# hoop house raised bed



## brucehylton (Nov 6, 2010)

Do some gardening, but not enough. I am going to try putting a hoop house over my raised beds that I am slowly getting on line. They are 120 square feet total in 3 beds. Rain and cold is too hard to keep up with so would rather water and try to control temperature some. Anyone with any pointers or suggestions,I would be pleased to hear them. I am going toward raised beds to get away from some of the back pain and cut back on wild weeds that grow here. Some of which we harvest. Also hoping to extend growing season. Thanks in advance.


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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

Hoop house really works good for us over our raised beds. We have harvested 3 crops of mustard greens in one and some really nice broccoli in the other.

Temps got down to 15 one night and with these little oil lanterns if kept them alive and growing. Kerosene lanterns is what we use to call them. They have a glass globe and will burn all night for about 25 cent worth of lamp oil or kerosene, we use lamp oil because of smell but kerosene will work in a pinch. Of course its over $400 a gal,now.

Oil lamps with the glass globes really did the trick for us. Of course you have to uncover them soon as the sun comes out or they will burn up the plants.








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## Meerkat (May 31, 2011)

Here is the crop, we use every bit of the plant. The leaves and stems make good greens. We cut the woody part off some of the stems.


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## brucehylton (Nov 6, 2010)

That is what I want to do someday. I don't do good with the snow and rain we are having. Does look like a warming trend coming.


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## crabapple (Jan 1, 2012)

We used 2 X 4 frame & 6 mil clear plastic for hard wood cutting.
I have used soft metal or thin wall steel conduit to make hoop houses.
Concrete wire (150' X 5')for about $110.00 will work too.

I hope to try early planting with black plastic on the soil to warm it & hoop house/ solar hot house to get a jump on Spring by a few weeks.
Then plant new plant every 7 days to see if any late plant can caught up with the BP bed before the plant fruit.
If it works I will do it every year, if not then I will know what not to do.


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## Jewel (Sep 6, 2014)

Until I can get my greenhouse done I make coldframes with raised beds and old glass doors. The first year I just laid the doors on and raised or lowered as needed with rocks or wood. The next year I added hinges and handles which made it much easier to manage.

In Washington your winters are probably colder for longer periods of time so you might insulate around the raised beds with old hay or straw bales. They work wonderfully and come spring you can use them as mulch or plant right in them.


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