A Simple $20 Structure To Keep Your Garden Safe From Heat, Cold, Pests

[@rabidbeagle]

I built one of those hinged hoop houses which is similar to this to grow vegetables over the winter. It failed miserably. In the spring I tossed a shade cloth over it and grew lettuce much later than ever before. Excellent project.

[@moniquekelly1725]

You are doing an amazing job. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and skills. Staying inspired. MK Australia

[@Katgirl2024]

Thank you! I’m in south Texas and designing my new garden now. We must have shade cloth as well.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Absolutely. It is a life saver. Literally. It will save your plant’s lives.

[@theastro-philosophersappre2786]

In north central Texas, gotta have shade cloth in Texas. The sun now will blister and burn a bell pepper in two days.

[@mariap.894]

Same here in Florida! The sun has already ruined my peppers, they are all spotted and I just stopped growing anything, this year the heat is unbearable 😢💔

[@dkadwoa4114]

Yes , it's Extremely hott here in Texas

[@JamesBarrett-sh5cl]

or you can use grey/electrical PVC which is designed to be exposed to the weather and it bends easier.

[@zedmeinhardt3404]

This is a great idea. It will cost more for pipe and fittings but last much longer, especially in southern states. Alternatively, I have spray painted pvc pipe to protect it from UV also

[@ShabnamKhan-vk7fj]

Thank you for sharing your tips, we live in north central Texas and its so 🔥🔥🔥 in here. I just couldn't find any cheap solutions to protect ny veggie garden. So, I appreciate it. 🎉

[@TheMillennialGardener]

This can be built in 30 mins for $20. Are a $25 40% shade cloth and you’re good for years!

[@ShabnamKhan-vk7fj]

@@TheMillennialGardener wonderful, 💯 thank you 😊

[@eliseville]

Nice. Pretty easy to copy just from the vid, too❤️

[@TheMillennialGardener]

It is quite simple. 4 pipes and a couple clamps and screws. This whole thing took 20 mins.

[@eliseville]

@@TheMillennialGardener My incredibly effective Elder (85yo) dad died recently & I struggle figuring out so many of the things he easily accomplished. This would not be a struggle!❤️💪 And our Summer-drought & now deadly wildfire-prone NorCal zone 9B is extremely hard on plants!

[@madelinewhitney832]

@@eliseville sorry for your loss. Mine would have turned 72 * today * but he passed 3 years back . I feel your pain. We sure were/are lucky to have had them when we did though, huh??! ♥ ☺

[@renel7303]

​​@@elisevilleI'm also 9B. I added shade last year, a little late, but it was a game changer. I'm just planting now. I know! Doing shade is a must. FYI to the rest of you parts of 9B, my area, usually won't see frost until Christmas week. It only starts to cool in November. We can hit 99F on Hallowe'en. Plenty of season left. 👩‍🌾

[@jcpgardenphillips2231]

This is a grear idea. I'm prepping in fall this year instead of waiting till Spring. Gardening is such a fun adventure.

[@smas3256]

Last fall we did a lower profile pvc structure for our bush beans. It was 10 degrees warmer under the cover. Ours have temporary anchors for each pipe outside of beds. Brilliant.

[@PintuMahakul]

👍 Wonderful video art work. Thank you very much for sharing!

[@AtlantaTerry]

PVC is the wrong material. It is designed to be used in walls or underground where there is no light. Ultraviolet rays from sunlight WILL break down the molecular structure and then it shatters. If this winter you get a snow load on the covering, the plastic hoops will break because it is not designed to take a load so whatever crops you were trying to protect will be ruined. Instead, what you should be using is metal EMT / electrical conduit. The cost is very similar to PVC or slightly higher. But UV rays will not damage it because it is metal. Plus, it can handle more of a snow load - not an extreme load, but more than PVC. The easiest way to shape it is to pound some stakes into the ground to create a jig. Then use muscle power to bend the metal tubing into an arc. Or you can rent a tool designed to bend it. I believe there is at least one KZbin video on this very subject. So I ask you to please reconsider the faulty advice about PVC hoops. Thank you. Terry Thomas Brookhaven Gardens Atlanta, Georgia USA

[@anitaw3255]

Do you suggest a different material? Just curious what else I can use.

[@anitaw3255]

Sorry didn't scroll down. Tha k you for the suggestion

[@nickgardner6340]

Isn't there a UV resist paint that can be applied to the pvc?

[@hoosierpioneer]

What are those blue pipes they use in allotments in the UK?

[@davidjudd951]

You're an excellent conduit for information.

[@user-fy7cp9yw7y]

Thanks for sharing this info.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You’re welcome!

[@bostonchoir]

What a contrast! In the suburb of Boston, I have been cutting trees down to give more sunlight to veggis.

[@madelinewhitney832]

Hope you are been mindful of our necessity and benefit of trees as well lol. I feel ya..and hopefully I don't come off as an ass or anything as I don't mean to. Just sharing a thought. Cheers & happy gardening!!

[@smas3256]

@bostonchoir Food forest are thriving. Our home and trees on west side shade our garden. Our tomatoes don't get sunburn. Less watering and less mulch.

[@ML-ks2lj]

"lash" them together. It's funner and a nice skill to have over electrical tape in my opinion. I would bet you would be interested in learning different types of knots and rope techniques for tying and what not.

[@mysongsnunya8092]

I need this!! Thank you I’m in NC also

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You're welcome!

[@justprayer]

This is good. I live in a hot dry climate city and the sun beats down hard …. So this is good

[@Holly-ys1me]

That's a type of cold frame. I like it.

[@WideCuriosity]

I have already something very similar over my raised beds. One word of caution though. Low level hoops work fine, but if you try to raise the height to accommodate taller crops ( I used rebar to give height and then slotted the plastic pipe over that) the plastic does seem to distort over a season, which surprised me. Must be continually catching the wind and getting twisted this way and that, I guess. I'm unsure how to cure that, I'm toying with the idea of replacing the plastic pipe with copper, although that'd be more of a hassle.

[@sylvia10101]

Great info! Thank you 😊👍

[@emmanuelbarracoso6310]

What do you do for taller plants such as tomatoes? Always thought it was a good idea for lower growing plants but haven't been able to work it out in my head for taller plants

[@alexnichols8262]

I imagine staking some remarkable or something through the brackets and then fitting some kind of cap to put the pvc structure on top of it so it is just lifted could potentially "lift" the structure. Random thought as I have never tried any of this lol

[@smas3256]

A string trellis tied at the pvc. and tied at bottom of tomato. Dont removes suckers and prune tops of the indeterminant.

[@patkrueger7353]

Very nice. Will have to try this. Thank you!

[@williamravisburn2651]

Might have to do this tbh I made the mistake of following seed pack instructions and giving my plants “full sun” by placing my garden in my field It’s been terrible on my sprouting seeds and cucumbers and peppers especially The soil gets so hot it burns to touch it but if I water every day to keep it cool my plants will get root rot 😭

[@whatisgoingonineedtoknow.]

neat, I mught just do that to mine.

[@Mark4WorldPeace]

It will work tremendously as you expect it shall 👍🏼👍🏼

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I hope so! I need to do this to all my beds.

[@LitiaHowland]

Could you show how to create one for a 12ft bed by chance?

[@ML-ks2lj]

Same concept just longer and bigger area. For the 4 foot wide bed he probably used 8 foot long PVC. If he used shorter PVC it would just be a smaller dome. If it's a 12 foot wide bed you'd have to use like 16 feet of PVC depending on how tall of a dome you'd want. If you need 2 pieces use a "T" fitting in the middle then along pipe for the horizontal across the top, if it's 2 8 footers again used a "coupler" there. Then mirror the ends. And brace in between them to stop the shade cloth from caving I and to give structural support.

[@LitiaHowland]

@@ML-ks2lj thanks!

[@EvelynJoy]

Amazing!!!

[@CritterRepairTech]

Excellent quick tutorial! Doing same with shade cloth. It works! 👍🐾🌱🌺🌻🍅🌶️🍆🫑

[@TheMillennialGardener]

It’s fantastic!

[@lauriestone2325]

Do you find 30% sunblock fabric does the job protecting plants or do you possibly use 50%?

[@pattik1853]

What is the height at the top center of the pvc hoops?

[@joansmith6844]

Can the sun still get to ur plants through that fabric??

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Yes. It is only 40%. Most of the light still makes it through.

[@joansmith6844]

@@TheMillennialGardener ok great exp with this poor air quality / particles 🥴

[@melodylyons4631]

How wide are the beds?

[@sovannay9540]

I’m very interested.

[@mariap.894]

Hi Anthony! Thanks for sharing, just one more question. Would this hold during a storm/hurricane? I'm in SoFlo🐕❤🌻

[@TheMillennialGardener]

You would need to remove the covers. They're only clipped on with PVC clips. Normal weather and typical t-storms won't be a problem, but little covers like this can't stand a hurricane. Hurricanes can and do take real commercial steel greenhouse structures down.

[@mariap.894]

@@TheMillennialGardener Are all the materials in your store front? I'll be happy to purchase them through it🦋💜🍀🌻

[@kathyhuck293]

Have a question… does this allow sufficient air flow as well as rain?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Shade cloth is mesh. Air and rain go right through.

[@thomashollingsworth6235]

Where did you buy your pressure treat lumber? Is it the same lumber they sell at Home Depot.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Yes. All my lumber is from Lowe's.

[@tbearus]

Will the dark cover make it hotter? White maybe cooler.

[@TheMillennialGardener]

No. Shade cloth does not absorb heat. It is always cool to the touch. I don't think color matters. I've never seen white shade cloth. It's always black. If color mattered, it would be a different color.

[@renel7303]

​@@TheMillennialGardenerThere are lot of tan ones online. People here, 9B central California, use the tan shade sails a lot. I saw white a couple of places but being white it reflects so much light it can be harsh on the eyes. Green turns up occasionally.

[@chachadodds5860]

Is there a link to your how-to video?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

I have my builds organized in a playlist here: kzbin.info/aero/PL1gY7BoYBGIHTXtdhw3mMeOyMgLPt8pKR

[@plantbasedsenior4240]

Great that there are 3 uses for this.

[@titaniumgiant1]

How's your figs doing? Were you able to develop any new varieties?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

They’re doing ok. It is going to take years for these to fruit. Only 3 seedlings have produced figs so far. It is going to take a long time to evaluate them.

[@slowpoke4557]

What crops would be good to grow in that enclosure?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

Anything that won't outgrow it, so anything that doesn't get taller than 40 inches.

[@simmiedavissimmiesings8185]

How do you choose how thick the shade?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

40% works great. That's the most commonly produced percentage and will be appropriate for most people.

[@thomashollingsworth6235]

Is poison in pressure-treated lumber?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

No. That's a long-standing myth. CCA treated lumber was banned from residential use over 20 years ago.

[@suecarnahan7311]

What in the world actually grows in your area without l the fuss?😊

[@mariavenner2823]

I wonder if you could drill some holes and have it as a way to water the plants too.

[@jackielambert7980]

I have a big roll of irrigation tubing. Would that be strong enough to do this with?

[@TheMillennialGardener]

If it's anything like the half inch poly distribution tubing I use, definitely not. It's much too thin. You need something thick and strong. 1/2 PVC conduit is the smallest I'd go.

[@jackielambert7980]

@@TheMillennialGardener Gotcha! Thanx.