I have used dollar tree hula hoops. Just cut them and remove any noise maker beads. I also took the decorative cover off, then I got pool noodles (also from the dollar tree) and slipped the pool noodles on the hula hoops. Then I took some iron concrete reinforcement rods and drove them into the soil next to the inside edge of the bed. The hula hoops slip onto the rods. You can use short rods for low hoops or longer rods for taller hoops. I felt like the pool noodles helped keep the plastic cover tighter and in place and didn’t burn through the plastic in the sun. I have used the hoops for 3 years so far.
About the cattle panels: Bring your cutting tool to the store. After you purchase your cattle panel you can cut it (out in the parking lot) before you load it into the bed of the Dodge. That is what I am doing.
regarding PVC... you can make it last almost forever if you put a coat of paint on it. The UV is what deteriorates it and a coat of paint will take care of that.
I've found it takes latex paint (just hand-brushed with a sponge brush) really well. I just lightly sanded by hand and matched the hoops to my garden shed! I used high hoops with holes drilled through and strung with twine to "twine" my tomatoes and had a bumper crop in a very small footprint.
I work at a farm/ ranch supply outlet. A cattle panel measures about 50". A hog panel is 34". The length is 16 feet. Easily cut with bolt cutters. The price should be around 22 bucks each. Ask if there are damaged panels that can be had for less. Our store always has several damaged panels waiting to find a good home in a garden bed. They will usually let you pick through the defective selection as they are rejected by ranchers. Cheers, good people. Bob
Absolutely. I cut 4' off which makes a nice 12' hoop for my tomatoes. Then I wire together the 4' pieces and make a shorter trellis for beans and cucumbers.
Easy listening, good voice and volume control. No unecessary flare or self promotion. Great simple cages shared with your fellow gardeners. Amazing. Thank you for this video, it inspired me to make my own.
Considering row covers for the eggplants in the spring here in Denver. Enjoyed your presentation. No dog. No music. Only content. To the point. Thanks.
STRONG suggestion: ANY time you are working to bend or manipulate wire mesh (even chicken-wore)), use safety glasses. I am not someone to use much PPE, but that wire can take out an eye too easily if it slips or springs unexpectedly.
You've gotta be talking about the cross brace stabilizer poles for scaffolding, cause when I look up 'construction ladder', all I see is pictures of ladders.
I’ve used children’s hola hoops from the dollar store in my beds. The colourful skin comes off, but the hoops have now been used 2 years and are still fine. I don’t garden in the winter.
Agreed, electrical PVC conduit is UV resistant and meant for aboveground and underground applications. You'll be dead before it degrades lol. Or at least have a new garden.
To continue sharing - I do realize a lot of DIY builders will put their wood support strips on the outside of their small to slightly larger PVC hoop house, or raised bed cover using PVC pipe, but I want to recommend attaching the wood strips on the inside to reduce friction wear on the sheet plastic cover, or other coverings. If you are using the wood strips to attach the sheeting/covering, then outside of the hoops might work better, unless you want to place the wood strips inside and cut more wood strips to match the thickness of the PVC pipe for a tight as a glove fit. Lumps, or bumps in the framing tends to cause localized friction spots that end up reducing the serviceable lifespan of the sheeting, so I tend to want to not have any lumps, or bumps in the design of the hoop framing. It is also why I will use any sort of UV resistant strapping for the ribs/framing that reduces friction wear during windy days. UV resistant strapping is also used on the outside of the plastic covering to keep it from lifting during windy days since reducing how much it can move helps to reduce friction wear and damage.
@@stevelandreth1247 I normally use a doubled sided sticky tape made to be used outside in the weather. Once I am confident all is as it should be, I used the flat head screws usually used for metal lath and stucco. They have a very slight, almost flat head, come in various lengths, and will secure to all sorts of materials. Normally more than enough strength as a fastener.
Yeah, that's a problem. Consider not drilling holes in the bottom, maybe a few higher up, and then any rain or normal watering will be held in the bottom and keep the whole thing moist.
Last fall, I built a hoop house that covered both of my 4 x 8 raised gardens and the 3-foot walkway between. I connected two 10-foot, 3/4 inch PVC tubes with a t-connector using a kind of PVC glue designed for that. I made three of these, set them down over rebar, and stabilized it with furring strips on both sides. It worked, but here's what you should not do... Don't glue them as I did! It creates a garage storage problem. Also, while I liked the roominess of the hoop house, it was hard to cover with the plastic, which didn't always hold up well under snow. My errors admitted, the size of my hoop house did allow me to put a huge compost pile inside, and I was able to plant orphaned bargain perennials from my local garden center inside that were otherwise no longer sellable. They regained their vigor over the winter and I planted them all this spring. Plus, it gave me a reason to muck around in the garden in January. Fun, eh?
I would like to do something like that. What growing zone are you in? We don't get a lot of snow here, but we do get some and I was wondering what thickness of plastic you used.
I'm just about to start building one of these here in New York zone 7A. I am going to test out some things and see if they make it through the frosty weather
Thanks for this. What do you think would work better than the glue - or do you think the t-connector is sufficient? I’m really interested to try out your idea
I love your videos! Thanks for your dedication! Tip: I took my bolt cutters and a tape measure to my local farm store and just cut up five cattle panels to length in the parking lot. Fit right in the bed of my truck and noone gave me any hassles.
Thank you so much. As many years as I've been gardening I never knew how to make hoops. Now that I'm 67 and knees don't work so well I want to switch to raised beds. You made this so simple to understand. Your manner of teaching is very calming and to the point. FYI I just finished my tomato canning for the year. Two weeks worth of kitchen mess,but worth it all.
SUSAN DYSON: Hi Susan, I have a sore back and arthritis in my knees as well, so kneeling in a garden is not possible anymore, so I’m going to have my husband make elevated garden boxes for me, instead of me bending to to get to the ground, I’m going to bring the ground up to me. Pinterest has some good ideas you can look at for ideas so you end up with exactly what you want. The design I like is on legs that way my feet can get under the box (like kitchen cabinets) and let’s me get close to the box without stretching and knocking my back out, (the joys of getting older😒). I just thought I would share my ideas, that would keep you and others gardening longer.
Great videos..thank you.. Susan..you may..and Scott also..like Charles Dawson‘s videos...also a gentle explanation of how to do things in a simple way...
@@SwedeInCPH Hi, I would prefer to use wood but in my HIGH water table garden, even reclaimed wood, that is at least 50 years old rots! even when embedded in concrete..or raised on concrete plinthes! Very frustrating...LOL But I suppose, judging by the small animal activity..Loads of red worms, wood lice etc.. I am doing the soil some good..LOL Came up with NOT quite a solution, but it sort of works.... I plant trees! Just a bit apart from the structural bits. By the time they rot (structural bits) The trees have taken over as supports. Grape vines left to romp a bit grow really big trunks after 10 years.and hold the fences in place. So now I erect a fence using the horrible chain link on the cheapest reclaimed stuff I can find. Grow grape vines, vertically and horisontally through it. LOL. Any trees, basically. Just grapes are the fastest! I know what you are saying, But sometimes wood is NOT an option! Especially when about 3 times the price of pvc piping! Good Luck with your gardenin, may all your seeds be bountiful!
Okay, I learned several things here. I now know what a jig is, how to use one, where to get one, the size of cattle panels, what conduit is and what it is used for. Tons of information in this video! Subscribing right now, lol.
You know what that particular jig is and how to use it for that particular purpose. A jig is anything that makes an operation quicker or easier or more accurate or all or any combination there of. Mostly used for repetative tasks and/or when things need to be the same and/or exact.
@@TheRebelmanone So you are saying it can't be used for gardening? You probably should let all of the youtube gardeners who use it in their gardens that they aren't suppose to do that. Should watch the video before you "lol" since he says "This is what they use in home construction to run electrical wires." Should I "lol" now?
You have NO idea just how helpful this video was for me and many many other people. I have two raised beds and a couple in ground beds. I’ll be doing the rebar/PVC option.
Love these ideas. For my hoop, I use the 4 ft x 8 ft wire grids that you see used in sidewalk or driveway concrete. i don't cut them, just place in the raised bed and bend. The one i am using now is 4 years old and still holding up.
Gardener Scott! Just found your videos, Love them! You are teaching the book I meant to write 45 years ago! You have even inspired my husband to get involved after all these decades. Excellent presentations! Love your common sense. Thank You !
We built rectangular pvc frames by using various pvc connectors. The legs of the frame are stabilized with rebar as shown in the video. The advantage is that you can make your frames as tall as you want/need. We draped nylon mesh from the fabric store over the frame. The mesh is small enough to keep out insects, strong enough to keep out rodents, and ventilated enough to allow in air and sunlight.
@@clevelandeastsider878 when the plants are blooming and require pollination. That can also be done by hand but is tedious. For example, you can grow squash with row cover to isolate pest insects, then take the cover off once the first blooms appear. By that point the plants will be more robust and less prone to insect damage that will kill them like when they were seedlings.
This is exactly what I want to make! I want a “greenhouse” frame with a usual greenhouse plastic cover for the winter, but a mesh insect proof cover I can put on it for summertime! I’m surprised no company makes that already!
@clevelandeastsider878 a blooming crop like peppers, squash, strawberries during flower would need to allow pollinators. Non blooming such as cabbage can be constantly covered.
I was able to transport a 16ft cattle panel on top of my Highlander SUV. I folded the panel in two, used Zip ties to hold the ends together, Set it on the roof rack and used tie down straps to hold it in place. worked like a charm but I only used side streets to get it home. Also, Our local Tractor Supply carries 8ft panels.
Our local Tractor Supply store used to allow the workers to cut the panels down in size to fit in our SUV. The last time I went, a worker was doing exactly that for me (the 2nd time I bought a few from the store). A manager pinged him to help with another customer and when he found out the employee was cutting a panel for me, he told the employee that they could no longer do that. The worker was "half way" through and was embarrassed that he could not finish. So, he left the outside area and went back into the store, for me to finish it myself. I did that. But, I was annoyed that no one even circled back around to see if I needed help loading it up. I was just abandoned outdoors in the middle of the task. Terrible customer service. I understand if their policy changed; but, since the employee did not know and was half-way through cutting it, the manager should have allowed him to finish what he started. And, at the very least, check back to see how I was doing cutting it on my own or to help load it. So, you can always use a bolt cutter to cut a panel down on site. It doesn't take too long to do it at the store, if you know what size you need.
Extremely helpful. Nobody in my local hardware, farm, or Home Depot had a clue what I was talking about to protect my peas from growing into the bird netting. This idea came to me, and this video shows me easier ways to install. Thank you.
My friends in east Texas want to create a hail screen for newly-planted seedlings and this gives them an easy quick introduction to hoops. Scott even mentions hail in his demo here.
I do this on a smaller scale using rolled copper pipe and copper mesh (lacquered to maintain original color) to support snow/snap peas cedar patio planter. Obviously not the most cost effective option but it works great and I’m obsessed with the look! It’s kinda like “garden art” or adult Legos. Plus, it seems to deter the slugs and snails 🐌
So incredibly helpful. Getting ready to make a hoop house with the PVC pipe. And you made it look like something I can accomplish easily by myself. Double bonus.
Wait how do you get the rebar inside if there’s an end cap on it?? You’d have to drill it out I guess. Unless I’m missing something. Lol which is def possible
EXCELLENT VIDEO! You did a GREAT job presenting! I wish my garden was HALF as good as yours! I will pray for America. Please pray for me. God Bless you.
We wanted to use cattle panels for vine veggies and tomatoes, but because of transportation issues we weren't able to. When I look at items, I try to see how I could use them in our gardens. We have twin-sized head & foot boards in our raspberry patch to keep them a bit contained. But as I walked through Home Depot last year I saw mesh panels used for concrete re-enforcement. They are 7' x 3.5', not quite as thick as cattle panels, but way easier to transport home. I cable-tied them to the roof racks on my Jetta to get them home. They work fantastic for peas, cucumbers and squash. I will be picking up more soon to use for my tomatoes. I haven't tried to use them as hoops. I just cable tie them to T-posts. They also work great for holding up hops! But I will be showing this video to my other half!
My local farm store will cut cattle panels for me (charge $1/cut but only need one to get them to the usable/portable 8' size. If you want the "tag ends" cut off so each end of the new smaller panel is straight, it goes up to $2 per panel, still worth it to me since I'm not strong enough to use bolt cutters.
Fantastic video. You probably didnt know when you made it that the direction the world was going was going to "sprout" lots of aspiring gardeners! Thanks a bunch from U.P. of Michigan zone 5b with a ton of snow and very short growing season:)
Not only is his gardening knowledge great .....I like the way he speaks slowly and very concisely... pressed like....subscribed and looking forward to many great videos
Why would anyone give this video a thumbs down, unless they dislike gardening? That would mean they don't like to eat! Great information on hoops and the jig--and I love the raised beds.
Really well done. To the point, no wasted BS. Good images and camera angles. Great ideas. I'm in the process of making some raised beds and around our farm I've found many of the materials you are suggesting just laying about in various junk piles. All will now be recycled for use as hoops. Well done!!
This was a very informative video. I shared the I k with my fellows gardeners at the community garden. We donate about 1/2-2/3 of our harvest to a small local food bank. Birds and squash bugs have been a huge problem. This video will help us a lot. Thank you so much!
I had deer decimate my garden last year, then I spent the winter putting in 6' fence around the property (with an extra foot wire stringer at the top). Now I have groundhogs decimating my spring garden. I'm hoping using a hoop system and cover will help. Thanks for the thorough treatment of this topic!
Great ideas Scott and so clearly explained. One thing I do with the poly tubes is to insert thin bamboo into the tubes and long enough that the bamboo ends themselves can go into the soil. I do agree that the other materials are sturdier. I suppose I could buy a cattle panel somewhere and cut it in the yard of the store. It might then fit in my car. Maybe I could do the bending there too!
great video, very helpful! if you know what length you're gonna cut your hogwire panels to, just take your boltcutters to the store and cut them to size after you buy them and they'll easily fit in your truck.
Glad I found this channel. Very well presented garden lessons. Gardener Scott - you're a master of hoop making...hope my efforts are half as successful! Thanks for the help!
Thank you! The sun is radiating my plants and soil. Ruled out everything else. In AZ. With your video I was able to easily purchase the supplies and get hoops up to put shade cloth on. Appreciate it.
you can mount metal brackets on the outside of the beds to create holder slots for the pvc if you don't want the pvc to break down and contaminate the soil (assuming that's the problem)
Incredible video!!!!! We have debated the past month how to install hoops in our 20 garden boxes and just came across your video. We have all the material you reference left over from other projects (watering system etc). Our original cost estimate for the special commercial hoops would have been 3 or 4 times the cost ! We thank your for sharing your very in depth and innovative approach.
Mr Scott, thank you! I am new to homesteading, but last year (and partially this year so far), I've lost SO many crops to stupid cabbage moths and even bunnies. I tried to put together some mesh cages but they were clunky and not very easy to work with. This video has been such a lifesaver, I love all of your advice, and am getting ready to head to Lowe's to pick up material and try again. Thank you so much
I made new hoops this spring as my old ones needed to be replaced. As I am 85 y/o and garden in a over-55 community, I only have three 3 x 12 beds, and we are limited in height so we don't shade our neighboring beds. I made low hoops using 10' 3/4 PVC cut in half , supported on rebar. Another lady helped me bend the hoops. I pinned down the plastic edges with pins I cut from the corners of wire coat hangers, and punched some holes in the top of the plastic to prevent pooling and to let some water through. I repurposed a TV cable sleeve as clamps. Even old folks can do this stuff.
Thank you. This is a very thorough explanation on how to create these hoops. I will be using your ideas to prepare my raised beds for the coming season.
Thank you for your gardening wisdom. I already have a roll of 1/2" PVC I purchased a few years ago I just put in 2 metal raised beds this winter and need to make some hoops for shade cloth. I live in SW FL and the sun is brutal on my plants. This will be one of my immediate gardening projects.
I've used schedule 80. 3/4" pvc conduit for the last 10+ years. Still going strong. Schedule 80 is uv resistant and doesn't break down like schedule 40 does.
I must say very well presented and as a bonus the cattle panels are exactly the trick I will use. Great ideas and great video. Imagine, I understood every word you said ! These cattle panels keep out the bugs, squirrels, chipmunks, birds and me out of the garden beds and that will make my wife very happy. Thanks.
I used cattle panels on my wicking beds, they're good but hard to work through.I made it square and left one side open.If your bed is long you have to take it off or put you arms through the squares.
We used cattle panels to fence our whole garden to keep deer out. Deer totally devastated the garden the year before, and I was about to give up! But after putting up the cattle panel fence we had the best garden ever. It did not stop raccoons, rabbits or squirrels, but there was enough food for all of us!
This was so helpful, thank you! I just salvaged tension tent poles (the kind with the shock cord inside) from an old leaky tent for my hoops, but was struggling with how to anchor them in the bed. I'm going out to buy pipe clamps/straps this second! For people using PVC hoops, OklahomaGardening had tips on using PVC clamps or a cut section of old garden hose to secure your row cover to the hoops. :)
Thank you Scott this is exactly what I was looking for... Just went down to Tractor Supply and got 2-4x8 panals a ($22.99 ea) little expensive but for something that's going to last a long time worth it. Thanks again
If you prefer pvc you can use the grey pvc electrical conduit which is uv resistant so it won’t deteriorate outdoors. I’m not sure about any price difference though.
I just found your channel. It's quite informative. But I wish things were still as cheap as you mentioned. The cost of the electrical conduit setup costs at least $40 where I live. $12 for a length of conduit alone.
Awesome video! One of the Most informative videos on raised bed hoop coverage ever! With the actual demonstrations. 👍🏻👍🏻 We are in the process of making our raised beds now and this has REALLY helped me. Thank you.
Great video. I used the cattle panels for the roof of my "hoop house" (re-purposed dog run) it worked well. I have a couple of panels left over as I wanted extra to use on my raised beds as you have just shown in the video. Glad I watched this before I actually came to getting mine in place. Oh, and by the way, my local farm store delivers so for people without means of transportation or unable to get them any other way, that might be an option.I think there might have been a small delivery fee but as my neighbour and I shared a delivery it wasn't very much. Take care and stay safe, Sandie from Ontario Canada.
Thank you so much for all this information and the demonstrations! I just finished a few raised beds and couldn't decide on how to add animal and bird-proof hoops for netting. This video gave me several choices that I can use. Excellent video Scott!
Loved the video! The only thing I wish you would have covered is how to secure the plastic, shade cloth, etc to the hoops. Thanks again for this awesome video!
I have used dollar tree hula hoops.
Just cut them and remove any noise maker beads. I also took the decorative cover off, then I got pool noodles (also from the
dollar tree) and slipped the pool noodles on the hula hoops.
Then I took some iron concrete reinforcement rods and drove them into the soil next to the inside edge of the bed. The hula hoops slip onto the rods.
You can use short rods for low hoops or longer rods for taller hoops.
I felt like the pool noodles helped keep the plastic cover tighter and in place and didn’t burn through the plastic in the sun.
I have used the hoops for 3 years so far.
Brilliant! Thanks
Great idea! Thank you.
Absolutely brilliant! Thank you
lol genius! I see your point about the pool noodles.
That’s a great idea. Thank you for sharing with us. I never would’ve thought of that.
About the cattle panels:
Bring your cutting tool to the store. After you purchase your cattle panel you can cut it (out in the parking lot) before you load it into the bed of the Dodge. That is what I am doing.
Mopar or no car.
That’s what I was thinking!
I have a very small hatchback and can only fit about 4-5’ lengths in it.
@pamsmith7369 it's what i do with my small suv. Cut long panel into sections in parking lot. Then they fit in vehicle.
regarding PVC... you can make it last almost forever if you put a coat of paint on it. The UV is what deteriorates it and a coat of paint will take care of that.
I've found it takes latex paint (just hand-brushed with a sponge brush) really well. I just lightly sanded by hand and matched the hoops to my garden shed! I used high hoops with holes drilled through and strung with twine to "twine" my tomatoes and had a bumper crop in a very small footprint.
Right on, Phil. Problem solved!
Thank you
@Pb&j Astronaut just use latex paint and don't stick them in the earth...
@Pb&j Astronaut Don't use lead paint. Use waterborne voc-free latex.
I work at a farm/ ranch supply outlet. A cattle panel measures about 50". A hog panel is 34". The length is 16 feet. Easily cut with bolt cutters. The price should be around 22 bucks each. Ask if there are damaged panels that can be had for less. Our store always has several damaged panels waiting to find a good home in a garden bed. They will usually let you pick through the defective selection as they are rejected by ranchers. Cheers, good people. Bob
The cut off extra pieces can make for a trellis if mounted to rebar or T-posts. Nothing should go to waste for a creative gardener, am I right Scott ?
Absolutely. I cut 4' off which makes a nice 12' hoop for my tomatoes. Then I wire together the 4' pieces and make a shorter trellis for beans and cucumbers.
Easy listening, good voice and volume control. No unecessary flare or self promotion. Great simple cages shared with your fellow gardeners. Amazing. Thank you for this video, it inspired me to make my own.
I was going to buy greenhouse for $3000 but now plan is cancelled. You just saved me at least $2000. Thank you so much. Love from Australia.
Never seen such a detailed explanation ever for a garden hoop... with a demo as well!
Amen! Me either. This was awesome
Me neither as well.
What a great teacher from a certified teacher. I am not a diy person, but I feel confident to do all these. Wow. Thank you!
This teacher also says A+. Wonderful presentation.
Considering row covers for the eggplants in the spring here in Denver. Enjoyed your presentation. No dog. No music. Only content. To the point. Thanks.
Thanks for teaching me how to easily protect my plants from insects and some critters!
STRONG suggestion:
ANY time you are working to bend or manipulate wire mesh (even chicken-wore)), use safety glasses.
I am not someone to use much PPE, but that wire can take out an eye too easily if it slips or springs unexpectedly.
I found something called a construction ladder at Home Depot that cement guys use and they make great hoops!
You've gotta be talking about the cross brace stabilizer poles for scaffolding, cause when I look up 'construction ladder', all I see is pictures of ladders.
You can also buy grey pvc (meant for outdoor electrical applications) it doesn't de-laminate as quickly as regular plumbing pvc!
Yes, that can be a better option.
Thank you
I’ve used children’s hola hoops from the dollar store in my beds. The colourful skin comes off, but the hoops have now been used 2 years and are still fine. I don’t garden in the winter.
Agreed, electrical PVC conduit is UV resistant and meant for aboveground and underground applications. You'll be dead before it degrades lol. Or at least have a new garden.
And it’s less noticeable.
To continue sharing - I do realize a lot of DIY builders will put their wood support strips on the outside of their small to slightly larger PVC hoop house, or raised bed cover using PVC pipe, but I want to recommend attaching the wood strips on the inside to reduce friction wear on the sheet plastic cover, or other coverings. If you are using the wood strips to attach the sheeting/covering, then outside of the hoops might work better, unless you want to place the wood strips inside and cut more wood strips to match the thickness of the PVC pipe for a tight as a glove fit. Lumps, or bumps in the framing tends to cause localized friction spots that end up reducing the serviceable lifespan of the sheeting, so I tend to want to not have any lumps, or bumps in the design of the hoop framing. It is also why I will use any sort of UV resistant strapping for the ribs/framing that reduces friction wear during windy days. UV resistant strapping is also used on the outside of the plastic covering to keep it from lifting during windy days since reducing how much it can move helps to reduce friction wear and damage.
That makes sense. Thank you.
Lol
How do you attach the wood stops to the pvc pipe, screws?
@@stevelandreth1247 I normally use a doubled sided sticky tape made to be used outside in the weather. Once I am confident all is as it should be, I used the flat head screws usually used for metal lath and stucco. They have a very slight, almost flat head, come in various lengths, and will secure to all sorts of materials. Normally more than enough strength as a fastener.
Also, rain will go inside your bed instead of outside.
This is BY FAR the most helpful video I've seen with regard to protecting plants from too much sunlight and too much rain! Thank you sooooo much!
You're very welcome, Sandy. Thanks!
I only dream of too much rain in drought-ridden Central Texas...
Yeah, that's a problem. Consider not drilling holes in the bottom, maybe a few higher up, and then any rain or normal watering will be held in the bottom and keep the whole thing moist.
@@GardenerScott hmmm. My beds dont have a bottom. I put cardboard on the ground then my beds....
@@AndreaS-oq7sw Try using wicking beds. I live in a dry part of Australia and starting using them this year. Amazing.
Last fall, I built a hoop house that covered both of my 4 x 8 raised gardens and the 3-foot walkway between. I connected two 10-foot, 3/4 inch PVC tubes with a t-connector using a kind of PVC glue designed for that. I made three of these, set them down over rebar, and stabilized it with furring strips on both sides. It worked, but here's what you should not do... Don't glue them as I did! It creates a garage storage problem. Also, while I liked the roominess of the hoop house, it was hard to cover with the plastic, which didn't always hold up well under snow. My errors admitted, the size of my hoop house did allow me to put a huge compost pile inside, and I was able to plant orphaned bargain perennials from my local garden center inside that were otherwise no longer sellable. They regained their vigor over the winter and I planted them all this spring. Plus, it gave me a reason to muck around in the garden in January. Fun, eh?
Good for you! A gardener who thinks and improvises is a good gardener.
I would like to do something like that. What growing zone are you in? We don't get a lot of snow here, but we do get some and I was wondering what thickness of plastic you used.
I'm just about to start building one of these here in New York zone 7A. I am going to test out some things and see if they make it through the frosty weather
Great post, you got me to 🤔
Thanks for this. What do you think would work better than the glue - or do you think the t-connector is sufficient? I’m really interested to try out your idea
Excellent video: no filler, tons of info clearly presented, options. A+
I want a gardener Scott. Because frankly I have no idea what I’m doing in the garden!
Same lol
I love your videos! Thanks for your dedication! Tip: I took my bolt cutters and a tape measure to my local farm store and just cut up five cattle panels to length in the parking lot. Fit right in the bed of my truck and noone gave me any hassles.
This was a great video. I’m going to use the conduits. Discovered a whole new way to make some cold frames! Thank you.
Thank you so much. As many years as I've been gardening I never knew how to make hoops. Now that I'm 67 and knees don't work so well I want to switch to raised beds. You made this so simple to understand. Your manner of teaching is very calming and to the point. FYI I just finished my tomato canning for the year. Two weeks worth of kitchen mess,but worth it all.
Thanks, Susan. Congratulations on your canning. I look forward to next year when my new garden will supply enough to can as well.
SUSAN DYSON: Hi Susan, I have a sore back and arthritis in my knees as well, so kneeling in a garden is not possible anymore, so I’m going to have my husband make elevated garden boxes for me, instead of me bending to to get to the ground, I’m going to bring the ground up to me. Pinterest has some good ideas you can look at for ideas so you end up with exactly what you want. The design I like is on legs that way my feet can get under the box (like kitchen cabinets) and let’s me get close to the box without stretching and knocking my back out, (the joys of getting older😒). I just thought I would share my ideas, that would keep you and others gardening longer.
Great videos..thank you..
Susan..you may..and Scott also..like Charles Dawson‘s videos...also a gentle explanation of how to do things in a simple way...
PVC is toxic!
What’s wrong with wood?
@@SwedeInCPH Hi, I would prefer to use wood but in my HIGH water table garden, even reclaimed wood, that is at least 50 years old rots! even when embedded in concrete..or raised on concrete plinthes! Very frustrating...LOL
But I suppose, judging by the small animal activity..Loads of red worms, wood lice etc.. I am doing the soil some good..LOL
Came up with NOT quite a solution, but it sort of works.... I plant trees! Just a bit apart from the structural bits. By the time they rot (structural bits) The trees have taken over as supports. Grape vines left to romp a bit grow really big trunks after 10 years.and hold the fences in place.
So now I erect a fence using the horrible chain link on the cheapest reclaimed stuff I can find. Grow grape vines, vertically and horisontally through it. LOL.
Any trees, basically. Just grapes are the fastest!
I know what you are saying, But sometimes wood is NOT an option! Especially when about 3 times the price of pvc piping!
Good Luck with your gardenin, may all your seeds be bountiful!
One comment. Use gray pvc conduit instead of piping, it comes UV treated and will last much longer.
Okay, I learned several things here. I now know what a jig is, how to use one, where to get one, the size of cattle panels, what conduit is and what it is used for. Tons of information in this video! Subscribing right now, lol.
Thanks, Emma.
Yea, conduit is used for gardening. lol
@@TheRebelmanone
He did tell you what (else) it is used for.
You know what that particular jig is and how to use it for that particular purpose. A jig is anything that makes an operation quicker or easier or more accurate or all or any combination there of. Mostly used for repetative tasks and/or when things need to be the same and/or exact.
@@TheRebelmanone So you are saying it can't be used for gardening? You probably should let all of the youtube gardeners who use it in their gardens that they aren't suppose to do that. Should watch the video before you "lol" since he says "This is what they use in home construction to run electrical wires." Should I "lol" now?
You have NO idea just how helpful this video was for me and many many other people. I have two raised beds and a couple in ground beds. I’ll be doing the rebar/PVC option.
Love these ideas. For my hoop, I use the 4 ft x 8 ft wire grids that you see used in sidewalk or driveway concrete. i don't cut them, just place in the raised bed and bend. The one i am using now is 4 years old and still holding up.
I heard someone on another channel mention that too.
Out of all the videis I've seen, yours is the best. You explain in such a way that's is easy to understand. Thank you.
Gardener Scott! Just found your videos, Love them! You are teaching the book I meant to write 45 years ago! You have even inspired my husband to get involved after all these decades. Excellent presentations! Love your common sense. Thank You !
This is the single most useful vid on RUclips!
Thank you very much!
We built rectangular pvc frames by using various pvc connectors. The legs of the frame are stabilized with rebar as shown in the video. The advantage is that you can make your frames as tall as you want/need. We draped nylon mesh from the fabric store over the frame. The mesh is small enough to keep out insects, strong enough to keep out rodents, and ventilated enough to allow in air and sunlight.
Good ideas. Thanks.
What about bees? Is there a time of year to not use to allow bees?
@@clevelandeastsider878 when the plants are blooming and require pollination. That can also be done by hand but is tedious. For example, you can grow squash with row cover to isolate pest insects, then take the cover off once the first blooms appear. By that point the plants will be more robust and less prone to insect damage that will kill them like when they were seedlings.
This is exactly what I want to make! I want a “greenhouse” frame with a usual greenhouse plastic cover for the winter, but a mesh insect proof cover I can put on it for summertime! I’m surprised no company makes that already!
@clevelandeastsider878 a blooming crop like peppers, squash, strawberries during flower would need to allow pollinators. Non blooming such as cabbage can be constantly covered.
I was able to transport a 16ft cattle panel on top of my Highlander SUV. I folded the panel in two, used Zip ties to hold the ends together, Set it on the roof rack and used tie down straps to hold it in place. worked like a charm but I only used side streets to get it home. Also, Our local Tractor Supply carries 8ft panels.
My TSC only sold the 16' length! Wow...would love it if they carried 8' panels.
Our local Tractor Supply store used to allow the workers to cut the panels down in size to fit in our SUV. The last time I went, a worker was doing exactly that for me (the 2nd time I bought a few from the store). A manager pinged him to help with another customer and when he found out the employee was cutting a panel for me, he told the employee that they could no longer do that. The worker was "half way" through and was embarrassed that he could not finish. So, he left the outside area and went back into the store, for me to finish it myself. I did that. But, I was annoyed that no one even circled back around to see if I needed help loading it up. I was just abandoned outdoors in the middle of the task. Terrible customer service. I understand if their policy changed; but, since the employee did not know and was half-way through cutting it, the manager should have allowed him to finish what he started. And, at the very least, check back to see how I was doing cutting it on my own or to help load it. So, you can always use a bolt cutter to cut a panel down on site. It doesn't take too long to do it at the store, if you know what size you need.
Best row cover video EVER! Thank you!
Thank you, Thom!
I agree!
Extremely helpful. Nobody in my local hardware, farm, or Home Depot had a clue what I was talking about to protect my peas from growing into the bird netting. This idea came to me, and this video shows me easier ways to install. Thank you.
My friends in east Texas want to create a hail screen for newly-planted seedlings and this gives them an easy quick introduction to hoops. Scott even mentions hail in his demo here.
I do this on a smaller scale using rolled copper pipe and copper mesh (lacquered to maintain original color) to support snow/snap peas cedar patio planter. Obviously not the most cost effective option but it works great and I’m obsessed with the look! It’s kinda like “garden art” or adult Legos. Plus, it seems to deter the slugs and snails 🐌
So incredibly helpful. Getting ready to make a hoop house with the PVC pipe. And you made it look like something I can accomplish easily by myself. Double bonus.
Thanks for the great ideas. I might add to seal each ends of the pipes as to eliminate places for slugs and ear wigs to hide.
That could be a good idea.
Haha! I thought sealing the ends was to prevent the rough end from ripping a hole in the cover. Guess I know two uses for it now☺️
What do you seal it with?
@@girlnextdoorgrooming PVC end caps.
Wait how do you get the rebar inside if there’s an end cap on it?? You’d have to drill it out I guess. Unless I’m missing something. Lol which is def possible
EXCELLENT VIDEO!
You did a GREAT job presenting!
I wish my garden was HALF as good as yours!
I will pray for America. Please pray for me. God Bless you.
Nice!
Could also use ratchet straps to do a controlled bend of the cattle panel!
We wanted to use cattle panels for vine veggies and tomatoes, but because of transportation issues we weren't able to. When I look at items, I try to see how I could use them in our gardens. We have twin-sized head & foot boards in our raspberry patch to keep them a bit contained. But as I walked through Home Depot last year I saw mesh panels used for concrete re-enforcement. They are 7' x 3.5', not quite as thick as cattle panels, but way easier to transport home. I cable-tied them to the roof racks on my Jetta to get them home. They work fantastic for peas, cucumbers and squash. I will be picking up more soon to use for my tomatoes. I haven't tried to use them as hoops. I just cable tie them to T-posts. They also work great for holding up hops! But I will be showing this video to my other half!
My local farm store will cut cattle panels for me (charge $1/cut but only need one to get them to the usable/portable 8' size. If you want the "tag ends" cut off so each end of the new smaller panel is straight, it goes up to $2 per panel, still worth it to me since I'm not strong enough to use bolt cutters.
Fantastic video. You probably didnt know when you made it that the direction the world was going was going to "sprout" lots of aspiring gardeners! Thanks a bunch from U.P. of Michigan zone 5b with a ton of snow and very short growing season:)
Excellent video!! Wish you were here now. This is what I’ve needed for a month but I’m not capable of anything but the pvc
Shop in the electrical dept. for PVC conduit. it is sun light , AKA, UV resisant and about the same price as plumbing PVC pipe in sch 40.
Thank you. Is it hard to work with?
@@adeliadeazeredo4032 no it's as flexible as Plumbing PVC
I think one of the taller hoop setups would work to keep birds off my blackberries. Thank you Gardener Scott for these helpful ideas.
Greetings from South Africa. Cattle panel gets my vote. Great ideas, well presented.
Not only is his gardening knowledge great .....I like the way he speaks slowly and very concisely... pressed like....subscribed and looking forward to many great videos
Thanks, Kirk. Welcome to the channel.
This is an award winning video! So thorough! Thank you 😊
Awesome video. You change the mind of my husband of 21 years of arguments. Thank you so VERY much.
I like how practical you are when explain things.
love your explicit instructures.
Why would anyone give this video a thumbs down, unless they dislike gardening? That would mean they don't like to eat! Great information on hoops and the jig--and I love the raised beds.
Thanks, David!
This fella doesn't beat around the bush.
I used your pvc hoopdesign in my garden here in Norway this summer. Worked out great! Thank you for the inspiring video!
Really well done. To the point, no wasted BS. Good images and camera angles. Great ideas. I'm in the process of making some raised beds and around our farm I've found many of the materials you are suggesting just laying about in various junk piles. All will now be recycled for use as hoops. Well done!!
This was a very informative video. I shared the I k with my fellows gardeners at the community garden. We donate about 1/2-2/3 of our harvest to a small local food bank. Birds and squash bugs have been a huge problem. This video will help us a lot. Thank you so much!
Tube straps! I had no idea they existed. Brilliant. I had been using rebar.
I had deer decimate my garden last year, then I spent the winter putting in 6' fence around the property (with an extra foot wire stringer at the top). Now I have groundhogs decimating my spring garden. I'm hoping using a hoop system and cover will help. Thanks for the thorough treatment of this topic!
Catch and eat the critters...or get a cat.
@@robotnik77 I agree with the 1st suggestion :)
But will a cat scare away deer?
@@robotnik77 or a dog with teeth! Or a .22 cal with teeth.
Genius....I’m all in on the hoops.
Thanks!
Great ideas Scott and so clearly explained. One thing I do with the poly tubes is to insert thin bamboo into the tubes and long enough that the bamboo ends themselves can go into the soil. I do agree that the other materials are sturdier. I suppose I could buy a cattle panel somewhere and cut it in the yard of the store. It might then fit in my car. Maybe I could do the bending there too!
Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions
Very thorough and informative. Thank you, Scott!
great video, very helpful! if you know what length you're gonna cut your hogwire panels to, just take your boltcutters to the store and cut them to size after you buy them and they'll easily fit in your truck.
Glad I found this channel. Very well presented garden lessons. Gardener Scott - you're a master of hoop making...hope my efforts are half as successful! Thanks for the help!
Thank you! The sun is radiating my plants and soil. Ruled out everything else. In AZ. With your video I was able to easily purchase the supplies and get hoops up to put shade cloth on. Appreciate it.
Great video, wonderful instructor. Thanks!
I just started my raised bed and I’m glad I ran into your page!
you can mount metal brackets on the outside of the beds to create holder slots for the pvc if you don't want the pvc to break down and contaminate the soil (assuming that's the problem)
For vine tomatoes, you can drop twine from the tops of the hoops and hang grow them
Incredible video!!!!! We have debated the past month how to install hoops in our 20 garden boxes and just came across your video. We have all the material you reference left over from other projects (watering system etc). Our original cost estimate for the special commercial hoops would have been 3 or 4 times the cost ! We thank your for sharing your very in depth and innovative approach.
20 !!! My Dream 😊
The twins and I will following and learning from your channel. Teaching life skills to my babies. Much success
Great video for seeing the big picture, offerring several options for materials, and mentioning a lot of different things you use them for. Love it.
I love the shape and height of the conduit!
Mr Scott, thank you! I am new to homesteading, but last year (and partially this year so far), I've lost SO many crops to stupid cabbage moths and even bunnies. I tried to put together some mesh cages but they were clunky and not very easy to work with. This video has been such a lifesaver, I love all of your advice, and am getting ready to head to Lowe's to pick up material and try again. Thank you so much
Fascinating video I'm in my 60s and I've not that long really got into gardening I can vouch your right ❤
Thank you so much you have taught me a lot! This is my second year gardening and I am trying to get prepared so thank you very much for your wisdom.
I made new hoops this spring as my old ones needed to be replaced. As I am 85 y/o and garden in a over-55 community, I only have three 3 x 12 beds, and we are limited in height so we don't shade our neighboring beds. I made low hoops using 10' 3/4 PVC cut in half , supported on rebar. Another lady helped me bend the hoops. I pinned down the plastic edges with pins I cut from the corners of wire coat hangers, and punched some holes in the top of the plastic to prevent pooling and to let some water through. I repurposed a TV cable sleeve as clamps. Even old folks can do this stuff.
I'm impressed! Great to hear your plan.
I'm impressed! Great to hear your plan.
Thank you. This is a very thorough explanation on how to create these hoops. I will be using your ideas to prepare my raised beds for the coming season.
You're welcome, Marci.
Thank you Gardener Scott. I referred to your video as I made my hoops. I enjoyed your teaching approach.
I made these hoops from 3/4" pvc (and 1/2" x 2' rebar spikes). I used red pvc from Home Depot. They are beautiful! Thanks so much for the guide!
Thank you for your gardening wisdom. I already have a roll of 1/2" PVC I purchased a few years ago I just put in 2 metal raised beds this winter and need to make some hoops for shade cloth. I live in SW FL and the sun is brutal on my plants. This will be one of my immediate gardening projects.
I've used schedule 80. 3/4" pvc conduit for the last 10+ years. Still going strong. Schedule 80 is uv resistant and doesn't break down like schedule 40 does.
For a 4 ft wide raised bed what length conduit would you use? Also how far above the growing surface is the peak of your conduit?
I must say very well presented and as a bonus the cattle panels are exactly the trick I will use. Great ideas and great video. Imagine, I understood every word you said ! These cattle panels keep out the bugs, squirrels, chipmunks, birds and me out of the garden beds and that will make my wife very happy. Thanks.
I used cattle panels on my wicking beds, they're good but hard to work through.I made it square and left one side open.If your bed is long you have to take it off or put you arms through the squares.
Great video! Looks like cattle panels may be the solution to my deer problem!
We used cattle panels to fence our whole garden to keep deer out. Deer totally devastated the garden the year before, and I was about to give up! But after putting up the cattle panel fence we had the best garden ever. It did not stop raccoons, rabbits or squirrels, but there was enough food for all of us!
You just saved me over $100 I have cattle panel already Thanks
That's great!
this video is all types of Greatness.
Thanks Scott! This has been extremely helpful.
This was so helpful, thank you! I just salvaged tension tent poles (the kind with the shock cord inside) from an old leaky tent for my hoops, but was struggling with how to anchor them in the bed. I'm going out to buy pipe clamps/straps this second!
For people using PVC hoops, OklahomaGardening had tips on using PVC clamps or a cut section of old garden hose to secure your row cover to the hoops. :)
Thank you Scott this is exactly what I was looking for... Just went down to Tractor Supply and got 2-4x8 panals a ($22.99 ea) little expensive but for something that's going to last a long time worth it. Thanks again
Excellent video. Clear, concise, informative, and presented in a warm and approachable way. Thank you, Scott!
Very good video! Full of info in a straight forward manner.
I love the idea of using rebar to secure the hoops!
I bought a 12 pack of 2 ft rebar to trap some raccoons. I only needed 2! Now i can repurpose them for my plants! Yes Lord!
The best video on hoop information.
If you prefer pvc you can use the grey pvc electrical conduit which is uv resistant so it won’t deteriorate outdoors. I’m not sure about any price difference though.
I just found your channel. It's quite informative.
But I wish things were still as cheap as you mentioned. The cost of the electrical conduit setup costs at least $40 where I live. $12 for a length of conduit alone.
Awesome video! One of the Most informative videos on raised bed hoop coverage ever! With the actual demonstrations. 👍🏻👍🏻 We are in the process of making our raised beds now and this has REALLY helped me. Thank you.
With all the thank you’s I figure I add one more. This video is very very good. Thank You
Great video. I used the cattle panels for the roof of my "hoop house" (re-purposed dog run) it worked well. I have a couple of panels left over as I wanted extra to use on my raised beds as you have just shown in the video. Glad I watched this before I actually came to getting mine in place. Oh, and by the way, my local farm store delivers so for people without means of transportation or unable to get them any other way, that might be an option.I think there might have been a small delivery fee but as my neighbour and I shared a delivery it wasn't very much. Take care and stay safe, Sandie from Ontario Canada.
Thanks for the suggestion, Sandie.
I think your videos are where I always go when I need to do garden work!
Thank you so much for all this information and the demonstrations! I just finished a few raised beds and couldn't decide on how to add animal and bird-proof hoops for netting. This video gave me several choices that I can use. Excellent video Scott!
Such a great run down on different options. Thank you!!
We mainly use the cattle panels. Thank you for another great video! Luvs, Sherri
Thanks, Sherri.
Loved the video! The only thing I wish you would have covered is how to secure the plastic, shade cloth, etc to the hoops. Thanks again for this awesome video!
Thanks! I use spring clamps on the hoops to secure the covers.