Sommer Gardens / Friday, February 3, 2012 / Categories: Random thoughts, Greenhouse Mission Accomplished 2 ......well almost. A few weeks ago I started my second greenhouse project for Sommer Gardens, a new hoop house. This project followed the completion of a large shade house friends and I constructed during the holidays. While I really wanted to build a nice greenhouse with a heater and fans, finances dictated I switch to a less expensive hoop house kit.The kit arrived on a 16 foot pallet, three quarters of a ton of tightly bound galvanized steel pipe ready to be assembled. Its new home was going to be an open air growing area on the north side of our recently completed shade house project. This area had been cleared of plants earlier when the shade house was completed and the plants relocated inside it.The first step was to level the land. The area had a 2.5 foot slope from one corner to the opposite corner. Once the ground was fairly level we assembled the hoops and set the supporting poles in concrete around the perimeter.The following day we installed a perimeter rail and raised the hoops. The hoops were then secured with purlins to bind them together. After that we constructed the end frames which further secured the structure and will eventually support a sliding door.With the structure now complete, the sand floor was covered with ground cloth and the sprinkler system assembled. I opted not to bury the sprinkler pipe in case I decide to change the sprinkler type down the road. When completed, this hoop house will be used to grow out seedlings and plants for my online store that opens in a few weeks. I also be using it for propagation.Now it was time to start moving plants in from the adjacent shade house. That filled up about half the open space. I have a "work till you drop" weekend ahead of me to pot up freshly rooted cuttings. That project should completely fill up the hoop house by the end of this weekend.With the beautiful weather we are now experiencing, I opted to wait a few weeks before affixing the shade cloth to the frame and closing up the ends of the house. I currently do not plan to cover the house with poly unless freezing temps are in the forecast. Normally the seasonal poly would be affixed November-March.Once the shade cloth is up I can proclaim "Mission Accomplished"!With the 2012 triathlon season starting in less than a month, I just need to remind myself that this is only a hobby and not my real job. :) An Angel Trumpet that is on fire Brugmansia White Cloud x Pink Smitty Print Rate this article: No rating 18315 Tags:Brugmansiagreenhousenurseryshadehousesommer gardens