Will the Hoophouse survive the winter? What we did was easy for these two seniors to do!
While the weather is nice, it is time to work on the Hoophouse for the winter protection.
We are in the midst of some nice, warm, dry, fall weather and I thought that this was the perfect time to cover the Hoophouse for the winter.
Now, we have never had a Hoophouse/ greenhouse in the winter and we have no idea how strong these are or how well they will withstand the winter cold, winds, and snow/ice, here in Ontario, Canada.
We also don’t know if our strategy will be effective. All we can do is try and next year we will be wiser.
The big question was whether we could do it or not. Could two old people pull a 28’ long piece of plastic over the top of an 8’ tall greenhouse? We knew we were in for a challenge.
How we protected our hoophouse for winter
First, we attached tarp clips to the long edge of the sturdy 16’x28’ greenhouse plastic
We, then, attached a rope to each clip and threw the ropes over the Hoophouse, from the west side to the east side
Using the trampoline pegs for (already there, holding down the hoophouse), we used them for leverage to pull the plastic down, and, thus, over the top from the other side, covering the hoophouse. This worked great for these two retirees. We did it!!
Using more clips, we securely attached the plastic to the trampoline pegs on the first side, the west side, close to the ground. We decided that this side would get the worst of the winter winds, as it is a fairly open space
We, then, secured the second side, the east side, pulling the ropes as tight as possible. This will help to protect it from snow damage. With our hoophouse, this second side of plastic ended up being a couple feet off the ground. This side of the greenhouse is about 4’ away from a shed and, so, has some protection; we hope this still works
Next, we used clips and ropes again to secure the far end, which, again, is open to the wind.
Last step, is the main doorway. The plastic isn’t long enough to go all the way to the ground. We will use clips, ropes, and trampoline pegs to secure it the best that we can, once we close it up for the winter. We will just have to cross our fingers and hope that the wind doesn’t get under this end and wreak havoc.
And, then, we wait for spring to arrive and sigh a big sigh of relief. We hope.
The entire process took us less than an hour, which is less than expected, especially since we didn’t know how we were going to make it happen. It went up rather easily, actually.
What have we learned so far?
For our 20’x10’x7’ greenhouse, the 16’x28’ plastic wasn’t big enough.
The trampoline pegs are a wonderful investment.
The tarp clips seem to work great - no holes for ripping and we could fold the plastic, giving it a stronger hold
How do you protect the hoophouses/greenhouses on your homestead?
- Debbie
Update:
Just a few days later and we had high winds. Some cords were pulled out of the plastic but it held,overall.
We did add a 2” towing strap to one end, which really helped and ordered two more, to do the far end and the centre. We also re-did inside, tying the frame to the t-rails of my trellis fence. That also really helped.
Learning curve!!
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