lowtunnel hashtag performance

In the previous post, I showed how I DIY’ed a hoop bender for making low tunnel hoops out of electric metallic tubing (EMT). Today I’ll show how I use this bender to make low tunnel hoops for my raised beds. Prior to bending, I mark 3 spots on the 10 ft EMTs with a permanent marker. I begin by marking 2 spots, each measured from the two ends of the EMT. These two marks indicate where the bend in the hoop should begin relative to the ends. The location of these 2 marks is determined with basic geometry: subtract from the full length of the EMT one half of the circumference of the circle whose diameter is the raised bed width and then divide the result in half. For my 36 inch wide beds, this calculation indicated that the bend of the hoop should start about 32 inches from the ends of the 10 ft EMT: (120 inches - (0.5 x 36 inches x 3.14)) / 2 = 31.73 inches The final mark is made on the EMT at 5 ft. This marks the midpoint of the EMT. With the marks made, I insert the EMT into the bender until the first mark from the inserted end is at the position of the first bolt on the bender. Then I pull on the free end of the EMT. As the EMT is pulled, it will bend around the arc created by the bolts on the bender. I pull until the EMT is bent up to its midpoint. This completes the bending of the first half of the hoop. I then pull the EMT out of the bender, flip it around, and insert the opposite end of the EMT up to the first mark from that end. Once again, I pull the EMT until it touches the bolts on the bender. Once the EMT is bent up to the midpoint mark, the second half of the hoop is completed. The DIY hoop bender makes bending EMT quick and easy. It took me less than 10 minutes to bend the 8 extra hoops I needed and the best part is that they all turned out perfectly identical which really makes my inner OCD happy! 😝 #lowtunnel #frostprotection #caterpillartunnel #quickhoops #rowcover #cropcover #hoopbender #emthoops #gardenhacks #EncyGROWpedia #growyourownfood #homegrown #homestead #gardenporn #fallgarden #wintergarden #squarefootgardening

Six years ago, I was enjoying my beautiful late-fall vegetable garden when I learned that Atlanta was going to experience one of its rare snow events. After some research, I decided to use low tunnels to protect my garden from freeze damage. Low tunnels are miniature versions of the high tunnel greenhouses used by commercial farms to extend their growing season into the winter. Low tunnels consist of a series of low arches equally spaced over a row of vegetables. Sheet material draped and secured over these arches (also called hoops) provide the vegetables protection from the cold. Common coverings include clear plastic sheets and frost fabric. PVC pipes are commonly used to create the hoops. Given their flexibility, they can easily be bent into an arch. This would have been an easy solution, but I wanted hoops that were durable. This led me to explore making the arches out of metal tubing instead. Because of their rigidity, metal tubings are much harder to shape into arches. However, they have the advantage of durability and strength. They will far outlast hoops made out of PVC pipes which are vulnerable to UV deterioration. In addition, unlike PVC hoops which collapse under weight, metal hoops will maintain their shape. The superior strength of metal hoops comes into play during snowfall. While Atlanta is known for its extreme heat, we do occasionally get snow here. When it snows here, like it did this past weekend, I’m thankful that I made my hoops out of metal tubings instead of PVC pipes. The construction of those metal hoops six years ago not only allowed me to garden through winter that year but also every year since. With the help of low tunnels, I now garden year round, even through some of the recent frigid winters. The metal hoops have been an excellent investment and should far outlast my remaining gardening years! #growyourownfood #homegrown #homestead #wintergarden #lowtunnel #frostprotection #caterpillartunnel #quickhoops #rowcovers #frostcloth #frostblanket #gardenhacks #atlantagardener #georgiagardener #organicgardener #instagardener #gardensofinstagram #instagarden #hoopbender #emthoops #farmlife #farmhack

Some of you have asked if the metal hoops and snap clamps would work for heavier snow load than what we got in Atlanta last month. The answer is yes and I have an old video showing the setup under load to prove it. I've been using this same metal hoop and heavy duty snap clamps setup for six years now. The first winter I used the setup was in my previous garden when I was farming in the city. The very next day after I set up the low tunnels for the first time in my raised beds, they were immediately subjected to involuntary load testing. Two of my neighbor’s cats decided that the frost blankets covering the low tunnels made for perfect kitty hammocks. Both cats climbed on top of the low tunnels to bask in the sun. These were well-fed felines and each one subjected at least 10 lbs of load on the low tunnel. Despite carrying over 20 lbs of weight, the low tunnel held up without issues. The weight did not detach the frost cloth from the metal hoops. This is a testament to the tremendous grip strength of the heavy duty snap-on clamps used. Due to their lack of rigidity, PVC or PEX hoops would have collapsed under this kind of weight. In contrast, the metal hoops didn't even flex at all. This is a clear indication that they are capable of handling significantly higher load. #growyourownfood #homegrown #homestead #wintergarden #lowtunnel #frostprotection #caterpillartunnel #quickhoops #rowcovers #frostcloth #frostblanket #gardenhacks #atlantagardener #georgiagardener #organicgardener #instagardener #gardensofinstagram #instagarden #hoopbender #emthoops #farmlife #farmhack

Per popular request, here’s a how-to on how I made my conduit bender! Due to its rigidity, electric metallic tubing (EMT) requires a bending tool. This tool is sold under the name “hoop bender” and can be found at @johnnys_seeds. I encountered several issues when I shopped for hoop benders. First, the benders are only manufactured for widths such as 3 ft or 4 ft so they won't work for beds of other widths, such as mine. Second, the benders are expensive. They were around $60 5 years ago. Thanks to inflation, they are now over $130 shipped! Third, the benders are not immediately ready for use. They need to be secured to something stationary but still have ample working space to accommodate the length of the EMT. Examples provided by the vendor include attaching the bender to a tow hitch rig or a picnic table, neither of which are easily available to most people. Necessity being the mother of invention, the #engineer in me was tickled to find a solution. After some brainstorming, I created a jig easily made with common tools and low cost materials. Using an OSB plank, a short piece of 2x4 wood, 20 bolts, and a few screws, I pieced together a DIY bender for $15. Swinging a string around a fixed point, I drew an arc on the plank representing a quarter circle with a diameter matching the width of my raised beds. I drilled a series of holes in the plank along this arc. I then placed bolts into the holes. I finished the construction by attaching a piece of 2x4 wood on the side as a brace for the EMT. To use the bender, I place it on level ground and drive the front tire of my car over the 2x4 wood mounted on the side. The weight of the car holds the bender firmly in place so there’’s no movement while it’s in use. Follow for part 2 of this how-to tomorrow! #lowtunnel #frostprotection #caterpillartunnel #quickhoops #rowcover #cropcover #hoopbender #emthoops #gardenhacks #instagarden #instagardeners #farmlife #farmhack #atlantagardener #EncyGROWpedia #growyourownfood #homegrown #urbanfarming #urbanhomestead #homestead #gardenporn #wintergarden #squarefootgardening

Several of you asked how I secure frost fabric to the hoops in my low tunnels. Here’s some background info on what I’ve tried and what has worked best for me. After making hoops out of EMT (electric metallic tube), I needed something that would secure frost fabric to them. I learned that “snap clamps” were made for this purpose. I purchased a set. They installed easily, but after using them for a few weeks, I began to notice some issues. The frost fabric often came loose because the snap clamps weren’t holding the fabric securely. Most snap clamps are made for use with PVC tubing. Since PVC tubing has a thicker wall than metallic tubing of the same inner diameter, the clamps fit loosely on my metal hoops. In addition, when I repeatedly put the clamps on and took them off, their sharp corners began causing rips in the fabric! After more research, I discovered the Bootstrap Farmer snap clamp which was designed specifically for EMT. Not only was the plastic body thicker and more sturdy, it incorporated metal tensioners for extra grip strength. It was also designed with rounded, tapered, and flared corners which made the clamp easier to put on and take off, but also prevented it from cutting into and ripping the fabric. After five winters of using the Bootstrap Farmer clamps, I can highly recommend them not just for their superior quality and design but also for their durability. While the other clamps quickly got brittle and broke, the Bootstrap Farmer snap clamps still look and perform like new. I highly recommend these clamps whether for use with frost fabric during the winter or for shade fabric and insect netting during the warmer months! For links to these clamps, visit my Amazon Shop through my bio and you’ll find them in the “Gardening” section! #growyourownfood #homegrown #homestead #wintergarden #lowtunnel #frostprotection #caterpillartunnel #quickhoops #rowcovers #frostcloth #frostblanket #gardenhacks #atlantagardener #georgiagardener #organicgardener #instagardener #gardensofinstagram #instagarden #hoopbender #emthoops #farmlife #farmhack

Here’s how I make tunnels for my frost cloth! Don’t go and buy precut hoops…make your own by going to your local farm store! Buy some 10 gauge coiled fencing wire and make your own! Easy to cut with wire cutters or fencing pliers. Place about 4ft apart and the cloth lays right on top! I pull the ends tight and secure with rocks or anything heavy and then use rocks or tpost to hold down the side. Frost cloth is so important when growing cool flowers! So it’s important to have an easy and good system in place for those really cold nights! #flowerfarm #flowerfarmer #flowerfarming #localflowers #farmerflorist #lowtunnel #caterpillertunnel

He says you just worry about growing those flowers and leave everything else to me. 🥰 This is my third year of overwintering ranunculus (adding anemones this year too) and I like to say third time is a charm. Last years low tunnel worked but I really wanted something that I could easily assemble and easily take down year to year. I also plan to add more low tunnels so I want to perfect the system. Conduit pipe is finally not sooo freakin expensive so I decided to go with that because it will last so long and it’s sturdy. Here’s how we bent it. It might not work for everyone but it definitely worked perfect for us! I’ll be sharing more about my low tunnel this week! #flowerfarm #flowerfarmer #flowerfarming #localflowers #lowtunnel #caterpillartunnel

Installing my low tunnels to protect those delicate spring flowers! 3 years ago, I trial grew about 100 ranunculus in my backyard. I wanted to see if I could grow them through the winter here in Missouri. I used rusty ole t-post cut in half, some woven wire and some zip ties. I was truly just seeing if I could do it. Well I did it and I was hooked! Here I am planting 1000s of ranunculus! #lowtunnel #caterpillartunnel #winterflowers #springflowers #ranunculus #flowers #flowerfarm #flowerfarmer #flowerfarming

This is hands down the best way to store frost cloth! IYKYK but frost cloth is a waded mess most of the time. Knotting it like this helps to put out easily, helps it not be tangled and you can always find the end! 😉 Easy peasy! Also, peep my pup in the background trying to steal the show 😂 • • • #garden #gardener #mastergardener #gardenlove #gardening #iamyourgardener #howdoesyourgardengrow #gardeningforthesoul #gardenlife #farmher #gardengirl #flowerfarmer #flowerfarming #flowerfarm #cutflowers #cutflowergarden #flowersofinstagram #womeninbusiness #womeninag #flowertips #flowergarden #gardenflowers #freshflowers #farmfresh #farmfreshflowers #frostcloth #lowtunnel