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Winter crop protection- hoops
Hello
I purchased large aluminium hoops with the hope of using them with horticultural fleece to protect my crops during winter. Ther are 1.52m wide 800mm high (Approx. 5ft x 2ft 7ins). Unfortunately they keep falling over. I have just started planting my allotment, and there is a layer of silt/clay at a dept of 15/25 cm. The plants don't mind (the compost helps) but securing the hoops in the ground is difficult. The plot is very windy which doesn't help either!
Any suggestion would be appreciated :-)
Many thanks
Vanessa
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Hi Vanessa, Are the hoops hollow? If so why not first stick bamboo canes into the ground and then the hoops could be slid onto the bamboo.
Good idea though if the site is windy and the hoops are five feet high.... I think they will be toppled. Also fleece at that height catches the wind a lot more than when laid directly on top of vegetables, which is what I would recommend for now at least. Fleece on top of some of my squashes and courgettes has made so much difference in the last fortnight.
I make my own hoops using the blue plastic water pipe used for drinking water. It can be bought from DIY outlets or agricultural dealers. Tried the black version first but too thin a wall and didn't last. Now use 20mm Blue and it is great. I'm near Peterhead and it gets very windy here but the enviromesh is fine on my raised beds.
Plastic pipe is cheaper than aluminium. My beds are 4ft wide so all the hoops are the same size and I just use different length canes for them to sit on, acording to crop height.