Spent Sun. afternoon putting up a hoophouse. Tues. afternoon The freakin wind split the plastic so it's toast. Had planted lettuce, mustard, spinach which should be ok, and 2 broccoli plants. It blew on them all day and then got cold. I put plastic cloches on em but they look pitiful. I've got a couple dozen more. Still I want to try and nurse these babies. I couldn't just pull em up! But maybe they're suffering. What to do!!
We used 3 mil plastic I'd had in the garage from last year. It worked before but the hoophouse was only about 2 1/2 ft tall. The new one was about 5 ft high at the center. DH is making a lean-to greenhouse on the shed this summer so we have that to look forward to. Should've followed Lucy's rec of 6 mil. I'm sooo disappointed and frustrated...

3Mil plastic is WAY too thin for a hoop house! You need at least a 10 and preferably higher. Some proffesional growers I know also put a layer of light-colored landscaping fabric or burlap over the top 1/3rd to help with the wind and reduce the light on scalding hot days.

Oh what a bummer. That shouldn't happen to my Navy friends! Some people use 3 mil and get away with it for a year, but yeah, 6 mil is the way to go. It's lasted through hurricanes and blizzards on our hoophouses, which are a lot taller (10 and 12 feet).

I guess that one thing gardening is all about, is starting over.

Bummer. But you have learned a valuable lesson and a pretty cheap one if all you lose is 2 broccoli plants.

get 6mil UV stable greenhouse plastic next time and this will not happen to you again.

You also should get the houses up a couple of weeks before you want to plant anything in them so the soil has some time to warm up.

Spinach and lettuce do not need the protection of a hoophouse this time of year, nor does broccoli (though it sounds like yours got very shocked and they probably will pout the rest of their lives and never make big heads of broccoli, but will likely make lots of little heads all spring summer and fall if you keep them cut back).

I have lettuce in a hoophouse that I planted in Feb. and it is getting a bit bitter because of the heat in the hoophouse, it would probably be better if it was not in the hoophouse. than again if it was outside it would ne be ready for cutting and eating yet.

Just got back from dinner with DS. He and his college baseball team just got back from their FL trip and are staying 10 miles from here.They're playing games at the college here today (rained out) and hopefully tomorrow.So I'm feeling better now. The hoophouse was a sort of experiment since I've been reading Coleman's books. The goal is to try to grow some greens and maybe carrots to harvest next winter. Am trying to get a feel for if we'd like to do this on a bigger scale in a few years when we have the deed and control of these 80 acres. You are so right ,Lucy. It WAS a cheap lesson!
Do you have a local supplier for your plastic or do you order it somewhere? Thanks everybody for listening to me whine and patting my back. I'm over it now and ready to try again.

I er it from an Amish company in PA called Nolt's Produce Supply in Leola, PA. I don't have their address or phone off the top of my head. They, being Amish, have no web presence.

it was a cheaper lesson than when we used 3 mil plastic drop cloths to cover our first hoophouse. All went fine for the first 4 months than one day the plastic disincorporated and became confetti. Evil plastic confetti that was heading towards our certified organic land (plastic confetti is a big no no on certified organic land). Fortunately the winds shifted and the confetti landed for the most part in the GMO/conventional field adjacent to us. after that we have used UV stable greenhouse plastic.

BTW does your son ever shop at the Clear Creek Co-op on Earlham's campus? we supply them with fresh produce when we have it (which is most of the year these days). maybve he has eaten our food.

Oh yeah I covered up a pile of turkey manure one time with regular plastic. What a mess!! I picked up 1000's of those little d**n pieces.
No DS doesn't shop there. He said he gets his produce from the dining hall for free! To him maybe! We'll check it out next time we're there.

Bump