MAXPACE Greenhouse Hoops for Less Than 2.7ft Wide Grow Tunnel, Rust-Free Fiberglass Support Hoops Frame for Garden Fabric, DIY Plant Support Garden Stakes, Gardening Supplies, 50pcs

I am a big fan of the MAXPACE Greenhouse Hoops. I bought them to create a grow tunnel for my seedlings next spring. This fall, I used the hoops with grow cover fabric to prevent freezing the last of my garden in the fall frosts, and they have worked perfectly! The hoops are made of rust-free fiberglass, which is strong and lightweight. They are also very easy to assemble. I was able to put together my grow tunnel in less than an hour. I love that the hoops are so versatile. I can use them to create a variety of different shapes and sizes of grow tunnels, depending on my needs. I can also use them to support other types of garden structures, such as trellises and fences. Overall, I am very happy with the MAXPACE Greenhouse Hoops for DIY Less Than 2.7' Wide Grow Tunnel. They are a great value for the price, and they have made it easy for me to create a grow tunnel that is perfect for my needs.

This is my second year doing a fall/winter garden in zone 6. Last year I made low tunnels with thick metal wire and floating row covers, but this year I wanted to expand my fall garden and didn't want to buy that much metal. Enter these little hoop frame supports. These are lightweight and extremely easy to put together. They don't stay together except under tension. In my soil which is very loose, I had no trouble inserting them into the ground a decent bit but in compacted soils or soils with more clay, it would be nearly impossible to insert them without breaking them. I was able to put hoops over 3 garden rows, each row is about a yard wide and three yards long. The poles do not seem especially sturdy. I would not recommend them for locations that get much snow, or at the very least you will need them much closer together than I have them. I don't expect them to last more than a season, possibly two at best. The poles are easy to rearrange and move as needed, which is nice. There is a lot of flexibly as far as garden shape and size that could be covered with these. The clips to hold the fabric covers in place are junk, and I would not recommend using them. We are using other clips we already had, and so far our system is working quite well. We will be enjoying veggies long into the winter months thanks to this set up!

I understand the stated concept of using metal connectors and fiberglass rods that fit very loosely, yet after fiddling with them it became clear that I needed to wrap each connecting point in duct tape so the rods wouldn’t fall apart when I moved them around my garden. These hoops then flopped over a lot even after I pushed the ends into the soil, and I ended up using zip-ties to secure a bamboo pole across the tops of these hoops to keep them in place before covering everything in insect cloth. I’ve been testing several different kinds of greenhouse hoops over the last month, and while these do work, they are my least favorite so far.

I live where it is over 100 degrees all summer, but we also get a few nights during the winter when it freezes. Normally my garden season is from October till May. I am hoping I can use these hoops with a shade cloth in the summer, to get a little more time. These will also be great in the winter when I have to cover for frost. I have a raised garden made with cinder block and it is exactly three feet wide. Assembling the five poles as shown in the directions, the height of the hoop is 28 inches. The clips fit fine on the poles by themselves, but adding the extra thickness of the shade cloth, it is really hard to get them on. I will probably use binder clips instead. Besides protecting my garden from the weather, using these hoops with a shade cloth or netting will also protect from birds, squirrels, and my dogs.

The MAXSPACE greenhouse hoops 1.5-3ft wide grow tunnel are make of fiberglass-mostly- that is a plus & minus. Over the years as we grow seedlings, new cuttings, etc.. anything plants related, we find that due to damp, soil, moist conditions, a few of materials that last the longest is concrete, stainless steel, fiberglass, bamboo. Which concrete to form the parameter, as it is not very flexible. The MAXSPACE hoops, when connected the pieces together will be great to start (in place) and protect new starters(seedling) from cold weather, or hails or the searing heat of the sun. The plus of lite, easily movable will easily negate if you are rough handling the hoops. Please goes easy on the connectors-we use a bit of Vaseline when we put the hoop together, both inside and outside-this help the connections last a bit longer and provide a bit of lubricate. The way we handle it, make all the connection for a single hoop before push it in the ground on one side before push the other side in. After the length of the tunnel is done, the cover can be stress across and secure. Reverse the procedure when remove the hoops. For additional stability we usually put a section of hoop perpendicular with the end of the tunnel to help with securing the cover and also provide a bit of additional rigid. ---

The rods are lightweight and easy to put together, but be mindful of how strong wind in your area can get before you add your cloth to it. I had these hoops kind of at a 15 degree angle on a hill with a frost blanket over them and the wind came through and broke a few of the rods because it was just that strong. No huge deal, I'm still pleased they held up for the most part.

It is my own fault for not reading the specifications on this set, but the rod lengths are much shorter than I had pictured. They seem durable enough and have a good amount of flex to them. I am glad I selected the set with more sections so I can assemble arches with more room for larger plants and beds. The connectors are a little light, but they seem sturdy enough to keep from bending. The plastic covering clips seem like a great idea, but I won't know for sure until I put them together in the spring. In all, this set is pretty great for the price and I can't see any reason to reduce the rating. If the rods don't hold up to the elements in the growing season, I will update the review then.

Gotta be careful with these when you're putting them together for two reasons. The fiberglass strands are very rigid and bend only slightly. It's good that they're strong, to hold up to weather and such but it means they cannot be used for any size bed beyond what is recommended. The second reason is that they're connected with metal pieces that do not fit snugly. They're very loose in fact and you have to hold them together with one hand while trying to place the poles with your other hand. It's rather tricky and frustrating. I've taken a picture of the pieces unconnected and also with them connected. I'm hoping the picture is good enough for you to see what I'm talking about. In any case , I was able to get them set up. Just so you know, there are health warnings about the fiberglass these are made out of. If they break (by trying to use them for the wrong size bed) the small pieces, particles and dust of the fiberglass can be breathed in and cause lung damage and other health problems, so best to use as directed.