A sheet of plastic has about the same R value as a pane of glass. A hoop house made from plastic will trap some of the heat of the day in the ground for release at night, so the plants will stay warmer. It will also trap moisture, so if your area is prone to fungal diseases a hoop house could make things worse.
Common plastic is OK to use on a hoop house, but it is not resistant to UV light, so it decomposes sooner than plastics that have a UV stabilizer added.
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