Hoop house

[Deleted]

It took me a while like all things I do now. My hoop house is up and plastic streached.I was elated till the heat is so intense it cooked all the plants I have in it. Sides are down and doors wide open. It is now june and the soil is even baking. Water is evaporated at a high rate. Maybe peppers will work. Anyone else have one? Zone 7a in Central Arkansas on the OK line. What do ya plant in it. O by the way it is 30' x 72' 14' tall.

Thanks for any replies.

[wolfmom]

www.noble.org/ag/horticulture/hoophouseheat/

Here's a good article on hoop house heat. 

Summer heat is good to sterilize your hoop house, kill bugs, etc. and to dry fruits & vegies. 

Now you know why commercial "hoop houses" have gigantic fans in them.

[Deleted]

Thanks Wolfmom. The Noble foundation is something I should have thought to resource. It is a great article. This hoop house is a great tool. I just need to figure out how to use it in my area. One thing I have figured out is it does dry out your firewood.

[Deleted]

Here, in Texas, shade cloth is a necessity on the hoop houses.

[Deleted]

Here in z3/4 my hoophouse would grow giant tomato plants but too hot for them to set tomatoes until it cooled off then was too late. It would get 120 on a hot day in July. I had four windows and a door for ventilation but still too hot. Took it down and now just use the raised beds. Everything doing great. I sure loved the hoop house in the real early spring, put my started plants out during the day but had to bring them back in at night.

[Maura]

Our hoop house has ‘windows’ above the doors at other end. They tip from the center so you can control the exhaust of air. But, we are in Michigan, so not the heat problems you have. We keep the soil moist when the temps are high. The water that evaporates rises to the plastic, then rains down.

[Deleted]

Most nurseries have hoop houses around here, but they are temporary, used to start sets, then converted to shade houses to keep tender plants from getting sunburn. Shadecloth removed for the winter and set up again, the next spring. I have hoops for my raised beds, can get an early start on cool season crops, warm the soil and keep the rain off as needed. Move it to another bed, warm the soil for an early set of warm weather crops. Reverse for fall/winter, keep warm weather crops from frost and then cool weather crops most of the winter. Still need a greenhouse for the hard freezes, but by then there isn't much in the greenhouse. Start sets in the greenhouse and acclimate them in the hoops before setting out....James