Gardener's Supply Company Hi-Rise Super Hoops, Set of 6

January Update:I absolutely love these. I am growing Kale, a variety which is cold tolerant to below 0, but isn't able to do any real growing when the temperatures are below freezing. After a few months of growing and comparing the two I could see a real difference. The inside growth was lush and far more active than the outside growth and the soil was always soft.I did have a few problems with my modifications though. Even holding the fabric down with limestone buy combining two together for a larger row they kept falling over. in one case the fabric pushed against the growth and caused some damage. I thought about using something on top to hold it together, but was concerned about weight so I decided to lay rebar on either side and zip tie it to the legs. This prevented it from falling over in even extreme wind. (I initially tried using wire, but that wasnt as good a solution)So now in January we had lower than usual temperatures that killed down the outside Kale and if I didn't have these the entire harvest would be lost. As you can see from the pictures the Kale touching the fabric died down, but the rest remains lush.So with these I can seriously grow Kale year round. In late Spring I will change the fabric for bug netting and if it keeps caterpillars out or not I will update.Original Review:For my needs this was far too small. The picture just doesn't do it justice for how small these are. If it's narrow you can get some good height, but if you widen it to even 4 feet it bends in weird ways. As a work around though, I took two lengths and taped the ends together. I then took a length and taped it on each end to create a larger tunnel. This allowed me to get a 5 foot wide tunnel that's between 4 and 5 feet tall. The 20 foot cover goes over the width just fine with the bottom folded over and rocks holding it down. I was also able to take a set and half curve them into a wall to create a half dome effect. I was limited though. I had to push the ends into the wood gaps, but it worked. I have another section along a 4 foot tall fence that I am going to try this on next, but for that I'll need to both attach two lengths together and bend it into the wall for the effect I need.The only problem with my solution is that the force is great enough to pull at the tape so I had one poke through the fabric which I had to fix. Oh, and it doesn't get as hot inside when it is larger, though my ground thermometer does show that it is still protected from the cold. The important thing is that this modification will allow the plants to grow to be full sized so that, in spring, I can replace with bug screens and keep the butterflies out of my Kale.What would make this product better: Sell little metal cylinders that can be used to plug the ends together and fasten the ends in place with a screw or something. If that was an option the product would be truly modular and would allow anyone to construct a tunnel of pretty much any length they need. For walls you could have a "half plug" that could be attached to a wall for a length to plug into.I am giving this 5 stars because, despite requiring modifications to suit my needs, it does suit all of my needs perfectly.

Easy to put together and served its purpose. My only complaint was trying to keep them upright in my table garden.

I like these hoops so much that I have another set ordered and on the way. They are easy to install in my 2x4 Garden-In-Minutes beds with watering grids, partly because the soil is so loose. Once in place, they feel very stable. The kit comes with nine of the ladder sections (better than ladder mesh used in masonry!) which I assembled using only two in each arch of the one shown in the pictures. To the left in the first picture, barely visible agains the tree, is an arch assembled as Hi-Rise Super Hoop, which towers into the air, even with the ends pushed at least 12" into the beds, which are 17" high.They are more visible in the last picture. I have not decided if I will continue to use it in that configuration as it will not be high enough for the indeterminate tomato I plan to grow in that bed.Also picture are the hoops with bug netting in process of being installed. The reason I purchased the hoops is because there are swarms of white "butterflies" around which devoured plants last year, and also some crows and ravens in the neighborhood who are notorious. I want them OFF, much as I admire their intelligence. LOL. The closeup of the netting shows how the hoops held up during an enormous storm that hit the night after they were installed. The hoops got pushed very slightly out of alignment because, I imagine, of the pressure from wind blowing the netting. If I thought that was a problem, I could attach some sort of bar between the hoops at the top to solidify them. Probably won't bother, though.I did not measure the height of the hoops, but the Hi-Rise ones rise up taller than I am at 5'7", and the shorter ones rise to about eye level, which will be just fine for me to access the garden from the seated position on my rollator/walker, so I find it satisfactory.I just watched a video that showed these ladder sections being used as trellis for squash and cucumbers! I may try that with the sections I don't use in my three - soon to be four - raised beds.At any rate, I highly recommend these hoops. LOVE the raised garden beds, too.

Totally unsatisfactory! The connecting tubes were not strong enough to link the two pieces into an arch. They all snapped I spite of very careful handling. I found this product useless. Thank you for the refund however the experience was inconvenient and very disappointing. Nancy Jiracek

These hoops are large, sturdy, and easy to install. They have been very useful during recent frosts.

I bought the super hi-rise hoops intending to use them as low hoops (without the connector) to protect my tender corms from frost during the winter, and as hi-hoops to give me veggies a jump start in the spring. I set up the low tunnel in my 4x8ft raised bed over the weekend, and it worked out great. Simple to install and sturdy enough to hold up to some recent stormy weather. Looks great. Definitely recommend.

Great product but they are rather low and my plants will outgrow them soon.

The hoops appear very sturdy and are strong but bendable. I discovered that I could wire two together to make a taller, wider hoop, which makes them very adaptable.