Transcript High Tunnels and Herbs - Kansas State University

High Tunnels and Herbs
for more information see
www.hightunnels.org
R. Janke, KSU
A talk based on research by Ted Carey,
Kim Williams, Laurie Hodges and Lewis
Jett
What are high tunnels?
Unheated greenhouse structures.
 Same as “hoop houses.”
 Purpose is season extension, not
year-round protection or
production.
 Many designed as “drive
through” for use of field equip.
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Advantages of high tunnels:
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Low cost structure for high-value
crops.
Wind (and sun) protection.
Water control.
Season extension (early and late
crops possible.
Disadvantages of high tunnels:
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Higher day-time temperatures, same night
temperatures, for a gain in ‘degree days’
but no protection from cold nights.
Hot days can cause additional stress on
plants, e.g. exacerbate mites on
tomatoes?
Have to water crops, even when it rains.
They aren’t tornado proof, and even a
heavy rain or snow can wreck one.
Cost Comparisons
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High tunnels cost approximately $0.75-1.50 sq ft. This
includes plastic and the frame structure.
As a rule of thumb, you should expect to pay at least an
additional 25% for end-wall lumber, site preparation,
water lines and other accessories.
Greenhouses cost approximately $6 sq ft or almost five
times the cost of a high tunnel.
Generally speaking, high tunnels are considered to be
impermanent structures. However, you may need to check
with your local zoning regulations.
High tunnel dimensions range from 10-30’ width x 9-12’
height and up to 96’ length. (Jett)
High tunnel location:
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A high tunnel should be placed on a level, well-drained,
accessible site.
High tunnels can be moveable, however, if you wish to have
a stationary unit, you will have to amend the soil each
season or year to maintain fertility.
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Unlike greenhouses, orienting a high tunnel for sunlight is
not as crucial.
A high tunnel should be oriented in a direction that is
perpendicular to the prevailing winds on your farm.
Remember, all ventilation is manual, so you depend on the
wind to ventilate your house. In Missouri, our winds are
predominantly from the south-southwest. Thus, for spring
tomato production, we find an east-west orientation to be
optimal. (Jett)
Constructing a Simple PVC High Tunnel
by Jim Hail, Robbins Hail, Katherine Kelly, and Ted Carey
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This low-cost, 30’ long by 18’ wide high tunnel is
constructed using PVC pipe for hoops.
The materials cost roughly $500 (including shade cloth
for summer production) and we didn't shop for the best
buy on materials and lumber.
Comparison of High Tunnels at
KSU-Olathe Site
Type
(in feet)
Total
Cost in
2002
18 x 30
$ 400
540
$ 0.74
Stuppy
Polar
Cub/Cold
20 x 30
(20 x 96)
$ 1000
($ 2500)
640
(1920)
$ 1.56
($ 1.30)
Haygrove
200 x 96
(4 bays)
$ 17,000
19,200
$ 0.88
Homemade
PVC
Dimensions
Sq. Feet
(~ ½ acre)
Cost per
Sq. Ft.
Stuppy Polar Cub
Haygrove Design
PVC Model
Home-made design using recycled poles, lumber, and originally
plastic. Original cost was about $10 for metal brackets and
screws/nails.
Heavy rain destroyed the plastic, and was replaced with shade cloth
(about $300?)
Answers to Frequently Asked
Questions about High Tunnels:
A five-foot high sidewall is
superior to a 3’ sidewall with
respect to air circulation.
However, high tunnels with
lower sidewalls may be slightly
warmer. (Jett)
A high tunnel is a solar heated
greenhouse with no electrical
or automated ventilation that
is used to extend the crop
production season for many
horticulture crops. Crops that
are produced within high
tunnels are grown in the
ground with drip irrigation.
(Jett)
Four mil, 4-year,
greenhouse-grade
polyethylene is suitable
plastic for covering a high
tunnel. (Jett)
General Information:
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American Society for Plasticulture
www.plasticulture.org
Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas
www.attra.org
Healthy Farmers, Healthy Profits Project
http://bse.wisc.edu/hfhp/
Market-Farming.com
www.market-farming.com
Noble Foundation
www.noble.org
Penn State University
http://plasticulture.cas.psu.edu/H-tunnels.htm
Rutgers University
http://aesop.rutgers.edu/~horteng/
Structure Suppliers:
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A. M. Leonard
www.amleo.com
Atlas Greenhouse Systems, Inc.
www.AtlasGreenhouse.com
Conley’s Greenhouse Mfg.
www.conleys.com
CropKing, Inc.
www.cropking.com
FarmTek
www.farmtek.com
Grow-It Greenhouse
www.growitgreenhouses.com
Haygrove tunnels
www.haygrove.co.uk
Hoop House Greenhouse Kits
(Mashpee, MA, USA)
http://www.hoophouse.com/
International Greenhouse
Company
www.igcusa.com
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Jaderloon
www.jaderloon.com
Keeler Glasgow
www.keeler-glasgow.com
Ludy Greenhouses
www.ludy.com
Poly-Tex Inc.
www.poly-tex.com
Rimol Greenhouse Systems
www.rimol.com
Speedling Inc.
www.speedling.com
Stuppy Greenhouse Mfg (Kansas
City, MO, USA)
www.stuppy.com
Turner Greenhouses
www.turnergreenhouses.com
XS Smith
www.xssmith.com
Construction How-To:
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Washington State University
http://cru.cahe.wsu.edu/CEPublications/
Market Farming Boulder Belt Hoophouse
www.marketfarmer.com/lhphs.htm
Westside Gardener Hoophouse design
www.westsidegardener.com/howto/hoophouse.h
tml
Cattle panel design from Farm Show Magazine
www.farmshow.com/issues/29/01/290106.asp
Growers using High Tunnels:
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Au Naturel Farms
http://aunaturelfarm.homestead.com
Angelic Organics
www.angelicorganics.com
Four Season Farm
http://www.fourseasonfarm.com
Windwalker Farm
http://www.windwalker-farm.com
Publications about high tunnels:
Four Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from Your Home Garden All
Year Long., Eliot Coleman 1999, 212 pages, Chelsea Green Publishing
www.chelseagreen.com
The Hoophouse Handbook by Lynn Byczynski, 2003, 60 pages,
Fairplain Publishing, Inc. www.growingformarket.com
The New Organic Grower: A Masters Manual of Tools and Techniques
for the Home and Market Gardener. By Eliot Coleman , 1995, 340
pages, Chelsea Green Publishing, www.chelseagreen.com
Season Extension Techniques for Market Gardeners Janet
Bachman and Richard Earles 2000, 24 pages, ATTRA, www.attra.org
Solar Gardening: Growing Vegetables Year-Round the American
Intensive Way. Leandre and Gretchen Poisson, 1994, 267 pages,
Chelsea Green Publishing www.chelseagreen.com
The Winter-Harvest Manual Farming the Backside of the Calendar
Eliot Coleman, 2001, 62 pages, http://www.fourseasonfarm.com
High Tunnel Tomato Production Guide (Publication M170) is
available for sale from University of Missouri Extension for $10/copy.
Contact MU Extension Publications at (800) 292-0969 or online at:
http://muextension.missouri.edu/explore/manuals/m170.htm
Current Research using high
tunnels:
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Olathe-KSU Polar Cub: organic vs. conventional
lettuce, spinach, and other greens.
Haygrove tunnel at Olathe for ornamentals, turf,
and eventually herbs.
Wichita KSU: strawberry/tomato production
University of Missouri - Columbia: warm season
crops.
University of Nebraska – Lincoln: flower crops.
Grower trials in 3 states: profitability,
adaptability, soil quality.
Contact Ted Carey at [email protected]
or (913) 645-0007 for more information or to
help with high tunnel construction.
The Eastern Kansas Horticultural Crops & Forestry
Center is located at 35125 West 135th Street,
Olathe, Johnson County, KS 66061-9423.
Directions: The Center is easily accessible from
Interstate 35 at the Santa Fe Road exit by driving
straight west through the city of Olathe (about 7
miles).