Hoophouse and High Tunnels

Hoophouse? High tunnels? Take your pick on the name They are often used interchangeably. Both describe a structure for use in the garden. They are similar in size and shape but depend upon you for the name.

I call ours a high tunnel.

High tunnels are tall enough to walk in comfortably and to grow tall trellised crops such as tomatoes.

The cost is much less than commercial greenhouses and can be as little as $0.50 per square foot. They are usually covered with a single layer of plastic and are passively ventilated. They may have roll up sidewalls and end walls that can be opened or removed.

They have no heat but can have row covers within to provide additional protection from cold temperatures. Crops grown in zone 5 with two layers of protection are approximately equivalent to zone 7 as far as winter hardiness is concerned.

Compared to open field conditions, plastic covered high tunnels result in a warmer production environment during late fall, winter and spring.

Crops grown in a high tunnel result in increased crop yields and improved quality as well as decreased incidence of pest and disease problems.

There is a lot of interest in high tunnels now and the internet is filled with sites on both high tunnels and hoophouses. There have also been seminars and reports of great success from market growers.

My high tunnel was put up this spring and so far I am growing lettuce and spinach in it. The growth has been faster than the plantings outside in the garden. I am now putting tomatoes in the high tunnel and will advise on the results of that experiment.

This coming winter, I intend to extend the production of greens and spinach in my high tunnel.