Cattle Panel Hoophouse

I want to do the cattle panel hoophouse. http://www.middlecity.com/backyard/hoophouse.shtml

I already have the plastic and the cattle panels. How would I go about putting ends in this, and then exhaust a door on each end? Any suggestions? I'm only going to do 2 panels, three at the very most, so it's going to be like 8x9 or 8x12.5

Thanks!

Melissa

Melissa, the guy that wrote that page happens to live here in my little town. I tentatively volunteered to help put one of these up weekend after next, and he will be there. If I'm able to get there, I'll ask. SB

Oh, heck, I just called him and left a message. Will post back when I hear from him. SB

Melissa, you can attach wood at the bottom if you do a wood frame and use straps at the top. I imagine you could make the ends out of cattle panels as well and use a screen door or overlap plastic. Hopefully stressbaby will come back with a great answer for you!

Thanks SB, I appreciate it!

Chele, I thought about doing wooden ends, but not sure how I'd attach them to the cattle panels. You know the kinds of winds we get up here....

I actually had another thought, but it's nasty and raining so I've not been out to measure... but we have one of those big ole wooden swing sets, I was thinking there might be some way to go off of that, and make that the front? That thing is HEAVY, and it's never ever been blown over even when we had trees uprooted.

Should I put a door in both ends for ventilation? Or should I just do some type of window at the far end?

OK, here is what he said. Basically, he recommended a storm door for the ends, framed out with 2x4s. I suppose a storm window could be framed out on the other end if you had a smaller hoophouse and didn't want a door at each end.

Here are his instructions: Build the frame for the door with 2x4s. Extend diagonal bracing from the top of the vertical door frame elements out to the corner where the cattle panel touches the ground. This will make two triangular spaces to the sides of the door. These can be covered with film. There will be an area with one straight side and another curved side, shaded blue in the diagram below. He advised this be filled with a cut piece of plywood, so that the panel could be attached (in any number of ways) to increase the rigidity of the hoophouse.

Here is a diagram. I hope this is helpful to you. Post pics when you get it up. SB

You were typing while I was typing!

I think framing out a window in the other end would be fine for a hoophouse of this size.

If you needed a fan, just box in a space with 2x4 in the area labeled "film" in the diagram and screw it in.

He said that once you wire the panels together it is incredibly stiff. He said that there are any number of ways to attach the panel, we didn't get into that...off the top of my head, heavy duty staples, screw-in clips, galvanized wire, whatever.

Also, one important thing. The panels bend either way, but bend that way forever. In other words, you can't bend them back. Once you bend the panel one way you can't bend it back the other way.

There ya go!

Melissa, Mystic's is put together the way I described and has been up like 3 years. I made a close inspection of it when I was there. Since I am going to need a commercial size very soon, I have been taking notes on everything I see. LOL

Mystic's is made out of cattle panels? I had never even condsidered it until stressbaby posted that first link... it makes so much sense, they are so sturdy AND cheap. I think the cost of doing one this way would be WAY cheaper and much sturdier than doing one out of PVC. Chele you know the ulterior motive I had for starting sooooo many seeds this year, and it's worked... Randy has started mentioning things he could do to make me a cold frame... but, I'm thinking something like this, I could pretty easily double wall it and use as a greenhouse, at least like in Feb or March.

There is a scrap yard on 68 that sells all kinds of used doors and windows, I was going to stop today on my way home from School, (Fayetteville) but I was already past it before I remembered.

He LIKES my floor in the chicken coop area! :-)

Nooooooooo! Mystic has a hoop house but even those have to be attached to lumber if you want ends. :)

I'm going to have to come up with another greenhouse myself, soon and BIG. My little greenhouse is about to bust open already. LOL

So, he is finally gonna cave now huh?? Because you are happy, because seedlings at the house, he realizes you can make money....? You'd be amazed how little you can get by with by March and more with a space heater of some sort.

You were that close??? I'm only 12 miles off 68. Call me sometime!!

LOL about the coop! Guess you finally kicked the fear into those 80 pound bags. Go She-Ra!

I was in Fayetteville all day--how far are you from there? It's at the jct of 68 and 50. I need to put your number on my cell, I've only got the old one on there.

He's caved I think because this has been my "therapy" this year... I think that is the real reason... that, and he's off now til Wednesday, of course it's going to rain, but, they're switching to 4 on 4 off-- it will truly bite that he gets home so late, but, I think they said the "work" days are cut down to 122 a year.... and since he has 20 days of vacation....

After he gets this one up, you'll have to come see. It would most definitely be the right price, and you could make it as long as you wanted.... use your GH for getting things going then switch to this when it's big enough maybe?

I printed out the drawing Stress baby posted above, and said something about running up to the scrap yard for a door, he said HD should have a screen door for 20.00 or so. :-) Then he asked WHERE are you going to put it... tell me where you want it, I'll do it.
YAAAAY.

Geesh, I ended up with some bags that weighed 94 pounds.... I felt like SHE-RA!

We've got 2 of the indoor/outdoor thermometers, as soon as he gets it up, I'm going to move one in there so I can monitor the temps... I don't want to ruin all my babies... won't do much good for the next few days with temps at 70, but I think we're supposed to drop back down later next week. If the RAIN would just hold off, I'd be in business.... :-)

"...and you could make it as long as you wanted..."

The one we're talking about next weekend is 12 panels, 100 ft long.

Good luck! SB

Stressbaby, make sure you take pictures! 100 feet long is LONG...

Melissa, I sent you directions in an email. Don't want everyone who reads this to show up unnanounced. ROTFLOL It's only 12-13 miles from that intersection though. :)

I definately want to see any of them when they are done. I am thinking I am going to need something in the 30x90 range. I hope spring gets here in a hurry and stays here or I am going to have REAL issues!

Stressbaby how did it go?

Mine is UP.... I'll post pictures after the whole thing is done, but it's amazing how sturdy it is right now just with the 2x4's on one end of it.

8X12 is also really SMALL looking! LOL

When I do a more permanent one, it's going to have to be bigger!

I missed most of the construction. I had to run a Cub Scout Pinewood Derby race in the morning, so by the time we got there at 1pm, they were done!

They used 1/2 conduit as stakes driven into the ground in two parallel rows. Inside of these two rows of stakes, they put a 2x12 on edge, sort of as a footer. They put screws through the conduit into the 2x12 to hold the 2x12 up. Then they put a horizontal strip of 2x4 on the inside of the 2x12, creating a ledge on the inside of the 2x12 footer. Then they bent the cattle panels into place, resting the end of each panel onto the ledge. Sorry if I'm not very clear on this. I'll get some pics later, I forgot to take a camera with me Saturday.

They didn't cover with plastic or add end walls since they intend to use it as a shade house with flowering vines growing over it throught the summer.

Another interesting idea I heard about while I was there Saturday: bend the cattle panel over as if making a hoophouse, but instead of covering with plastic, grow vining veggie plants over it. Cucumbers, melons, squash, etc will fall through the openings and you can walk underneath and pick them. In the winter just light a match to it and burn it off and use again next year. Has anyone tried this?

I'll try to get some pictures in the next week. Looking forward to seeing yours, Melissa.

SB

I have seen the cattle panels used as arbors. I believe I saw them in the brug forum. Some actually cut them so they would form a rectangle shape and others just bent them. I am thinking of doing those myself. I can't decide whether to leave them whole or cut them lengthwise to get 2 from each panel. I believe they are sturdy enough and I'd like to do sort of a maze through my gardens.

After doing it, we have so many ideas that it could be used for, it's not even funny! LOL
But needless to say, I think I'm going to do my pole beans on one this year.

Chele, we've even got something figured out to solve your dilemma!

Melissa, this is how i built mine. 8'x12' Hope this helps. John

This is the back. I plan on building a 3' base out of RR ties this year. John

John, yours looks great.

Mine is finally finished, so I'll post a progression of pictures. :-) I can't stress enough how EASY this was. Of course, my hubby did most of the work, I just added the plastic, but it was simple and quick, and hopefully it will get the job done. :-)

Our base is 2 6x6's and 2 2x4's

The cattle panels go into place really easily.

We had an audience the whole time. :-)

Poor thing probably wondered why you were making it such a small yard. LOL

Here is how hubby started with the ends

LOL Probably Chele!

Now, I was very lax in taking more pictures in between. The only thing I "asked" for was for hubby to make me a horse door on it, so if I'm in it, and want to take a critter in with me, or keep a dog OUT, and still be able to vent, so this is what he came up with. The only part he even remotely messed up on was the top curve, but he cut it out with a circular saw instead of a jig saw, so I'm not complaining. LOL

Here is the back end.

Window close up. :-)

Inside

Whole thing.

Now since we've done this, I know what I'd do if I wanted a more permanent one, or one that I'd try to keep thing in over the winter.

I'd put plywood and 2/4's around the bottom, 2 1/2 feet or so on all the sides basically a frame out of 2x4's with the plywood on the outside... that would serve to make it taller..... after the base, I'd put the cattle panels down on the inside and wrap in plastic, then I'd put another set of cattle panels on the outside over the previously installed and wrapped ones... that would give the dead air space to help insulate, and I think make it a lot tighter.

If I wanted to make it wider, I'd take 2 of the cattle panels and join them end to end and then hoop over. I think the cattle panels would hold up fine.

We already had the cattle panels, and part of the lumber, and the plastic I bought several years ago. But, hubby figured if we had bought everything new, the cost would have been less than 150.00 for an 8X12, I don't think that is bad, and I really do think this has to be sturdier than PVC... this thing is SOLID.

The only thing I can't figure out, is during the day, it's about 30 degrees warmer than the outside temp... tonight, it's reading about 20 degrees COLDER than the outside temp. I think there has to be something going on with my thermometer, but I'm not sure what it is. We've got a remote out there that reads out on my clock in the house.

Cool! Got all your maters in there yet? LOL

I am building something similar today. I have to run out for some pallets. My little greenhouse is full so I have to do some rearranging and kick out stuff that will be fine with no heat.

What thermostat are you using. I bought three different Oregon Scientific ones last year and they never would work right!

Today I shot pictures of the hoophouse I mentioned above.

Here are two pics of the base. You can see that they used 2x12s to raise the whole thing up. There is a 2x4 along the inside to support the cattle panel.

The outside is secured with conduit. SB

I whipped one up today too! LOL I only need this as a temporary plant holder for the next month or less hopefully. A friend was telling me I could put plants on pallets outside and cover them at night or when there would be cool weather. I kind of ran a couple of ideas together.

12 free pallets...

I used one row of pallets to hold the ends of the panels while I attached the other end between the pallets and the lumber.

You will get a laugh out of knowing I bonked myself on the head once and have a little knot. LOL I was bound and determined to have the whole thing put together before hubby came home with our two little ones and I was real close. When people tell you to hold on to those things, DO!

I ended up making it longer than I had planned. There were two more skids/pallets sitting here and one more cattle panel so why not add another 4.5 feet?!?!

Okay, everything all together now. I used some plastic utility bundlers to attach all the panels together.

Same thing...

Cover with plastic. Thank goodness the kids were home and could help me hold onto the plastic long enough to tape two pieces together. LOL

I ran short and couldn't finish the ends since I added 52" to the length. I'll get to that tomorrow.

It ended up at around 25x9 feet.