Recovering From a False Start

The hand clamps on the end stakes keep the end of the tarp
in place and make it easy for me to open the ends to vent
or water or just check on things.

A couple weeks ago we had a nice warm week, the spring-like temperatures holding right on through the weekend.  I interpreted this as a good time to start some of my early warm weather crops, stuff like bush beans, bell peppers,early sweet corn, etc.  I direct sowed the corn and beans into my beds and started lots of peppers (and some more beans) in cell containers for later transplant.

Then it cooled off.  It cooled off a lot, about 15 degrees and we had two storms come through (a third as I write this).  My warm weather guys stopped growing, they started to pale in color a bit and generally not look so hot.  I figured I'd use the opportunity to dry some basic home made low tunnels to increase the temp, create a sort of little mini-greenhouse.

Hoops and anchor stakes in place for the bean bed

It was actually really easy, between Eliot Coleman's guidance in Four Season Harvest and the various images and videos I had seen online I knew how to tackle the problem.

1. I purchased some 3mil plastic tarp
2. 170' of #9 "tension wire" used for chain link fences - this would be used for the hoops
3. Garden hoe
4. Gather my twine, some stakes and a couple hand clamps

Hoops tied together with twine and anchored at each end
to the stakes.  If he's not lying down he's sleeping
standing up... bastard!

Funny side note on the wire: Was at Home Depot and the price was missing from the wire so they had to lookup the price in their photo reference book.  Well, they picked the wrong item and rang it up for about 1/2 what it should have been.  I love it when that happens and I don't feel bad about it; god knows I've spent enough money there.

Anyway, so I figured out the shape and size I wanted the hoops to be, then made some pen marks on my workbench as reference so I could create reasonably consistent pieces.  I then stuck them along the bed and used my twine to tie them together and anchor to the stakes at each end.  I used the Hoe to drag a shallow trench around the perimeter of the bed to bury the edge of the tarp material to keep it down.  I then draped the tarp over, pulled it tight at the ends and kicked dirt back over the edge of the tarp.  Done, easy.

corn bed with soil warming black plastic

I placed my various cell containers of seedlings in between the beans plants so they can bask in the heat as well.  After the this bed was done I moved on to the corn and did pretty much the same thing.  Start to finish, including Home Depot trip I'd say this took me two hours which was a perfect break in an otherwise hectic and busy work day.