Hoop Houses in Rural Alaska: Twenty Questions and Answers to Get You Started
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Hoop Houses in Rural Alaska
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Hoop Houses In Rural Alaska
Question 1: When we talk about a hoop house,
what are we talking about?
A hoop house, also called a high tunnel, is a covered
structure at least 4 feet high that is used to trap the
sun’s heat to provide a warmer climate for the plants
growing inside. Hoop houses tend to be fairly simpl...
Hoop Houses in Rural Alaska: Twenty
Questions and Answers to Get You Started
Item Type Other
Authors Smeenk, Jeff; Nakazawa, Anthony
Citation Smeenk, Jeff, and Anthony Nakazawa. Hoop Houses in Rural
Alaska: Twenty Questions and Answers to Get You Started.
Fairbanks, Alaska: University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative
Extension Service, 2011.
Publisher University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service
Download date 17/05/2022 02:43:21
Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/11122/1043
, Hoop Houses in Rural Alaska
Twenty Questions and Answers
to Get You Started
by Jeff Smeenk, Extension Horticulture Specialist
and Anthony Nakazawa, Extension Economist
HGA-00028
Question 1: When we talk about a hoop house, operated primarily as hoop houses, with supplemen-
what are we talking about? tal heat used only in March, April and early May.
A hoop house, also called a high tunnel, is a covered Another major difference is that hoop house crops
structure at least 4 feet high that is used to trap the are usually planted directly in the ground, while
sun’s heat to provide a warmer climate for the plants greenhouse crops are usually grown in containers on
growing inside. Hoop houses tend to be fairly simple benches or other similar structures.
structures that usually don’t need building permits
since they aren’t considered permanent structures. Question 3: I live in rural Alaska and I want to
grow something to feed my family. How can a
Question 2: How is a hoop house different than a hoop house help me do this?
greenhouse? A hoop house can help feed your family in two dif-
Structurally, there may be very little difference be- ferent ways. First, by protecting plants from frost and
tween a hoop house and a greenhouse. In fact, many hard freezing, it will extend the growing season by
of the hoop houses operating in Alaska are sold as allowing you to plant crops a few weeks earlier in the
2-layer “poly” greenhouse kits. The primary differ- spring and harvest crops a few weeks later in the fall.
ence between a hoop house and a greenhouse is the
level of complexity inside. Many greenhouses have The second way the hoop house helps to feed your
lights and heating systems to create the desired grow- family is by providing a place to grow warm-season
ing conditions. Hoop houses usually don’t have sup- crops such as tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.
plemental lighting, and if there is a heating system, These types of vegetables don't do well outside in
it is used mainly for frost protection rather than for most of Alaska, but the protection from cold and the
maintaining a warm growing environment. With the higher temperatures that hoop houses provide allow
high cost of energy in Alaska, many greenhouses are these crops to thrive. Hoop houses will also protect
crops from excess moisture in areas with high levels
of rainfall.
Question 4: What sizes do hoop house come in?
Hoop houses are available in an incredible size
range. There are small 4- × 6-ft greenhouse kits
available in some of the big box stores in Anchor-
age. At the other extreme are hoop houses that cover
entire fields by connecting many tunnels together to
create a single large structure. In Alaska, it is much
more common to see hoop houses measuring 10 ×
20 ft, 20 × 48 ft and 30 × 96 ft. If you are consid-
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