I have 2 grandsons, 8 & 9, who are homeschooled. I live with my son's family. I am putting together plans to build a 20' x 40' hoop house (high tunnel). This will serve as a continuing education project for the boys as they grow up.
We live some 7 blocks from Galveston Bay, Texas, which is in hurricane zone A, the second most vulnerable. Flooding and high winds are our 2 major issues. The flooding is well addressed and not a concern for the main house. The hoop house will flood routinely each year, usually 1"-3", once or twice a year for a day and then the water drains away. In peak hurricane floods, 24", about every 10 years and this may take 2-5 days to drain. I have watched several videos about high wind preparedness for hoop houses in Ireland and Europe, up to 120 mph. I feel as if I can address that issue with confidence. What I am looking for is input for various design-construction features.
Considerations:
1) My main source of building information has been videos on YouTube, such as Bootstrap Farmer. I would prefer to build a hoop house with higher side walls though, somewhere like 5'-6'. See attached photo. What are some of the problems that I am going to have to overcome when adding 3'-4' to the sidewalls where the kit walls appear to be mostly 2 feet high?
2) Sunlight and the accompanying high summer temperatures are my biggest concerns. We get up to 2 months of 90+ degree F temperatures. Usually, the highest temperatures are about 97 degrees F. The proximity to Galveston Bay is a great help in keeping temperatures below 100 degrees F. I shall have to use a shade cloth of some type. Suggestions?
3) Ventilation fans are something else to add. Recommendations? Capacity?
4) Both sides will be roll up. What is the best type/make of gearbox to use?
5) The ends are still undecided. The far end from the house will be next to the slope of the drainage ditch and fence at the side of the lot. I anticipate no doors here, probably only a vent fan in the eave. The "front" end of the hoop house shall have to be the "busy end" with a vent fan and a door. Electric and plumbing shall also enter here. I am still undecided as to what size door to use. I don't need a tractor-sized door, just a wheelbarrow size.
6) I shall be using drip irrigation. Some citrus trees and several espaliered fig trees (Celeste, LSU Purple, and Olympia) will be planted in the ground. Other plants such as Dragon Fruit, dwarf papayas, ginger, garlic, Italian/Greek oregano, rosemary, mint, pineapple, etc. will be container grown. I also have a hydroponic setup that I shall use, probably for strawberries. Anything else is still open for discussion. The boys want blueberries, but they are problematic as they require chill hours in excess of what are probably available here - its close. What else are those of you who are on the Gulf Coast growing?
7) Are there any suggestions as to the fence rail pipes that are needed? I have heard that American made are preferred. Does someone have a preferred source, and why? Yes, I plan on buying fence rails and bending them ourselves. Money needs to be budgeted and watched carefully. So, precut-bent hoop house kits are not under consideration.
Site preparation? Is a flat area preferred, or should we be looking at a slight slope to facilitate drainage? I have seen that 2 layers of cardboard topped off with a weed barrier cloth is a good way to go where container growing is done on benches. What about some sort of small gravel on top of the weed barrier cloth?
9) Termites are a major consideration, so we shall have to avoid wood in contact with the ground. Yet, this is difficult. How safe is it to use treated lumber on the hoop house?
10) If I have missed something of importance, please let me know.
Thanks for reading if you got this far, and thanks for any input that you contribute.
Cliff.
