Home › Build it guides › Hoop tunnel cover
How to build a hoop tunnel cover
Hoops over a bed hold a cover off your plants. Use netting to stop pigeons and cabbage white butterflies, fine insect mesh to keep out carrot fly and leaf miners, or fleece to keep off frost.
- DifficultyEasy
- Time30 minutes
- Rough costabout £28
What you need
| Item | Qty | Cost | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| MDPE water pipe, 20mm x 10m | 1 | £14.00 | B&Q · Wickes · Amazon |
| Bamboo canes, 60cm | 12 | £4.00 | Thompson & Morgan · Suttons · B&Q · Wickes · Amazon |
| Ground pegs | 20 | £4.00 | Thompson & Morgan · Suttons · B&Q · Wickes · Amazon |
| Bird and butterfly netting, 2m x 5m or Insect mesh (enviromesh), 2m x 5m or Garden fleece, 2m x 10m | £6.00 | Thompson & Morgan · Suttons · B&Q · Wickes · Amazon |
Prices are rough guides. Shop links are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you (more).
Tools
- Saw or sharp knife (to cut the pipe)
- Tape measure
Step by step
- Cut the pipe into lengths of about 1.6m - one for every metre of bed, plus one.
- Push a short cane halfway into the ground on each side of the bed, every metre along.
- Slide each end of a pipe over a cane, so it makes a hoop over the bed.
- Throw the cover over the hoops and pull it taut, with no gaps.
- Peg or weigh down the edges all round - pigeons and carrot fly will find any gap. Lift one side to weed and water.
Tips
- Netting: pigeons, butterflies (cabbages, kale, broccoli). Mesh: carrot fly, leaf miner (carrots, leeks, onions). Fleece: frost.
- Take fleece off on warm days so plants don't overheat.
Good for growing
- Kale
- Purple sprouting broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Brussels sprouts
- Carrots
- Parsnips
- Leeks
- Onions
- Garlic
- Peas
- French beans
- Salad leaves
Pick what you want to grow and we'll tell you when to build it.
Start growing - it's free