6 Greenhouse Films Vs Tarps That Prevent Common Issues

You’ve finished the frame for your new hoop house, and now you face the most critical decision of the entire project: the cover. It’s tempting to think any sheet of plastic will do, but the wrong choice can lead to torn plastic, diseased plants, and a season of frustration. The right cover, however, turns a simple structure into a productive, resilient growing space.

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Choosing Covers: Film vs. Tarp for Your Hoop House

The first thing to understand is that greenhouse film and a hardware store tarp are fundamentally different tools. A tarp is designed for brute-force coverage—blocking rain, sun, or prying eyes. Greenhouse film is an engineered product designed to create a specific growing environment by managing light, temperature, and moisture.

Think about "mil" thickness. A 6-mil blue tarp and a 6-mil greenhouse film may feel similar, but they perform very differently. The greenhouse film contains UV inhibitors to prevent the plastic from becoming brittle and cracking under the sun. It’s also designed for optimal light transmission and diffusion, scattering light to reach lower leaves instead of just letting harsh, direct sun beat down.

Using a cheap, opaque tarp on a hoop house is a common beginner mistake. It blocks too much light for healthy plant growth, degrades quickly in the sun, and will likely need replacing within a single season. Starting with the right material for the job saves you work, money, and the disappointment of a failed crop.

Ginegar Sun Selector: 4-Year UV Protection Film

When you need a reliable, long-lasting cover for general growing, a 4-year UV-stabilized film is the industry standard for a reason. Products like Ginegar’s Sun Selector are workhorses. The "4-year" rating means the manufacturer guarantees it will maintain its integrity and light transmission properties for at least four seasons of sun exposure.

This UV protection is the film’s most important feature. Unprotected plastic breaks down rapidly, becoming cloudy and brittle before tearing in the first strong wind. A stabilized film resists this degradation, giving you a consistent growing environment year after year. You install it and, with proper care, you don’t have to think about it again for a long time.

This is a fantastic generalist film. It’s ideal for growers in moderate climates who want to extend their seasons for crops like tomatoes, peppers, and greens. While it may lack specialized features like condensation control, its primary benefit is durability and peace of mind. It’s a smart investment that pays for itself by not needing to be replaced annually.

Sun Master IRAC 6-mil: Preventing Condensation

Condensation inside a hoop house is more than just an inconvenience; it’s a major cause of disease. Those drips of water falling from the ceiling can spread fungal spores like powdery mildew and late blight, quickly ruining a crop. They also block valuable morning sunlight, slowing plant growth when light is most critical.

This is where an anti-condensate (AC) film, often called an anti-drip film, becomes essential. A product like Sun Master IRAC has a special coating on the interior surface that prevents water from beading up into droplets. Instead, moisture sheets down the sides of the film, keeping your plants dry and the air clearer.

This particular film also includes an infrared (IR) additive. This helps trap radiant heat that would otherwise escape on cool nights, often keeping the hoop house several degrees warmer than the outside air. For growers in climates with cold nights or those pushing the season into late fall, this combination of moisture control and heat retention creates a healthier, more stable environment.

Farm Plastic Supply: A Clear, All-Purpose Film

Sometimes, you don’t need a high-performance, multi-year film. For temporary low tunnels, covering a cold frame for a single spring, or a quick-and-dirty season extension project, a basic, clear all-purpose film is the right tool. These films are affordable and get the job done for short-term applications.

Typically made from standard 6-mil polyethylene with a basic level of UV treatment, these films provide excellent light transmission and protection from rain and light frosts. They are the definition of a no-frills solution. You get a solid, clear barrier without paying for advanced features like infrared retention or a multi-year lifespan.

The key is to use this type of film for what it is: a temporary solution. Don’t expect it to survive multiple seasons of intense sun and wind. It’s a budget-conscious choice for specific, limited-duration tasks. Using it strategically is a smart way to manage costs, but relying on it for your main, year-round structure will only lead to premature failure.

FarmTek ClearView: Woven Fabric for High Winds

If your farm is located on an exposed hillside or a wide-open plain, wind is your enemy. Standard greenhouse film acts like a giant sail, and a strong gust can create a small tear that quickly rips across the entire structure. For these challenging environments, a woven poly fabric is a far superior choice.

Unlike solid sheet plastic, a woven cover like FarmTek’s ClearView is made from interlaced strips of polyethylene, giving it exceptional tear-stop strength. If a puncture does occur, the weave prevents it from running, making repairs simple and preventing catastrophic failure. This material is built for toughness above all else.

The tradeoff for this durability is slightly reduced light transmission. The woven texture diffuses light beautifully, which can prevent scorching on sensitive plants, but the overall light level is a bit lower than with a crystal-clear film. For most crops, the difference is negligible, but it’s a factor to consider. In a high-wind area, choosing durability over a few percentage points of light is always the right call.

Grizzly Tarps: Heavy Duty Light Deprivation

Now we move from materials that let light in to materials designed to block it out. A heavy-duty, light-blocking tarp is not a primary greenhouse cover. It is a specialized tool used for light deprivation, a technique to control the flowering cycle of certain plants.

Crops that are "photoperiod sensitive," like chrysanthemums or cannabis, flower based on the length of the night. By pulling a completely opaque tarp over the hoop house for 12 or more hours a day, you can trick the plants into flowering on your schedule, even in the middle of summer when days are long.

These tarps are built to be abused. They are thick, heavy, and often reinforced to withstand being pulled on and off a structure daily. You would never use this as a permanent cover because it would kill everything inside. Its purpose is singular and powerful: to provide total darkness on demand.

Bootstrap Farmer Panda Film for Weed Control

Another specialized tool, panda film is black on one side and stark white on the other. It’s rarely used as a roof cover but is incredibly useful for managing the floor and walls of your hoop house. Its dual colors allow it to solve two common problems at once.

When laid on the ground with the black side down, it serves as an impenetrable weed barrier, blocking all light from reaching the soil. The white side faces up, reflecting a significant amount of light back up into the plant canopy. This reflected light can boost growth, especially for lower leaves that are often shaded, and is particularly helpful in regions with many overcast days.

You can also use panda film to line the interior end walls of your hoop house to maximize light reflection or to create partitioned zones within a larger structure. It’s a versatile material for improving the internal growing environment, proving that the cover on the ground can be just as important as the one overhead.

Matching Your Cover to Your Climate and Crop Goals

There is no single "best" hoop house cover. The right choice is the one that solves your most significant problems and helps you achieve your specific goals. Before you buy, stop and analyze your situation. What is your biggest challenge: wind, disease, cold nights, or budget?

A simple framework can guide your decision:

• For high-wind locations: Prioritize strength with a woven fabric.
• For disease pressure or cold nights: Invest in an IR/AC film to manage moisture and retain heat.
• For general, multi-season use in a moderate climate: A standard 4-year UV-protected film is a reliable choice.
• For temporary structures or single-season use: An all-purpose clear film is a cost-effective option.
• For specialized techniques: Use a light-deprivation tarp or panda film for controlling flowering and weeds.

Think of your cover as a long-term investment in your farm’s productivity. Spending a bit more upfront for a film that directly addresses your main challenge will save you countless hours and dollars in the long run. Don’t just buy the cheapest roll of plastic; buy the smartest cover for your farm.

Ultimately, your hoop house cover is the membrane between the chaotic outside world and the controlled environment you want to create. Choosing wisely transforms a simple frame of metal pipes into a high-performance growing machine. It’s the decision that sets the stage for healthier plants, bigger harvests, and a more successful season.