pvc length and type on a hoop house

What is the best length to make a hoop out of PVC? I was thinking of making it out of 6 ft length pvc for my greens in a 4 x 4 sq ft bed. That would make it 3 ft in the the center. I wanted to put a hoop on each end. Basically 4 ft apart. Would this work?
Should I use scheduled 40, 600 psi PVC pipe or 200 psi pvc pipe use for lawn irrigation? It's more flexible.

austin

I've seen pictures of hoops made with hula hoops. Hoop strength probably isn't an issue unless you live in an area of heavy snowfall.

9-10 feet is a common hoop length because pvc water and electrical pipe are most commonly sold in 10 foot lengths. That length also makes the sides taller for taller plants on the outer rows.

I use 3/4" polypipe distribution tubing. It comes in a roll and is MUCH cheaper than pvc pipe. It works really well with garden clips. In fact I made a pile of the clips using polypipe and a small hand pruner. I found i liked the 8' lengths better than the 6' lengths but I was covering peppers and eggplants.

Here is a file on using hte garden clips but has lots of info on the whole covering beds in general. It goes over how tall to make your coverings.
http://cdn.territorialseed.com/downloads/GardenClipSystem.pdf

Hi Austin,

Welcome to the forum. I live just south of you in Double Oak. We have a pipe bender and use 10' pieces of emt (metal) pipe for our hoops. You're welcome to come see if you'd like. Just send me a pm if you'd like to see them.

Thanks
Gloria

Turan do tell more on making these clips. Since you are using 3/4 pipe do you use 3/4 same pipe to make clips? This is the answer to my tulle attachment problem. Thank you for the info in this link.


not to mention polly covers

Pepper wrote:Turan do tell more on making these clips. Since you are using 3/4 pipe do you use 3/4 same pipe to make clips? This is the answer to my tulle attachment problem. Thank you for the info in this link.


not to mention polly covers

I use the same polypipe the hoop lengths are from. I just cut a dozen or so pieces that are hand width or so, 4-6" and then split them along one side. My hand pruners have no trouble cutting it. Longer than 6" gets a bit harder to handle. They stretch out enough to slip on to the hoops and hold plastic or tulle. They are not as strong a hold as the pvc pipe ones, but a lot easier.

Thank you Do you cut out any material or just split them?

If you we're to make your own PVC ones would you do it different? Looks like PVC would need some material
Cut out and the edges smoothed.
Again
For the link and the ideas it triggered

schedule 40 10 foot long 1/2 inch diameter

Pepper wrote:Thank you Do you cut out any material or just split them?

If you we're to make your own PVC ones would you do it different? Looks like PVC would need some material
Cut out and the edges smoothed.
Again
For the link and the ideas it triggered

I just split them the polypipe has plenty of spring to spread far enough. The PVC ones I bought have a 1/8th" slit taken out. I think boffer posted once on making them using a band saw? I was going to try using my hack saw and then pruning slivers off until I got the right fit.

Turan wrote:I use 3/4" polypipe distribution tubing. It comes in a roll and is MUCH cheaper than pvc pipe. It works really well with garden clips. In fact I made a pile of the clips using polypipe and a small hand pruner. I found i liked the 8' lengths better than the 6' lengths but I was covering peppers and eggplants.

Here is a file on using hte garden clips but has lots of info on the whole covering beds in general. It goes over how tall to make your coverings.
http://cdn.territorialseed.com/downloads/GardenClipSystem.pdf

Thanks you for the article, it was very helpful.

Austin

thegreatcob wrote:schedule 40 10 foot long 1/2 inch diameter

Thank you .

Austin

I found this research study done at Colorado state university on frost protection with using concrete reinforcing mesh covered with 4-mil plastic.

http://www.cmg.colostate.edu/gardennotes/722.html

Austin

the paper misses the simple concept when talk about wall o water. the fact that using the correct techniques they can be stacked. the idea of stacking them was invented in Edmond OK,USA in the 1980's but alas the method is not well known.

Turan wrote:I use 3/4" polypipe distribution tubing. It comes in a roll and is MUCH cheaper than pvc pipe. It works really well with garden clips. In fact I made a pile of the clips using polypipe and a small hand pruner. I found i liked the 8' lengths better than the 6' lengths but I was covering peppers and eggplants.

Here is a file on using hte garden clips but has lots of info on the whole covering beds in general. It goes over how tall to make your coverings.
http://cdn.territorialseed.com/downloads/GardenClipSystem.pdf

turan, the polypipe distribution tubing, is this the same as flex tubing from rain bird irrigation that you get from lowes or home depot or is this a specially made pipe for hoop houses?

Austin

Turan wrote:I use 3/4" polypipe distribution tubing. It comes in a roll and is MUCH cheaper than pvc pipe. It works really well with garden clips. In fact I made a pile of the clips using polypipe and a small hand pruner. I found i liked the 8' lengths better than the 6' lengths but I was covering peppers and eggplants.

Here is a file on using hte garden clips but has lots of info on the whole covering beds in general. It goes over how tall to make your coverings.
http://cdn.territorialseed.com/downloads/GardenClipSystem.pdf

I went outside to double check exactly what I have.
So here is the correction~
1/2" Orbit distribution tubing.
Austin, I think this is the same as what you are talking about. As long as it is 1/2" or so.
It is used in irrigation systems.

Turan wrote:

Turan wrote:I use 3/4" polypipe distribution tubing. It comes in a roll and is MUCH cheaper than pvc pipe. It works really well with garden clips. In fact I made a pile of the clips using polypipe and a small hand pruner. I found i liked the 8' lengths better than the 6' lengths but I was covering peppers and eggplants.

Here is a file on using hte garden clips but has lots of info on the whole covering beds in general. It goes over how tall to make your coverings.
http://cdn.territorialseed.com/downloads/GardenClipSystem.pdf

I went outside to double check exactly what I have.
So here is the correction~
1/2" Orbit distribution tubing.
Austin, I think this is the same as what you are talking about. As long as it is 1/2" or so.
It is used in irrigation systems.

Are you able to insert any pictures of what you have done. What is keeping the tubing from collapsing or falling over? Your idea is great, question? Has your idea been winter tested for you.

has55 wrote:

Turan wrote:

Turan wrote:I use 3/4" polypipe distribution tubing. It comes in a roll and is MUCH cheaper than pvc pipe. It works really well with garden clips. In fact I made a pile of the clips using polypipe and a small hand pruner. I found i liked the 8' lengths better than the 6' lengths but I was covering peppers and eggplants.

Here is a file on using hte garden clips but has lots of info on the whole covering beds in general. It goes over how tall to make your coverings.
http://cdn.territorialseed.com/downloads/GardenClipSystem.pdf

I went outside to double check exactly what I have.
So here is the correction~
1/2" Orbit distribution tubing.
Austin, I think this is the same as what you are talking about. As long as it is 1/2" or so.
It is used in irrigation systems.

Are you able to insert any pictures of what you have done. What is keeping the tubing from collapsing or falling over? Your idea is great, question? Has your idea been winter tested for you.

I pushed the pipe over a stake made from something like rebar. The stakes went inside my beds down into the subsoil. The polypipe slips over it, same as using PVC pipe. I used a bamboo piece as a top spreader and then added a tie down piece of twine from the center top of the front hoop down to the bed edge. My stakes are slicker than rebar, so when the wind came up with the plastic film on the hoops it tried to take off like a sail. So I tethered it. When all was closed it was not a problem, just when the wind came up while I was at work.

It was plenty strong for anything that happened this last spring and summer. That included some late snow storms and hail and high winds. The plastic decayed so I have not tried it for winter. I think with a 4X4 bed I would cross the hoops and tie them at the cross, you can see this done by many on this site. Next year I will use the hoops and clips to hold row covers over the early plantings and then tulle over the broccoli.

Here it is newly set up last May with polypipe clips holding the plastic on.


Here it is inside. I opened the front on warm days and closed at night until it was warm enough.


I hope this helps answer questions.

Thank you, Turan. This was very helpful. Thanks for the pictures.

Austin

Thanks GloriaG for showing me how you are using the metal hoops in your SQF. It was a fantastic teaching! I'm going to use your method. It is simple, cost effective and will last for many years. I also enjoyed how you designed your coverings using the row covers and plastic sheeting to protect your plant. The zipper and tie off method was ingenious. But my great joy was the amount of fall/winter plants that were growing. They were strong, spaced well and colorful. My hat off to you.

Thanks you again for sharing.

Austin

Thank you Austin, I appreciate it.
Hope your garden does well this spring.
Gloria

???? Turan. Did you just split the tubing or did you remove a portion of it???
I have looked at the 'store bought' versions of this and they have about 1/4 an inch slice removed and rounded corners.
It would seem to be hard to use PVC without removing a slice of material.
Hobby Lobby has something similar for cross stitch or quilting looms. The ones I bought are just larger than the 1/2 in PVC I already have. I have not yet used any but will post pics when I do.

I plan to put up a hoop house this year so this is interesting with views on other sources. I'll be following it to get ideas.

Pepper, I just split the short lengths of polypipe tubing. It has plenty of spring to it. It does not hold as hard as the PVC ones. So I used these for the lower coverings for peppers and eggplant. The PVC bought ones I used for the tall cover for the cucurbits.

Here is one I made last spring. I rolled up a piece of paper for reference (8.5" long) and for the white contrast to show the slit.

I hope that helps.

Turan it makes sense to just split the poly, I was
Questioning making some out of PVC. Stiff as it is I was thinking taking a slice out would make it easier.

Pepper wrote: Turan it makes sense to just split the poly, I was
Questioning making some out of PVC. Stiff as it is I was thinking taking a slice out would make it easier.

I agree. I haven't tried it yet but have the goods to do so. I was going to use a hack saw blade from the inside of the PVC pipe piece for a starting slit. Then use my jack knife to whittle the slit wider until it works on a practice bit of pipe. I think boffer made some using his band saw. Maybe try searching the forum to see what he did?