, no need for that here down south for me, I just need maximal airflow and pest control. Thanks jointed for the shadecloth knowledge ima get some 5% percent this summer and see if i can get the workings of a mini hoop house.
T
theJointedOne
The idea of filling water barrels that heat up in the day and keep temps constant at night.. Thats brilliant! Ok so if I were to make a hoop house my length could be clear/white/ polly etc. But should I make the widths out of shade cloth? Seems like poly on the width and sides wouldn't provide airflow. Shade cloth on the front and back would give some pretty good airflow. Or one could roll the poly on the sides up the frame the same way one would roll up a pair of pants that are too long
yeah I like the idea of being bale to roll up the poly when needed. A well designed one will be tight and without much slack on the creases and angles, just roll it up like a window shade. there are some really cool ways to do that, but imo a simple way is to just use heavy duty clamps lol
dude ive seen some dank grown under 5% in residential suburban backyards. Think sea of green outside. all less than 4 foot tall but full of buds Even 10% will grow you some fine cannabis.
