This blog follows-on from my earlier one about Raised Bed Construction. I show the reader how I constructed a hoop-tunnel for the raised beds. It is my intention to plant winter vegetables in these beds. I shall cover the hoops with a horticultural fleece when the weather becomes colder, hopefully this will promote plant growth over the winter.
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- 1. New raised beds.
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- 2. This is an anchor for one leg of a hoop. The anchor consists of a t-bar with a central post. The t-bar has two hooks. These hooks can be used for attaching netting.
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- 3. I hammer the anchor in with a 10lb hammer and protect the anchor with a scrap of timber. I position the anchor so the t-bar rests on the side of the raised bed. This will ensure the anchors are at the same height.
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- 4. Unfortunately, the hoops are 20cm wider than the width of the bed, so I will slant the hoops diagonally. I anchor one leg of the hoop and mark the position of the other leg of the hoop in the soil.
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- 5. Here is the mark in the soil. This is where I place the next anchor.
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- 6. I hammer in the second anchor.
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- 7. Both ends of the hoop safety anchored to the ground.
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- 8. Six hoops erected (at an angle) 1 metre apart.
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- 9. View from above.
Before
1. New raised beds (see my previous post)
After
9. View from above.
We’re planning to continue growing certain veggies through our cold Canadian winter in our coldhouse, using the same method of adding row cover over the crops. This is a really nice little how-to.
I like this idea. We are not growing on that kind of scale yet, but I will be interested to see how this works for you in your winter time.
Keep following my blog, there is more to come on this topic.
Just reviewed your blog. We share a common world view, no doubt.
Question: Could you tell me a bit about the Charlton Estate Trust?
The trust own property which they wish to put to use for the long term benefit of both the trust’s beneficiaries and the biosphere. They are trying to use sustainable management techniques such as permaculture to achieve this. The trust is also mindful that the mankind is coming towards the end of the fossil fuel age and wish to safeguard the welfare of its beneficiaries through the Long Emergency.
I wish you luck !! We’ve been using that method in PA for a number of years now and it’s lovely to dig out thru a meter of snow to the cold house & harvest root crops & lettuces for dinner or to send home fresh with guests. We use a double layer of plastic with an air space, and because it gets as low as -10F a ‘frost blanket’ over the veggies. For the first 2 years, we used an insulated tarp like is used in the forestry industry to keep tree seedlings from freezing – but the frost blanket (rather like quilt batting) doesn’t need additional row / bed hoops to keep it off of the plants. It also lasts longer than the plastic tarp. @Maggie. You don’t need a tremendous amount of space to do this – but it does work much better with a raised bed than not.
That’s is fantastic advice, thank-you.
Wow! This is great. I have always wanted something like this in my yard. You have given me hope!
I’ve wante dto build a hoop house for some years, but have resisted the temptation so far as I’m worried about strong winds, living on the coast it can get a bit breezy! Do you know how well this kind of design stands up to string winds?
The metal hoops stand-up to wind very well. The covering-material or netting you use needs to be pegged-down properly. I am using heavy duty tri-pegs with clips and bungees.
I am also thinking of using cleats on the raised beds to anchor the coverings.
See links below.
http://www.harrodhorticultural.com/heavy-duty-tripeg-pid8402.html
http://www.harrodhorticultural.com/cling-on-bungees-and-clips-4-pack-pid7853.html
Thanks!
Another really detailed and informative plan. I am SO glad that I found this blog!
It makes me so happy that you are happy
I’ve been using a similar method of raised beds since ’96 with much success. You’ve done a great job showing all the steps. Well done!
Thank-you
I’ve nominated you for the One Lovely Blog Award
http://solarbeez.com/2012/12/16/one-lovely-blog-award/
Bless you. You are so kind.