ARDMORE, Okla. – There may still be a chance of snow flying outside, but now is the time for gardeners who relish the idea of getting an early crop to market to be readying their hoop houses for spring planting.

Growers should have hoop houses in place and be concentrating on winter maintenance. This would include repairing torn plastic, checking irrigation/fertigation systems, and accumulating tools and supplies such as fertilizer, plastic mulch and trellis materials such as twine or wire, said Steve Upson, horticulturist at the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Inc. based in Ardmore, Okla.

Hoop house growers are also encouraged before planting to get a standard soil test to determine fertilizer needs. The tests are available from the Foundation for $10 or from any Oklahoma State University and Texas A&M Cooperative Extension office. Growers should also be considering use of row or crop covers to provide additional protection from freezing temperatures.

In addition, hoop house producers should be looking for a source of transplants, if one has not already been located. Seeds for transplants should be planted in late January to early February, depending on the crop.

"To take full advantage of the hoop house growing system, you need to use transplants, not seeds – plants that are already growing," said Upson. "The bottom line is earliness."

Hoop house success depends on establishing transplants about two weeks prior to the earliest standard field planting date for the same plants. The growth-enhancing conditions in the enclosed environment result in warm-season crops, such as tomatoes and peppers, maturing about a month earlier than those grown outdoors.

"And, you don't have any energy cost output," Upson pointed out. "These are passive systems we're dealing with. There is no electricity or propane. We're dealing with radiant energy."

Besides tomatoes and peppers, hoop house crops that have proven successful for Noble Foundation horticulturists include colored bell peppers, strawberries, cucumbers and cut flowers. Crops that can be profitable if two harvests are made in a season include summer squash, muskmelons, eggplant, broccoli, green bell peppers and hot peppers.

Produce growers face a variety of constraints, including government regulations, escalating production costs, labor shortages, competition and unpredictable weather, Upson explained. "Hoop houses can't solve most of the grower's problems, but they can reduce the risk associated with inclement weather. It's a tool growers can use to better their lot."

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Photos & Cutlines:

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Bell peppers produce well in hoop house environments.
Photo/Courtesy the Noble Foundation