Introduction This 5.5 meters wide by 9.1 meters long PVC high tunnel is constructed using PVC pipe for hoops. Longer structures, up to 29 m, may be constructed with the addition of hoops. Additional support and purlins may be necessary. A crew of four can easily construct a high tunnel of this design in a…
High tunnels are passively vented, solar greenhouses that are used to lengthen the production and marketing season of vegetable and fruit crops (Figure 1). No artificial heating/cooling or ventilation system is used within the high tunnel, and the only external connection is water for drip or micro-irrigation. Most high tunnels are covered with a single…
The type, size, etc. of high tunnels doors are important to their users. Doors influence ease and safety of access, high tunnel structural integrity, and the ability to maintain the targeted set of conditions in the structure.Doors also vary in cost.The Extension Vegetable Physiology Lab (EVPL) at The OSU-OARDC in Wooster, OH operates nine high…
Introduction A high tunnel is not, by definition, a permanent structure. Nonetheless, site selection will play an important role in its performance. Considerations in siting a high tunnel include orientation, airflow, shading, windbreaks, drainage, soil quality, weeds and other pests, and purpose. Purpose The purpose of the high tunnel is one of the first considerations…
An unheated PVC hoophouse can be a useful addition to your garden. It keeps excessive rain off the plants, blocks the wind, raises daytime temperatures 5-10 degrees (and often much more), and keeps frosts and heavy dew off the leaves. This can extend your warm-season gardening a month or more at both ends, and makes…
By the Iowa State University Extension Office This program describes how to build a system to catch, store and reuse the rainwater for irrigation in a high tunnel. Shawn Shouse, ISU Extension and Outreach ag engineer, runs us through the process. The cost of installing rain gutters, rainwater storage tanks, and an electric pump is…