If you’re looking for greenhouse supplies, a hoop greenhouse, film, lighting, or any other accessories, you’re in the right place.
We offer complete hoop house greenhouse kits so you can easily set up a structure for your plants without the costs and time it takes to install a professional greenhouse with walls, a roof, etc.
We also carry the greenhouse film & LED strip lights you need to help optimize your lighting and ensure your plants have all the energy they need.
Shop Hydrobuilder for the best prices online with exceptional service that has professional growers and hobbyists alike coming back time and time again!
What Exactly Is A Hoop Greenhouse?
A hoop house greenhouse is a DIY type of structure for growing plants in an indoor/outdoor hybrid environment. The plants are enclosed, sort of like a grow room.
But greenhouse growing differs greatly from indoor growing. These tend to be clear, or at least opaque, so that sunlight penetrates the walls and roof. This helps with some of the light your plants need, but you will likely still need to provide supplemental grow lighting.
These also allow for some atmosphere control, but because a hoop greenhouse is rarely insulated, you’ll still struggle with low temperatures, high temperatures, and humidity-related issues.
Is A Hoop House A Greenhouse?
Sometimes, people use the terms “hoop house” and “greenhouse” interchangeable. But these are not the same thing.
Hoop greenhouses are actually just a type of greenhouse, which is an umbrella term used to describe any sort of covered structure outside that houses a garden or plants.
We’ll break down the difference between these two types of structures below.
What Is The Difference Between A Hoop House & A Greenhouse?
A hoop house and greenhouse seek to provide similar conditions and serve the same purpose. But a hoop house is a far more affordable way to get started, particularly for hobbyists or small-scale operations.
The difference between these two structures comes down to the structure each provides. A greenhouse consists of solid walls and a roof. It’s far easier to install ventilation systems in these, and are more easily controlled due to the increased insulation they provide.
This makes them better for year-round growing, as you can more easily grow through the winter. Hoop houses, on the other hand, consist of pipes and a covering. They’re a DIY approach to greenhouses, and can be looked at as a middle ground between greenhouses and outdoor growing - they provide some separation from the elements, but not to the extent a full-fledged greenhouse would.
Nevertheless, these are a great option for those who don’t have the space or resources for a greenhouse.
There are pros and cons to growing in a hoop house, and in our opinion, the pros far outweigh the cons. We’ll cover them now.
Benefits Of Growing In A Hoop Greenhouse
The main benefit of growing in a hoop greenhouse is the cost-effective manner in which you can optimize the growing environment. These are also far easier to set up and take down than a traditional greenhouse.
However, the atmosphere is not quite as easily manipulated as indoor growing, and you may still struggle with temperatures in certain climates , but for the cost, these are incredible at what they do.
You still get to harness that natural light from the sun with these, saving you money on running grow lights 12-18 hours a day.
You are also protected from many of the common garden pests & diseases with a hoop house. But keep in mind that since you will open up the front and back of the hoop house greenhouse, you aren’t protected to the same degree of a typical greenhouse structure or indoor growing.
If you haven’t quite picked up on the theme yet, most of the benefits of hoop house greenhouse growing can be categorized into protection from the elements.
With outdoor growing, you also have to worry about wind damage, snapping branches or buds, rain soaking your flowers and potentially contributing to powdery mildew, frost during winter, and much more. By investing in a hoop house structure, you can offer some degree of protection from these elements.
We have an entire guide on how to protect your outdoor grow if you are interested in learning more about keeping your plants safe year-round.
Hoop House Greenhouses DO NOT Offer All The Advantages Of A Traditional Greenhouse
One thing to keep in mind, though, is that these hoop houses are not going to be a full-fledged greenhouse. You won’t really be able to insulate these to the extent of a greenhouse, which means year-round growing may be tough in certain colder climates.
You also need to realize that during the summer, it can get extremely hot in these hoop houses, so you’ll need to open up both sides of the structure to let wind flow through. This then invites pests in, kind of compromising one of the main benefits of these - protection.
So be aware that you aren’t getting all the benefits of greenhouse growing with one of these. But when you factor in the price you're paying for a hoop house compared to a greenhouse, you can’t expect the same degree of protection.
What Greenhouse Supplies Do You Need To Grow In A Hoop House?
Aside from the hoop house itself, there are a few other greenhouse supplies you need to ensure a successful growing season.
There are some essentials, and then there are some things that you can get by without, but will greatly dampen your success.
Greenhouse Film
Greenhouse film, also known as the greenhouse cover, is the “tarp” that goes over the piping of your hoop house. There are different grades of this, each having varying degrees of thickness.
The thicker the cover, the more insulation and protection provided to your hoop house. But, you also sacrifice air flow and sunlight, so it’s give and take.
While it isn’t super often, you will eventually need to replace your greenhouse film, more than likely. Whether it just gets beat up from harsh, windy weather or an animal chews through it to get to your plants, the greenhouse film won’t last forever.
Luckily for you, though, we have replacement greenhouse film here at Hydrobuilder to keep your hoop house up and running smooth, protecting your garden from the elements.
Greenhouse Environment Equipment (Swamp Coolers, Fans, Etc.)
To optimize the environment in your hoop house or greenhouse, you also need to make sure you have ample air flow and temperature control.
This requires you to use intake or exhaust fans in a greenhouse, but in a hoop house, it’s as easy as folding up the doors and windows to let fresh air in!
The GROW1 portable swamp coolers we have are a great addition to any grow setting, hoop house, or greenhouse. They will help keep temperatures down while adding humidity to the growing space, which is extremely important for hot, dry climates, such as Nevada or parts of California.
Supplemental Greenhouse Grow Lighting
While a hoop house greenhouse allows some sunlight through, you may need to add supplemental greenhouse grow lighting if you’re cultivating plants with high light energy requirements.
Some plants just need 8-10 hours of sunlight a day to grow to their full potential , particularly herbs, some flowers, and veggies. But some bigger fruiting or flowering plants need up to 12-18 hours of direct sunlight a day.
It’s very unlikely your plants will get this naturally in your hoop greenhouse, so you need to add some strip lighting to help fill out your plants. And the expandable LED strip lights we carry here at Hydrobuilder are perfect.
Ranging from 24’ long all the way up to 100’ long, you can easily wrap these around your entire hoop house to provide ample lighting for all your plants.
Shop All Your Hoop House & Greenhouse Supplies At Hydrobuilder!
Whether you are looking for a hoop house to install in your backyard or you just need a few greenhouse supplies, such as greenhouse film or strip lights, we have it here from the best vendors in the horticulture industry.
The best part is, we offer affordable pricing and unbeatable customer service that will have you shopping with us for all your garden or greenhouse supplies.
We carry plant nutrients, indoor grow tents, garden care essentials, and harvest supplies - and that’s just a few of the notable categories you’ll see here.
Are you a commercial grower getting ready to start a big project, or currently working on one? Reach out to us about commercial pricing, and we can get you better costs on the equipment and supplies you need, along with a dedicated account rep, automated reorders, and more!
