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I'm with Gordon... GO UTES!

Hoophouses are great. I love 'em. I've found that they
can hold up to 50mph winds pretty well. They can even hold
up to 70mph winds for a few minutes. But I have a batch of
6mil plastic that tends to tear apart along a seam line where
the plastic was folded when it was packaged.

My message is, if you have a climate like mine, and you have
any weak points in your plastic, get out some rubbing alcohol
and apply some duct tape, right away. I lost one my three
hoophouses yesterday.

Please come see my site at: http://idahopumpkin.tripod.com

Regards, Cliff

5/11/2004 12:57:45 PM

Puyallup, WA

Had to rebuild all five of mine this year just two days after they were built!!

5/11/2004 3:07:13 PM

I'm with Gordon... GO UTES!

Ouch!

5/11/2004 3:15:33 PM

Puyallup, WA

No....the "ouch" was the kidney stone attack that same night and subsequent manual surgery to remove it!

5/11/2004 3:40:44 PM

Wisconsin

I learned the "6-mil plastic - tear along the seam" lesson the hard way myself. I have since changed to 4 mil plastic and it works great (no tears in 2-3 yrs).

You would think that the thicker the better but the 4 mil poly is more flexible and doesn't seem to weaken at the folded seams.

5/11/2004 5:08:22 PM

Rexburg, Idaho

Cliff,
I suspect it was the quality of the plastic. I'm using the same 6 ml. stuff that I've used for the last three seasons. Mine has held up to the same winds without any problems. I ordered new plastic this year but didn't have to use it because the old stuff is holding up just fine. Sorry to hear about your wo's

5/11/2004 9:33:33 PM

Cheyenne, Wyoming

We have 30 to 50 MPH winds all the time here in Cheyenne. I learned this year, that the tighter I make the hoop house, the longer it will last in the wind.

Hoop House Attempt #1 this year was loose, and had tears in every seam the day after I put it up. A few days later, in a 50 MPH wind day, the entire thing was destroyed. Version #2 is very tight. We have had 30 to 50 MPH winds all day yesterday and today, and no tears at all. The key for me is getting the 6 ml. plastic as tight as possible.

5/11/2004 10:47:56 PM

Deer Park WA

Right on Beet! Another great trick is to set up the hoop house, let it stand closed up for a few days and get good and hot in the blazing sun then re-tighten it. We do this and have had zero problems even with 50+ spring winds, and the 6 mill lasts well after the vines are running out of the hoop houses. Also works great to heat up the planting site!

5/12/2004 1:22:19 AM

[email protected]

I'm with Gad's on the heat. Always stretch the plastic when its warm - hot. Cold plastic will not be tight once the warm sun gets to it.

We use a triangle shaped mini-greenhouse banged together, glued & screwed by grower/capenter Dennis Banning. I position the 6 mil plastic so the first fold runs right down the center bar. The staples attach the plastic to the frame on either side of the weakest area so none has ever torn here.

The triangle shape & weight of these things makes it nearly impossible for the wind to move them. See our '03 diary for pictures of Dennis's handiwork.

5/12/2004 7:08:23 AM

Utah

Cliff,
I agree with Brian it was probably just your specific plastic and the others that keeping them tight will really help things out. I think there are a lot of variables though. wind speed, wind direction, house shape, number of clips/attachments, sides and ends buried/secured etc...

I figure that typically I will only need the hoop houses for the month of May, so I build them small and low to the ground. about 6 ft wide x 8 ft long and 2-3 ft. high. I cut the plastic so that it has at least 1 ft extra on all side that I can bury or set a piece of plywood on it. It was really windy (guessing 50-60 mph) on monday at my place and the houses held up fine. The low profile makes all the difference in the high winds.

5/12/2004 10:04:23 AM

I'm with Gordon... GO UTES!

A lot of great posts here... the idea about 4mil plastic
is very interesting.

Yes, I have a newer batch of plastic this year that
doesn't seem to be as bad. Last year's batch, which I
used for the two traditional houses is pretty bad, and
sooner or later HH2 is going to split as well. It's already
splitting in places and I'm using a lot of duct tape to
try holding it together.

I'm currently on a dome kick, because they hold up to
wind even better... Like you said g1t, my version 2 of
the dome is wider and lower to catch even less wind.

Another thing I saw Brian doing a few years ago is to
stretch some cords over the top of the plastic to keep
it from flapping around. I haven't gotten that far yet!

Regards, Cliff

5/12/2004 11:12:43 AM

I'm with Gordon... GO UTES!

Stan! Get well soon!

5/12/2004 11:13:43 AM

Puyallup, WA

We're getting better every day! Thanks....Stan

5/12/2004 2:00:03 PM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

Another thing with the hoophouses. Take and stretch a piece of Parachute Cord. Between the conduit spans on the outside to keep the plastic tight. Kind of in a zig-zag pattern.

5/12/2004 2:49:24 PM

Rockford,il

I used to work at a place that had a garden center.We had a greenhouse covered with plastic.On the sides of the greenhouse we would attach a bungee cord at the base.Then we would tie clothesline rope to the bungee and go over the top of the greenhouse with the rope.The end of the rope was tied to a bungee on the other side of the greenhouse.We had 4 or 5 ropes over the greenhouse which gave the plastic extra strength.The bungee cords allowed the clothesline to give a little during high winds while still giving the plastic the extra strength it needed.

5/12/2004 8:20:23 PM

Kenyon, Mn.

I went with a dome(see diary)and I kept it smaller. Two days before I put em up, I had plans for a traditional House type, but I have nothing but a now open cornfield to the south and to the east, 1 day before, all my materials in the garage, we had 50 mph. winds, with gusts up to 80! Well the "dome" held up in the last two storms with winds in excess of 60, so I'm stickin to em, Lows tomight and tomorrow are to be in the mid 30's, Then it's a gonna be HOT!!

5/12/2004 8:54:28 PM