DIY Hinged Hoophouse Guide: Extend Your Growing Season Year-Round

Want to keep harvesting fresh vegetables through winter? Learn how to build a cost-effective hinged hoophouse for your raised bed garden. This step-by-step guide will show you exactly how to create a protective structure that extends your growing season and shields plants from harsh weather.

Essential Materials for Your Hoophouse Project

Before starting construction, gather these key components: • Two-by-fours for a sturdy frame base • PVC pipes for flexible support hoops • Six-mil greenhouse plastic for weather protection • Stainless steel hinges for easy access Choose materials that match your garden dimensions and local climate conditions.

Step-by-Step Construction Guide

1. Building the Foundation Frame

Start by measuring your raised bed's exact dimensions. Cut your two-by-fours to create a perfectly fitted frame that will serve as your hoophouse's foundation. Precise measurements ensure optimal protection for your plants.

Introduction to How To Build Your Hinged Hoophose

Hey Growers! James Prigioni here, ready to share a fun-filled journey of building my favorite raised bed cover with you. This isn't just any cover; it's a fortress for your green babies, protecting them from everything - bugs, frost, and even summers, sun-scorching rays. I will break this guide down into phases and steps accompanied by imagery. Now, let's roll up our sleeves, crunch some numbers, and create something awesome!

Phase 1: Measuring Your Beds

Grab your measuring tape, and let's get scientific! Measure the length and width of your raised bed. Let's say it's 6 feet long and 4 feet wide. These dimensions will guide buying the right amount of lumber and PVC.

Phase 2: Material Math

Lumber: You'll need enough to go around your bed. For our example, that's two 6-foot pieces and two 4-foot pieces.

PVC Pipes: Here’s where it gets cool. To find the length of PVC needed for each hoop, use this formula: Length of PVC per hoop = Half the width of the bed (radius) multiplied by 3.14 (pi). So, if you have a bed four feet wide, that's a 2ft radius x 3.14 = 6.28ft (multiple by 12 for inches) per PVC pipe hoop.

To determine how many PVC pipe hoops you will need for your bed, use this rule of thumb: you will always have one hoop on each end and atleast one in the middle. If you have an extra long bed (10ft+) then consider arches every 3-4 feet apart. For most beds you’ll have three arches. One on either side and one in the middle.

Calculate your caps and T-joints needed:Total PVC Caps: 2 per PVC pipe hoop

Total T-Joints: 3 per end PVC hoop (each end has 3x2 end hoops = 6 T joints per bed)

Phase 3: Building the Frame

You're creating the skeleton of your plant haven. Cut your lumber, and make a rectangular frame that fits just outside the raised bed. Pre-drill holes (to prevent wood splitting) and use deck screws for a firm hold. This frame is the sturdy base of our garden bed cover.

Phase 4: Arching to Perfection

It's time to create the cathedral arches. Attach PVC caps along the frame. Then, bend the PVC pipes into arches, anchoring them into the caps. Secure with T-joints for that extra sturdiness. Finally connect the PVC to the T-joints and tape for strength. Imagine you’re crafting a mini greenhouse - because you kind of are!

Step 5: Cover Me Up

Choosing Your Armor: Insect netting is your bug shield, shade cloth is your cool canopy, and greenhouse plastic is your frost fighter. Pick your guardian based on your garden’s needs.

Cut and Attach: Cut the material to size, ensuring it covers the frame and the arches completely. Staple it with conviction and passion! This is your garden's first line of defense.

Step 6: Hinges and Helpers

Optional but handy: Hinges. Why? They make your cover a convertible – easy to lift for daily plant tending. Install them on one side of the frame for that smooth swing.

Step 7: The Final Run-Through

Wrapping Up

There you have it, my fellow green-thumbed friends, a raised bed cover that’s more than just wood and plastic. It’s a mini sanctuary for your plants. Remember, in gardening and life, the journey teaches us the most. So enjoy every cut, every measurement, every moment.

Need a Garden Cover but don’t have the tools to build it yourself? Check out the affordable and versatile Cover System here at TeamGrow.us

Until next time, keep growing, learning, and loving your garden!

Keep Sowing,

James Prigioni & Tuck 🌿🛠️🍅