Preparing a Hoop House for Winter
Here at my Bedford, New York farm, we're busy preparing the greenhouses, hoop houses, and cold frames for the winter ahead.
With temperatures now dropping into the 40s at night, it's crucial that all the hoop houses are ready to store my warm weather plants, including the citrus trees and a vast array of other tropical specimens. Because I live in a four-season region, once it gets cold these plants must move indoors where the temperature and humidity levels can be controlled. To maximize the space inside these high-grade structures, we install lots of shelving for potted plants - and we always use leftover logs and milled wood planks from felled trees right here at the farm.
Here are some photos - enjoy.
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- My outdoor grounds crew starts with this hoop house near my trailer barn not far from the vegetable garden. I have three hoop houses designated specifically for warm weather specimens. The hoop houses are constructed from steel frames and Polyethylene panels, and then outfitted with lots of wood shelving on both sides.
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- Phurba and Pasang begin organizing the existing shelves, disposing any stumps and planks that are weak or rotted and no longer usable. We always try to use what is still in good shape from the previous year.
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- Phurba measures the logs before moving them into place. I wanted four shelving tiers, with the tallest just about four-feet high. Fortunately, most of last year’s shelves are still strong.
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- Pasang trims any logs with our trusted STIHL chainsaw. Whenever using a chainsaw, always be sure it has a sharp chain, a full tank of oil and gas, and that the operator is wearing the proper safety gear.
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- Pasang positions a new log under one of the shelves. These logs are very secure in the gravel – they won’t go anywhere.
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- One by one, section by section, Phurba and Pasang check and secure the tiers – each one about a foot shorter. The wooden planks are about eight to 10 inches wide.
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- Phurba stands at one end to ensure the shelves look level and straight.
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- These logs and lumber planks make excellent and sturdy shelves – I always recycle felled trees whenever possible.
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- Each of these log sections weighs more than 150-pounds, so it takes a lot of elbow grease to get all of them in place. Here, Pasang centers the log, so that the ends of the planks rest securely on top.
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- To be extra safe and to secure these shelves even more, Phurba then screws the shelves into the stumps from above. Phurba wants to be sure the shelves don’t move or fall when the plants are being watered or turned, etc.
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- This house has three fans positioned up high. They’re used mostly for circulating the air around the space.
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- The large heater is at the back of the hoop house. During winter it is checked a couple times each day to make sure the temperature remains comfortably warm inside. Too cold, plants will freeze – too hot, plants will rot. When it is filled, this greenhouse is always kept above 50-degrees Fahrenheit.
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- These wooden boards can withstand the weight of multiple pots. Phurba checks the tiers on the other side and makes any adjustments where necessary.
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- These shelves look great. There will be a lot of room on the center floor for taller plants and plenty of shelf space for the smaller potted specimens.
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- Among the plants that need to winter inside are my dwarf citrus plants. In the summer, these are kept outdoors. These are currently displayed in front of my Summer House. They can be kept here as long as temperatures stay above 40-degrees Fahrenheit.
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- I am so fortunate to be able to grow citrus here in the Northeast – they provide such delicious fruits. This ‘Ponderosa’ citrus tree produces huge lemons, often up to five-pounds each!
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- This tree is full of blood oranges. The blood orange is a variety of orange with crimson, almost blood-colored flesh. This orange inspired some of the flavoring for my new CBD gummies. Be sure to check out my line of wellness dummies, oils and supplements on shopcanopy.com – just click on the highlighted link.
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- I have many different citrus trees. These fruits are so much more flavorful than store-bought. I love to eat them fresh and share them with friends and family.
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- This is Citrus sinensis ‘Parson Brown’ – known for its cold tolerance, often surviving to the upper teens. The fruit was one of the leading sellers in Florida until around 1920. They’re large, very juicy with a mild sweet flavor.
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- Here is another citrus tree displayed in my Winter House courtyard behind my kitchen – Calamondin, Citrus mitis, is an acid citrus fruit native to the Philippines, Borneo and Sulawesi in Southeast Asia, as well as southern China and Taiwan in East Asia.
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- My citrus collection has grown quite a bit over the years. I am so pleased with how productive all these trees have been. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I bought a lemon. These lemon trees look great in my faux bois and false bottom planters I designed. You can find them at my shop on Amazon. What are you doing to prepare your warm weather plants for the winter? Share your comments and tips with me in the section below.
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