How to Build a HINGED HOOP HOUSE for a Raised Bed

In this video I'm showing you how to make a simple DIY hinged hoop house for a raised bed.
Check out the School Of Traditional Skills: bit.ly/3zoFWy1
Video: How to Make a Simple, Cheap Raised Bed: • How to Make a Simple &...
Hoop House Frame Parts List:
• Two 8 Foot Long 2 x 4’s- These will form the length of the hoop house.
• Two, 41 Inch 2 x 4’s - These will form the width of the hoop house.
• 3 Inch Decking Screws - Use these to attach the boards to the frame firmly.
• 4 "L" Brackets
• 1⁄2 Inch PVC - This will form the arches of the hoop house.
• 6 End Caps for 1⁄2 Inch PVC - These will hold the PVC frame in place on your hoop house frame.
• Coated 1 5⁄8 Inch Screws - Use these to attach the end caps to the frame.
• 1⁄2 Inch PVC T-Connectors - Used to connect the four pieces of each arch of the hoop house.
• PVC Cross Connectors - Use for the center arch of your hoop house.
• PVC Cutter - Use to cut the PVC pipe into 16-inch pieces.
• Two 8-foot Long Furring Strips - Used to hold the plastic covering to the frame of the hoop house.
• Two 43 Inch Furring Strips - Used to hold the plastic covering to the frame of the hoop house.
• 10 Foot by 25 Foot Roll of 6 Mil Plastic Sheeting - Used to cover the hoop house.
• Two 3 Inch Metal Hinges - Used to attach the hoop house to the frame.
• Handle - Any handle will work. This will make it easier to open your hoop house.
• 2 Screw Eyes - Used to secure a rope between the raised garden bed and the hoop house frame.
• Rope - Used to attach the frame of the hoop house and the frame of the raised bed.

[@DianeHayes23]

Just cleaned out my garden. Forecast for frost here tonight in Wisconsin. You have me planning what I'm going to do to get my garden in early next spring! Love my raised beds!

[@thegermangardener6226]

Great video thanks for sharing your ideas

[@NextLevelGardening]

You're welcome

[@marycoakley7596]

Marvellous structure

[@juneramirez8580]

Love your version of the hoop cover. I need shade because the high heat in the low AZ desert many of my plants fried.

[@staciehendricks-shelton7748]

Great video, I'm starting my garden from scratch again due to moving to a smaller home.

[@dandana4647]

i am using that same design in order to build a mini one on my balcony …added inside on the top LED grow lights for the rainy days 🙏🏻

[@sherryw-ponyluv-er2394]

Great tutorial. I think I could do that!

[@johnlord8337]

Multiple options for the covering - (1) heavy mil clear, translucent, or white painter's plastic sheeting/window sheeting, (2) black sunshade meshing - aeration, (3) white, clear, or translucent meshing - aeration, and (4) tyvek - translucent - micropore aeration (proper side applied to hoop house canopy).

[@BergenholtzChannel]

This is the best explained and perhaps the easiest hoop house build I have ever seen. Thank you!

[@aileensmith3062]

Thank You for another educational video!

[@craighalle7892]

Amazing Brian! You are always impressing me with what you have figured out to do. I already fiberglass rod sections that are held together with metal links and was thinking of just connecting them to the outside of the raised bed. There are also clips to hold the fabric on the arches. Then it occurred to me, how will I get in to plant and harvest easily and your hinged framework is the answer. My goal has been to extend the growing season, and this seems totally possible. I built a lean against my house frame, which over wintered my cabbage plants (to grow seeds) and protected my blueberry containers from our harsh northern Illinois winter. I'm sure some help came from heat escaping the house, but that was enough encouragement for me to try in on the raised bed. Another thank you, Brian, and may the Lord keep blessing you and yours.

[@zinnia3190]

Your instructions are almost exactly as we built our first hoop bed. We added metal pole props on each end that fit into holes on the 2x4 to keep it safely raised while working in the bed. I found that the 2x4 made it too heavy for me to comfortably lift, so the next one my husband trimmed the 2x4 to make it strong, but much more lightweight.

[@camicri4263]

Awesome! Thanks Brian! Blessings 💜🤗

[@NextLevelGardening]

Any time!

[@1949chefjojo]

This is very useful information. I appreciate how we could make a community garden with this system. Thank you for the tutorial.

[@johnschade90]

Super smart idea thanks.

[@melanieeaton3344]

Love this video, thank you.

[@NextLevelGardening]

Thanks!

[@susiemeade6404]

Learned about you through the School of Traditional Skills

[@NextLevelGardening]

Awesome! Great school

[@shelaghtillott189]

You're amazing Brian! You come up with all these easy hacks for us gardeners!

[@brendajackson294]

Ha, I am glad you embraced the imperfect. I never do anything perfect so it is good to know I might have success with this project. It is very windy here at times. I might need to put some locks on the edges to keep it from blowing away. Thank you for showing how to do this. You always make it look easy.

[@NextLevelGardening]

Good! It's really pretty easy!

[@judymckerrow6720]

Thanks Brian ! 🎃🍁🍂💚🙃 VERY CLEVER ! I have metal beds though, BUT IF we ever make wooden beds I’m saving this video! 🎃🍁🍂💚🙃

[@copasetic216]

Awesome man

[@NextLevelGardening]

Thanks!

[@debbiep7419]

Impeccable timing as we got down to the high 30s for the first time last night here in NC and I knew I have to get my frost protection ready. One question I've always had regarding the hinged covers is how do you access the plants on the hinged side? One reason for building beds no more than 4 ft wide is so that you can easily reach all the plants. I'm tall but my arms couldn't effectively reach 4 ft to tend the plants.

[@NextLevelGardening]

I've seen people hinge it on the short side but u wonder how difficult it us to open

[@debbiep7419]

@@NextLevelGardening It seems like that would twist and be hard to work with. I think I've seen some people lay a 2x6 across the bed on the frame (like a scaffold) to give them something to lean on without compacting the soil.

[@johnhealy9561]

I have hinged mine on both sides, with bolt pin hinges. Remove the pin from the back hinges, insert them in the front hinges - now the lid opens from the back !

[@Nuclieyeone]

Also use a heat gun carefully to tighten the plastic and remove wrinkles.

[@Sunnylane02174]

The looks so easy to do! I appreciate this video so much! I’m definitely going to try it! Thanks for all you do! I love your channel!

[@kathleenpalmer845]

Great tutorial!!!!

[@GorillasAndGardens]

Thank you! I really don’t like starting seeds in my house. I’ll be able to use this half of the year! Very cool.

[@johnlord8337]

With this same design - for vastly colder climates - even Alaska and northern states (away from convection winds and blizzards) one can install the same covering to the inside. This takes a little more skill, as one needs to pre-drill the PVC pipe and "T" and "+" intersections accepting a wood screw. One then screws in the bottom portion of the sheeting across the closest hinged area of the hoop house, pulling and tightening the sheeting. One moves up (with "multiple !" screw points - washer and wood screw) the PVC piping, pulling and tightening and attaching the sheeting. This might be even more easy, if the whole hoop house structure is inside the garage or work area, as one more easily "rolls" the hoop house on its back and one moves across the PVC piping and screwing down the inside sheeting. Eventually, one finishes off the last plastic attachment and cuts off the excess sheeting length. What is this double sheeting all about ? It makes a semi-sealed double plastic sheeted hoop house. The same technology of putting plastic sheeting on one's windows (in those northern Midwest states) outside and inside. This creates an air barrier (around that cold convecting glass window and the wind) that also heats up with infrared sunlight - and keeps the hoop house even more insulated and warm. Warm in so much that you can literally (~almost~) grow a summer crop in the middle of the cold winter ! A little more work, a little more product - but in the end - if you want to grow all-year round - and have a temparate grow zone - this is a ready prepper option. Also if one makes a smaller such unit - one could even make a plastic hoop dog house ! - and Fluffy would be all warm and toasty inside. One does a double sheeting on the back end, and a double sheeting on the front end. One makes the doorway with a cut * pattern in the sheeting and this allows easy entrance/exit - while allowing woof to keep the interior all warm and toasty.

[@RS-de3ny]

What do you grow in your box? I know with the sun here my lettuce bolts too fast. Trying to get better options for my deck raised beds. I might see if I can make covers for my smaller beds with the double layers. They are much smaller boxes. (Anch)

[@johnlord8337]

@@RS-de3ny Also, with raised beds, whether ground planted - or you mention raised beds on decks (with air currents either heating in summer underneath the bed - or freezing the whole grow bed solid in winter). One would then want to consider Reflectix (double mylar with plastic bubble wrap inbetween ... or the "new" Radiant Barrier (now compacted) versus its old single mylar side with cotton/batting fabric on other side. Now double mylar with batting fabric inside. Wrap this around the deck raised bed, and especially the Radiant Barrier underneath the bed boxes (if possible) and this creates greater insulation from the cold winter, and helps with keeping the raised bed cool or warm, not cold or frozen. Then top with a hoop house, and depending on how you have them aligned to the sun, then on the backstop of the hoophouse put a mylar reflecting screen increasing the sunlight bounce and infrared warming, while (if need be) put a dark black plastic garbage bag on the southern side in summer and keeping down too much intense sunlight (and removing the mylar in summer ... and you can control your own climate change for your boxes.

[@RS-de3ny]

@@johnlord8337 thanks! I will think about some of these options, especially the shading. I’d like to get started a little earlier in the spring (south and west facing). The beds are those sold at the box store a couple years ago, with water storage. They are on wheels so just need to maybe move during day. I empty h2o and soil in winter so the plastic tray doesn’t get destroyed. Skipped last summer but hope to get motivated this year.

[@johnlord8337]

@@RS-de3ny Best bet is 3M spray glue on the sides and bottom, and adhere on said Reflectix or Radiant Barrier for cool/cold soil, and then having a hoop house design over the top like Brian made, heavy mil plastic sheeting, and a breathable plastic mesh for air flow (keeping out bugs), then the mylar and the black shading cloth or black plastic. In the first part of Spring, you can also wrap black plastic over the Reflectix or Radiant Barrier heating it up and then getting into the soil. When the soil reaches 65+F - take it off and let nature and the Sun keep it warm. If you have some heat domes (like we had in CA last 2 years) then good for rollers and pulling them back into partial or full shade, and appropriately watered (hydration) but also cooling down any overheated soil in the units. If you want Fall/late Fall cabbage etc cruciferous vegs and root crops then you can leave these out longer with this insulation (and cold weather and lesser sunlight). One could also, post-frost date, also run some winter vegs for early Spring growth and early harvesting. The insulation should extend your growing season up there - where my cousins also live in Anchorage, Chugiak, and Wassila (and they can probably also see Russia from their back door (!) ).

[@MagicHeide]

The angle iron is a pretty smart solution for the corners!

[@missourigirl4101]

Brian this is an excellent how to video! Thank you!

[@debbiewilhelm3035]

Great video! You are an inspiration!

[@happy.homestead]

It's so windy in Missouri, I'd have to put some hinge hasps on it, so I could keep it closed. Otherwise, it would probably go airborne into the tree line! Great video, Brian!

[@BlackJesus8463]

Nice!

[@blackcoffee2002]

Love the Tshirt!!!

[@sherrylingenfelter8991]

Great video! Thank you so much. 🙌

[@reneedalziel6721]

BEEE-utiful! I can’t wait to make my husband build these for me! We have issues with groundhogs, squirrels, bunnies, and ALL the bugs, so my husband built 3’ high wood and wire “fences” around my raised beds. These hoop houses seem like a better idea because it’s hard for me to get into the beds with the fencing but I could just open these. Thank you!

[@nathanhollis8496]

Make him. Sweet

[@StefaniStevensBand]

A coincidence here! A few days ago I was wondering how to make this cover! And now this…Thanks!

[@brittawrolson5936]

Great, easy diy for the average gardener. Thanks Brian🥰. I’m going to try this over my cabbage family planting next spring as I always have white cabbage butterflies to fight with (nothing is worse than seeing those green worms eating my cabbage)

[@fatimasaidahmed4353]

Hello. Thank you. I was planning to do this hoop doom with the a steel frame because the soil here is having termites

[@cabinfevernanna5897]

Can you show a version of this cover for thin edged Birdy Beds?

[@d4rk4ngel132]

I believe James Prigioni did one on his chanel.

[@laurab8547]

I wish someone would do a video for raised beds that are metal. I have multiple galvanized raised beds and need to implement shade and insect covers for them. It’s hard to know how to do it if there is no wood to screw into. But I get the general idea. Thanks for the info! I am always learning from your channel.

[@rickwashek478]

Pretty dang nice 👍👍

[@sthomas480]

This is genius! And I can do it!

[@kimwright5264]

Love this idea. Any suggestions for adapting to a metal raised bed?

[@darlenethompson6738]

Nice structure for safely growing food with less bugs and sunburn.

[@janaeshaffer266]

I can't believe that course was a year ago ALREADY😮 AUGH! My 2 beds are curved at the ends...not sure how I'm going to do this..pvc parts, looped??? Ideas 💡 peeps?!

[@NextLevelGardening]

Maybe angle cuts. As long as it sits well in top

[@janaeshaffer266]

@NextLevelGardening yeah, I'll have to play around with it. Columbus just had a major temperature swing. Had upper 80's and the past 2 days had low 50's with nights in the low 40's🥶 time to re-aclimate and prepare quickly for winter.

[@kellym011]

could also make a double-layer cover so there is more insulation, one over the other and attached together.

[@crystalburrous3030]

Thank you for showing us how to do this. I want to build one for my cabbage and use tulle over it. Do you cut the PVC pipe with a hack saw?

[@NextLevelGardening]

I have a pvc cutter but you can use a hack saw

[@crystalburrous3030]

Thank you!

[@gardenfreshtotable]

Thank you for sharing this, I have a portable greenhouse that I am using and will make one of these to give me additional beds to cover. I have sent you a question on how to cure sweet potatoes living in a cool weather climate in Eugene OR

[@dianerose2998]

This is a great idea! Question though, if I use this with screening in summer, it will help with squash bugs, which would be great, but how will the bees get in to pollinate?

[@sharonousmankobo3602]

Can I do this for my Olle galvanized steel raised beds? I already have the shade cloth.

[@suesweetpea7]

HI BRIAN, CAN YOU BY ANY CHANCE DO THIS FOR METAL BEDS? I HAVE 2 8FT BY 4 FT METAL RAISED BEDS ABOUT 10 - 12 IN"S TALL AND WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS TO PROTECT MY PEPPERS IN THE SUMMER FROM THE EXTREME SUN HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA AND PFOTECT MY SQUASH PLANTS ALSO.

[@NextLevelGardening]

I'll try to figure out a way

[@susanriggs8896]

Great video! I've been having trouble with raccoons digging up my raised beds. They aren't eating the plants, just digging them up & digging holes. I think they're after worms(?) from the worm-filled compost I spread on the beds. As my beds are lined with gopher wire, I know it's not gophers. Do you think plastic is enough to keep the raccoons out, or should I be looking at hard-wire cloth to cover the tops of the beds?

[@JosephGates-cg9bp]

What plants do you recommend for hooped covered beds? Lettuces, onions, low growing types I’m thinking?

[@allysonsmith3085]

I love this idea but when we tried to construct it, the PVC pipe was so stiff it kept snapping the end caps or the connectors. Any suggestions?

[@bearupfarm1818]

Have a question about growing garlic in a greenhouse in a raised bed. Can you give me your opinion if it’s a good idea or not. My main concern is it will get cold enough?

[@prizm99ify]

I have a huge roll of clear marine vinyl between 6-12 mil (can’t remember off hand), would this work just as well or no? I would imagine it would be more difficult to work with but I’m wondering if it would protect my plants in the same way.

[@hexenmoon2737]

I wonder if you were to spray foam in those PVC pipes, if it would keep them from warping like that.

[@billg167]

How do you plant on the hinge side 3-4 feet from the ends? my arms aren't that lomg.

[@everettfryman9212]

Any links to Amazon?

[@lisavu2629]

How can I do something like this but on an galvanized raised bed?

[@rachelrobinson3824]

My pvc pipe is very tight in the cap. I can barely get it in 1/4 inch. Then it pops out quite easily. Any advice?

[@johnlord8337]

Yup ! - definitely going to make a good wife - ahahahahahaha

[@bobmarton9913]

What can you do if your bed is a metal bet?

[@GregGray]

I saw one viewer comment on the problem with a 4' wide bed and trying to reach across it because it is hinged on one side, so when it's open you can't access the hinged side. Ideas, anyone?

[@user-lc5lc3vb9s]

I found it impossible to put together 4 straight pieces in 16” increments and make the arch. It kept coming apart at the fittings. Even tried a heat gun to try and make it bend. Unless I am really missing something, a design change is needed.

[@susanhenley8240]

Note about the plastic... Contractor plastic and Greenhouse plastic are not the same. Contractor plastic is not breathable, Greenhouse plastic is breathable and best to use for a greenhouse, high tunnel, or hoop house.

[@sherimatukonis6016]

I'd like to find a material that is more eco friendly than plastic...