The ends of the hoops are inserted 6 to 8 inches into the soil
on each side of the row so that the width of the hoop at the
base is 24 to 36 inches and the height at the apex of the hoop
is 14 to 18 inches. The hoops are spaced about 4 feet apart in
the row. There are many variations of these dimensions,
depending on crop size. Hoops made from a coil of wire are
installed by hand; but for machine-installed hoops, the wire has
to be straight to properly feed into the machine. For most crops
grown with hoop-supported covers, black plastic mulch is used
for weed control as well as for improved crop growth. After the
hoops are set, the plastic cover is applied and secured by
burying the edges with soil. The cover should be taut to prevent
flapping in the wind. An alternative way of securing the cover
is to insert an outer wire hoop over the inner hoop with a solid
(non-perforated) plastic cover wedged between the two hoops.
With the double hoop technique, the edges of the plastic are not
buried so that the cover