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Joliet, IL

With this screwy spring and temp swings, many will be placing transplants in one day that is cloudy and cool and the next clear sunshine and hot. The hardest on the sprouts can be 2 cloudy days in the ground followed by clear sunshine all day. To help them handle this slowly I take small sections of 30 percent shade cloth and 4 pieces of rebar and make cover the sprouts on that first bright clear sunny day. It can get very hot even in a fully vented hoophouses on clear days and this mini shade cloth will help keepl the surrounding soil around the sprouts too. You can drape some over the edges like a table cloth and tie off down low too avoid angled sunlight from hitting as the sun shift. The second bright sunny day in a row I take off the minishade cloths at about 3 pm and let them harden up for the last 4 hours of day light before removing totally the following day. If you make them right and are careful, they are easy to set up or take down as the silly temp swings continue this spring.

4/30/2012 10:32:03 AM

Marion, Wisconsin

Good post Shazzy. We don't have shade cloth so we just use a piece of remay fabric. It seems to do the job nicely. We attach it to a 6'x6' piece of concrete reinforcing mesh to make a mini-hoop inside of our hoop houses.

4/30/2012 11:41:19 AM

Joliet, IL

I here ya Matt and I am sure does the trick too. I see possible mid to maybe upper 80s here this week starting Wednesday so I will be using a misting head set above the plants too to pop on in intervals during the hottest parts of the day. You can pretty much add 10 to 15 degrees to air temps with a fully vented hoophouse or greenhouse depending on vent sizes. Its not the cots get worried about as much, it is the tiny sensitive true leaves forming that get singed and do not show the damage until they grow out.

4/30/2012 12:09:07 PM

Stanwood, Washington

Not a problem around here :)

http://weather.yahoo.com/united-states/washington/camano-city-2373496/

4/30/2012 12:15:07 PM

Owensboro, Ky.

I am way impressed, w/ the new age of growers that are stepping up w/ proactive ideas for awl of us!!! Not any bad thought's about the old pro's...but there seems to be a new set of semi-younger folks that are stepping up w/proactive ideas for the new growers!!!! Kudo's to yawll!!! This Idea of Growing Giants...is still Growing!!! Peace, Wayne

5/1/2012 2:45:01 AM

Williamsburg,KY

Great post Shazzy. Those new leaves are very tender.

5/1/2012 8:09:31 AM

Upa Creek, MO

Good post. Last year, I just pulled my hoops each day to give seedlings direct exposure. Not a good move.

5/1/2012 8:55:11 AM