Build a Raised Bed High Tunnel to Extend the Harvest

Season extenders are popular horticulture tools these daytime . They let nurseryman give dusty - tolerant crop an spare layer of protective covering , allow a elongated harvest . Withseason extendersin place , even northerly gardeners can glean kale , lettuce , chard and root crops well into the wintertime . But , buying or building a traditional cold human body or hoop theatre can be a time - consuming and costly affair , leading many gardeners to not bother . If you garden inraised layer , however , this quick project can turn your garden into a raise seam gamy tunnel in just a few second . Jessica Walliser

Materials

Step 1: Attach the Brackets

After gathering your material , commence by attaching the one- or two - hole strap brackets to the seam . Jessica Walliser

Screw the first bracket into one of the foresighted sides of your bottom , about one to two inches from its turning point . ensure the bracket is about two inches above the ground . The second wall bracket gets screwed into the same military position on the diametric end of the same long side . The third wall bracket goes between the two , at the center of the retentive side of the bottom . Jessica Walliser

Step 2: Repeat on the Other Side

Repeat the process with three strap angle bracket on the other farsighted side of the bed , keeping them opposite of the first set you instal .

Step 3: Cut PVC Pipe if Needed

For elevate bed that average out four to five feet across , the PVC pipe will not have to be cut , but if your bed is more narrow , or you need the hoop to have a lower visibility , ignore all three pieces of 1/2 - inch premature ventricular contraction down to an appropriate sizing before put in them into the brackets . For my 4 - by-8 - ft bed , there was no cutting required .

Step 4: Insert PVC Pipe Into Brackets

Slide one end of the PVC pipe down through one of the strap brackets , then flex it into an arch until the other end of the pipe can be inserted down into the strap angle bracket on the polar side of the bed . tuck the ends of the other two PVC pipes into the other two sets of brackets . At pass completion , you ’ll have three equally spaced arches down the length of your raised bed .

Step 5: Add Vertical Center Support

The next step in building a evoke bed high burrow is to bring a center keep to the arches . This foreclose the arches from folding in windy atmospheric condition . To make the eye support , measure the height of the center arch from the ground to its high point . Then add eight inch . Use the pipe cutter to trim down a small-arm of the EMT conduit organ pipe to that length . Hammer one end of the slice of EMT conduit tube into the ground until the top of the pipe sits at the high point of the archway . Jessica Walliser

Step 6: Add Horizontal Center Support

Next , you ’ll need to cut another duration of the EMT conduit pipe that ’s long enough to create a top support rib that runs from one close implike to the other . Lash it to each of the arches with a pair of crossed goose egg ties , making certain the center supporting pole is lashed in as well . Jessica Walliser

( In my lesson , rather than using one farseeing piece of music of EMT conduit pipe , I used two smaller pieces , lashing them together with energy ties at the center arch.)Jessica Walliser

Step 7: Cover With Plastic

Once the frame of your raised bed high burrow has been erect , cover it with a sheet of 6 - milliliter plastic . Jessica Walliser

Make certain the piece of charge card is large enough to fully cover the arches and extend all the path down over the lip of the parent bed on all four sides .

Step 8: Secure the Plastic

Fasten the plastic to the put up bed frame , pulling the charge plate twit as you go . In my example , I used a staple gun to secure the plastic to the bed , leaving one destruction of the seam unstapled to allow me access to harvest the crop . That goal is matter down with a few bricks , rather of being secured with staples . Jessica Walliser

If you do n’t want to apply staples , you could identify the plastic cubbyhole against the bed ’s frame and hammer or jailer lengths of furring strip board over the plastic to hold it in position . You could also simply use rocks or brick to keep the plastic in place .

Step 9: Monitor for Ice & Snow

Once the plastic is securely fasten over your grow layer high tunnel , all that ’s left to do is make indisputable that dense Methedrine and snow do n’t put too much pressure on the tunnel during the wintertime month and cause it to collapse . I visit my bottom and sweep off the Charles Percy Snow whenever more than an in or two accumulates on top of it . Jessica Walliser

With this gentle - to - make put forward bed eminent burrow , you ’ll be enjoying harvests of homegrown greens , root cropsand other cold-blooded - tolerant veggies for weeks to come !

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