Night Falls on the Hoop House
I love this photo! It's a trophy of sorts, as I never expected to grow lettuce beyond Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, an early NJ Nor'Easter collapsed a section, but thankfully, no spinach was damaged. This is my second hoop house. It's made out of painters plastic and metal electrical conduit which I bent. Last year I made one from PVC, but I now prefer conduit. The cool looking light was all the heat I need to keep the spinach warm on our cold nights. Two grow lights were set on a thermostat, to turn on at 32 degrees.
After battling the cold through mid January, I decided to pull the plug on the hoop house. The yield was diminishing and the bulbs were working overtime, even during the day too. I harvested all the spinach (a few salad spinners), covered the remains in hay and leaves, and wait for new growth in a few weeks.
The light bulbs were transferred to the sunken cold frame to help on a really cold stretch. I can't wait to see how this hoop house returns to growth with the emergence of spring in a few weeks. I'll be taking pics and making a post for sure :) Thanks for reading, and share a comment if you can. Peace.
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