Another hoop house here at my Bedford, New York farm is almost ready to fill with plants, and just in time - cooler weather and possible frost are expected next week.
Over the last few days, my outdoor grounds crew has been busy moving a small hoop house from an area next to my main greenhouse to a location adjacent to another hoop house near my boxwood nursery. I have four hoop houses in all. They are constructed from steel frames and polyethylene panels. It was a big project to move it - there were many steps involved to get it done, but I know it will be put to very good and much needed use.
Enjoy these photos.
Moving a hoop house is a very time consuming task, but it just seemed right to have most of the structures in one place. Here is the new location for the smallest of my hoop houses – just outside my former vegetable garden. My property manager, Doug White, measured the area and put down a good, level bed of gravel for the structure.
Next, the propane tank that will fuel the heater is installed. These hoop houses are temperature and humidity controlled. They work by heating and circulating air to create an artificial tropical environment.
All my hoop houses are Gothic style – notice the pointed arch in the roofline. This design minimizes snow accumulation in winter.
Here is the front panel with a single door for access. On each side of the door is an aluminum shutter which allows air to enter and cool the house on very warm days. Fernando cleans the paneling before the rest of the structure is installed.
The framing is in place. Its high peak will accommodate taller plants in the center if needed.
The frame is made from heavy gauge American made, triple-galvanized steel tubing – all secured with these tension purlin brackets.
It is easier to walk around the interior space when the gravel is small, so Jimmy transports smaller pea gravel to place on top of the larger gravel bed inside.
Jimmy also fills any gaps beneath the horizontal wood boards that support the side framing. A level is used at all times to ensure everything is completely square and plum.
At the back of each greenhouse is a high efficiency Modine boiler and heater. I wanted the greenhouses to have both cold and tempered water for the plants.
Here, Cesar digs the trench for the water pipes.
This is a side view of the hoop house as Doug and Cesar prepare to drape the “skin” over the top from our trusted Hi-Lo.
The fabric comes in two rolls – one is a heavy-duty, woven polyethylene that features an anti-condensate additive to reduce moisture buildup and dripping. The other side contains UV additives that allow the fabric to maintain its strength through the seasons.
The team hoists one roll on top of the frame and then the second on top of the first. The two sheets are well labeled, so there is no confusion as to what side faces up and what side faces down. The fabric is pulled taut at the ends of the framework and secured.
One can see the two layers of “skin.” These pieces are large and will be cut to fit perfectly once they are in position.
This polyethylene fabric is designed to stand up to just about any climate. It also resists rips and tears, so it could last up to 10-years depending on the weather.
The space between the two layers of plastic will be filled with air to keep the hoop house taut, smooth, and insulated. The air layer prevents heat loss at half the rate of single-paned glass.
Cesar secures spring wires, or wiggle wires, in the metal channels that support the plastic.
Here is one channel where the wiggle wire was installed. These three and four foot long spring wires compress and elongate when installed within the metal channels. They are installed all around the structure.
Pete secures the wire at the top of the hoop house and along all the edges.
Here is a view from above – the hoop house is nearly complete. The crew will finish connecting the electric and water systems, and finish any trimming and building. I am so glad we’ll be ready before the cold autumn weather. We may even get the season’s first frost next week.
And just beyond the hoop houses – my gardens and pastures. Look closely and see my handsome Friesians grazing. My farm is so beautiful this time of year.
There's never a dull moment here at my Bedford, New York farm - this week, the hoop house, located behind my main greenhouse, is on the move.
I have four hoop houses on the property - all used specifically for storing tropical plants during the cold season. Recently, I decided to relocate the smallest of the group down to a space near two of the others, just up the carriage road from my chicken yard. This would make maintaining the stored plants easier and free up the area outside the greenhouse for displaying pretty potted specimens. In order to do this, the hoop house had to be dismantled, and slowly transported piece by piece, using our trusted Hi-Lo.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
If you follow my blog regularly, you may recognize this area in front of my former vegetable garden. Earlier this summer, we measured the space and removed the sod where the small hoop house would go.
The hoop house is not as big as the other three, but is definitely used quite a bit for storing warm weather plants. It is also temperature and humidity controlled and can house a good number of potted specimens at various heights.
The first step was to remove the strong plastic that covers the hoop house. The plastic comes in two layers – one is a heavy-duty, woven polyethylene that features an anti-condensate additive to reduce moisture buildup and dripping. The other side contains UV additives that allow the fabric to maintain its strength through the seasons
Here, Pete removes the wood holding the plastic at the base of the structure. This wood will be completely replaced.
Pete removes the plastic from its side supports…
… And then pulls the plastic off.
The hoop house is now completely bare -just the front and back paneling and the durable metal frame are left standing.
Pete folds up the old plastic, so it can be stored. I am sure it can be repurposed for another project in the future.
All the hoop houses at the farm are equipped with fans and heaters. Inn each house, the electrical systems are located at the back of the enclosure.
These supplies are very heavy. It took four strong men to lift it and move it to the vehicle for transport.
Next, Pete secures the front panel, so it can be forklifted out of its space and brought down to its new location.
Here’s Fernando manning the controls inside the Hi-Lo.
Slowly the front of the hoop house is lifted and moved.
This part of the hoop house is one of two sides made from twin polycarbonate paneling. This one houses the access door and two windows.
Whenever we move anything with the tractors, we always use moving blankets to pad the machinery – taking the time to do this will always protect what is being moved and prevent any damage.
Slowly, the panel is driven down the carriage road…
… all the way to the new site. Pete walks with the panel the entire way to ensure it does not hit anything in its path.
Next, Fernando loosens the supports used for the framing.
All the metal frame piping is removed also. This framework shape is known as gothic style. It is the style I use for all the hoop houses on the farm. I chose it because of its high peak which can accommodate my taller plants.
All the framed pieces are removed and placed onto the forklift of our Hi-Lo.
Here is the last arch put onto the Hi-Lo. The next phase will be to put it all back together again.
And once again, Fernando drives the last pieces of the hoop house down to the new space. In my next blog, I’ll share how it is reassembled in its new space and what we’ll store in it for the winter. Stay tuned.
With such mild fall temperatures here in Bedford, New York, my dahlias continue to bloom so beautifully.
I designated a large space for growing dahlias right behind my vegetable greenhouse, in an area that gets great sun and protection from strong winds. The colorful flowers begin to bloom with great profusion just as other plants pass their prime, and they last right up until the first frost. Not long ago, my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, cut a lovely selection to decorate my home.
Enjoy these photos.
Dahlias are borne from tubers and are popularly grown for their long-lasting cut flowers.
There are about 42 species of dahlia, with hybrids commonly grown as garden plants. A member of the Asteraceae family of dicotyledonous plants, some of its relatives include the sunflower, daisy, chrysanthemum, and zinnia.
Dahlias are classified according to flower shape and petal arrangement.
Dahlias originated as wildflowers in the high mountain regions of Mexico and Guatemala – that’s why they naturally work well and bloom happily in cooler temperatures.
Dahlias were first recorded by Westerners in 1615, and were then called by their original Mexican name acoctli.
While the Dahlia is the national flower of Mexico, it is also the official flower of both San Francisco and Seattle on the US west coast.
Dahlias produce an abundance of wonderful flowers throughout early summer and again in late summer until the first frost.
Flowers come one head per stem. The blooms can be as small as two-inches in diameter or up to one foot across. This great variety results from dahlias being octoploids, meaning they have eight sets of homologous chromosomes, whereas most plants have only two.
Here in the United States, dahlias are considered a perennial in hardiness zones 8 and higher. in colder regions, zones 7 and lower, dahlias are treated as annuals. We’ve been lucky here at my farm. It is in USDA hardiness zone 6b and our dahlias come back every spring.
This is a cactus dahlia with its beautiful ‘spiny’ petals rolled up along more than two-thirds of their length.
The majority of dahlia species do not produce scented flowers or cultivars, but they are brightly colored to attract pollinating insects.
Ryan collects the dahlias and places them through the bottom side of a plastic milk crate to protect the delicate stems from breaking. They will be placed in water as soon as they are brought up to my Winter House.
Dahlias come in almost every color – white, shades of pink, red, yellow, orange, shades of purple, variegated and bicolor – almost every color except true blue.
The Dahlia is named after the Swedish 18th century botanist Anders Dahl, who originally declared the flower a vegetable, as the tubers are edible.
Before insulin, the tubers of dahlias were considered medicinal, being used to balance blood sugar due to their high fructose content. The petals were used to treat dry skin, bug bites, infections and rashes. The Aztecs were also said to have used their hallow stems as straws.
This bloom is white with darker burgundy petals in the center, edged in white.
Dahlias grouped with like blooms look so beautiful together. When planting dahlias, choose the location carefully – dahlias grow more blooms where they can have six to eight hours of direct sunlight.
When cutting, to prevent wilting, cut only in the early morning or late afternoon. And only cut them after they open to mature size – dahlias will not open after cutting.
Dahlias are common wedding flowers, not only for their looks but also for their symbolic meaning. During the Victorian era, dahlias were a symbol of commitment and everlasting union. They are also used to represent inner strength, creativity, and elegance.
Here’s Ryan with our latest bounty of beautiful blooms. Always wait until the foliage has turned brown before digging them up at the end of the season. This is important so that the plant can gather energy for the following year. It will store starches in the tuber which will fuel initial sprouting in summer. The best time is a couple weeks after the first frost when they’re well into dormancy yet haven’t been harmed by the cold. We may not get our first night of frost for a couple more weeks. Are you still enjoying the season’s dahlias where you live?
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