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Ellwood City, PA, USA

I was wondering what others were doing for shading structures.

7/14/2011 10:40:31 AM

Mercersburg, PA

a sheet-change when wet

7/14/2011 11:19:18 AM

South Hero, VT

I made a small hoop house and clipped a tarp to the 1/2 pvc rods. I tried the sheet trick and got tired of worrying about wet sheets and hail damaging the fruit.

7/14/2011 11:24:15 AM

Ellwood City, PA, USA

BigBear, what size tarp have you used? How do you affix the PVC to the ground? Are you driving rebar or something into the ground and slipping the PVC over it? Have you done anything else to stabilize the structure?

That is how I was going to do it, but I was not sure how to make it stable.

7/14/2011 11:27:16 AM

Ellwood City, PA, USA

... or I mean VTSteve. Sorry about that. :)

7/14/2011 11:29:37 AM

Bristol R.I. USA

I use plain while sheets I leave them off in the early morning and then they go right back on later before 10 in the morning.easy and simple.

7/14/2011 11:55:41 AM

Middle TN

heres how I shade mine, it may not be the best way but it works for me. its PVC pegged over rebar with a tarp clipped to it... http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=162750

7/14/2011 12:02:35 PM

Ellwood City, PA, USA

I looked at the picture. That is basically what I was envisioning.

What length and diameter of PVC pipe you are using?

7/14/2011 12:05:16 PM

Westford, MA

Length Depends on how big (or small) you plan on growing.
3/4" fits over the re-bar

7/14/2011 12:56:16 PM

Eastern Pennsylvania

Go out buy two ten foot pieces of 1/2 metal conduit and a approx 5 x 5 foot tarp for each pumpkin. Cut the rods in half. 2 inches from one end drill a small hole through each piece. Pound them into the ground at 4 corners and affix the tarp to the poles by running a cable tie/ zip tie thru the holes you drilled and the eye holes of the tarp.

After the first year and the holes are already drilled, installation takes only about 10 minutes per pumpkin for a single person.

7/14/2011 1:00:40 PM

ipswich, ma usa

After 5 or 6 years of building shelters you finally decide to do the sheet method much easier and works great.

7/14/2011 1:24:24 PM

Menomonie, WI ([email protected])

I have found the shelters attract unwanted visitors that walk on two feet. Sheet hides them in the foliage.

7/14/2011 1:31:53 PM

Ellwood City, PA, USA

Orangeneck, I tried that method last year, basically. It worked pretty well.

I used large wood stakes and drove them into the ground and attached the tarp to the top. I then tethered each stake to the ground with a length of rope, to make things very taut Later in the season, it was sagging badly.

I was just curious what others were doing out there.

Thanks a bunch.

7/14/2011 1:35:39 PM

Stanwood, Washington

Out here we use these things called clouds. :)\
Seriously it's 1:00 PM on July 14th and its 57 degrees outside.

7/14/2011 3:53:40 PM

Springfield, VT

Sheets work really well when the weather is on the dry side a shade structure that keeps off the water is a good idea if it is a wet year. The issue isn't getting the fruit wet but the sand under it, when the sand is wet it sticks together and limits pumpkin movement.

7/14/2011 4:14:16 PM

Eastern Pennsylvania

I used to do sheets too but when I upgraded to automated watering on a timer I scrappped them as the sheets would be wet all day and every day. I also like the hail protection I get from the tarps.

7/14/2011 5:09:21 PM

Mass

I use 6*6 Quest eazy up tents from Dick's Sporting Goods and sheets. Picts in my diary

7/14/2011 6:44:51 PM

(rocky) Bonney Lake Wa.

second that Capt.

7/14/2011 11:49:50 PM

Ellwood City, PA, USA

Sweet1, I thought about the shade canopies too. Just having a hard time finding ones that are the right size and cost. The ones you are using look perfect.

I see they also sell weights for the legs. I wouldn't rely on them though.

7/15/2011 1:15:03 PM

Mass

Pumpkin Envy I fill 2.5 gallon jugs with water and use 2 per tent on opposite corners, tie down with bailing twine. stakes they give you are useless. We have plenty of jugs from tree fert business. Canopy is not too tall, so it doesnt seen to catch to much wind. Catches some water some times, just have to push up on it. U could use cinder blocks, or anything with some weight. I still use sheets for when sun is at low angles. could fasten one to sides also. They are 50 bucks a pop at Dicks, I try to get them here and there when I get a bonus scorecard coupon or sale coupon through out the year. They did have them on sale late last summer @ 39.99 once. Good Luck
Pete

7/15/2011 5:01:30 PM

Ellwood City, PA, USA

That is great. I ordered 2 off their website yesterday. $49.99 (something like that) each. Free shipping over $99. I qualified for the free shipping. Only color they had was orange. How appropriate is that?

7/16/2011 7:37:08 AM

Onawa,Iowa

Hey sweet1, thanks for the heads up on the 6'X6'ers.
Picked up two units on Friday there the perfect size for kins. I tried the 10 X 10's last year and they shaded to
much of the plant. Perfect timing as to have mid 90's
for the next ten days. Sweet1 you rock!!!!! again thank
you sir. Coolist thing I've bought sence the Stihl mister
/blower for the Kins. Thanks from IOWA !

7/16/2011 9:31:19 AM

Mass

No problem, Great that most of the growers here share things that work for them so that others may benefit.
I havn't got to use our 450 blower yet due to back surgery. Dad has it pretty well dialed in though. I mix up what we want to apply and he puts its on. I also find with the tents, offsetting them a little to the Southwest you get a little more coverage throughout the hotter part of the day.

7/16/2011 1:14:32 PM

Adams County

tarps and sheets

7/16/2011 1:50:41 PM

canal winchester ohio

Sheets here, I keep 2 per plant so if one gets wet I just rotate it with a dry one. once a week over night I wash both to avoid disease.

7/16/2011 2:54:30 PM

canal winchester ohio

I used to do the canopy but it always seemed to cause PM on the leaves that got shaded & spread thru plant.

7/16/2011 2:55:55 PM

ipswich, ma usa

I also hire Jim Kunh to just hunch over my pumpkin in the aftenoon once the sun really gets to it much easier than tents. :)

7/18/2011 11:44:58 AM