Mini hoops for a winter garden:
There are different types of Quick Hoops Benders, but this one makes hoops for 4 foot wide by 4 foot tall low tunnels. This fits my 4 by 10 foot beds perfectly and allows ample room to shelter mature kale, collards, leeks, and other tall crops. The bender comes with a lever bar and lag screws for securing the bender to a solid surface like a picnic table, work bench, or in my case, a heavy log. It may not have been ideal, but it worked like a charm.
To make the hoops, I needed 10 foot lengths of 1/2 inch diameter galvanized electrical conduit (EMT), which was easily sourced at my local hardware store for $4.00 each. According to the instruction manual, I could also use 3/4 inch or 1 inch diameter conduit if I wanted stronger hoops for the ends of the tunnels. However, where my tunnels are only 10 feet long, I didn’t bother, and stuck to the 1/2 inch conduit.
Related Post: Overwintered crops
The instruction manual is more of a pamphlet – but wonderfully illustrated with photos that explain each step. Perfect for non-handy gardeners like me. It promised that the hoops would be very quick to make – about one minute each, and after making the first one (and checking and re-checking with the instructions several times), I was able to make five more in mere minutes! (Side note – It’s really fun to bend metal).
I immediately took three of my new hoops up to the garden and placed them over a bed I had just seeded with cold tolerant salad greens. The late germinating plants will overwinter and give me a homegrown harvest of arugula, mizuna, and baby kale for March harvesting. For now, I will cover the hoops with a medium weight row cover, but once the temperatures drop in late autumn I will replace that with a length of greenhouse plastic.
Related Post: 5 things a fall and winter veggie gardener should do now
Do you extend your season? What is your favourite structure for the winter garden?
