Hoop House Monitor

[Gardening with Rabbits]

So, if I set these plants out in the garden and there are 20 nights over the next couple of months that are below 50°, I can add 20 days to that 70 days-to-maturity Big Beef. It becomes a 90 day tomato.

Steve

Well, no wonder the Farmer's Market person was shocked when I told her I grew Brandywine tomatoes OUTSIDE. She said, I may have to try that. When I said that, I did have my boxes covered at night. By the forecast I just looked at, there will not be a night temperature in the 50s for 10 days. I am going to cover my tomatoes. Good information. What about peppers?

 

[digitS']

Peppers, @Gardening with Rabbits ?

Hopeless. Nah, I'm kidding. They just won't be those 5' bushes some folks grow. Well, ya know, peppers are perennials in tropical countries - so there!

I actually think my peppers like this soil I've got for them. I wish they liked the cool nights.

Mine will be out there shortly, I've got them hardening-off off in the backyard right now. In fact, the peppers have given up their "sweetest of the Sweet Spot" to some fresh out of the greenhouse basil. No, they will be out there (getting stunted) beside the tomatoes before too long.

Steve

 

[thistlebloom]

Well given those facts Steve, I'm feeling pretty heroic getting tomatoes or peppers to harvest at all! Most nights are below 50
around my place.

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

Peppers, @Gardening with Rabbits ?

Hopeless. Nah, I'm kidding. They just won't be those 5' bushes some folks grow. Well, ya know, peppers are perennials in tropical countries - so there!

I actually think my peppers like this soil I've got for them. I wish they liked the cool nights.

Mine will be out there shortly, I've got them hardening-off off in the backyard right now. In fact, the peppers have given up their "sweetest of the Sweet Spot" to some fresh out of the greenhouse basil. No, they will be out there (getting stunted) beside the tomatoes before too long.

Steve

Mine have spent the night out and made it and they have been in the sun and had some wind today. I checked the weather and now it shows 40 for the low tomorrow and in the 10 day forecast I see a low of 35 for one of the days, so I have decided to plant and cover them at night when it is not 50 and see if it makes any difference on when I get tomatoes, peppers and even cucumbers.

 

[digitS']

When I got up at 4am this morning, it was 52°f in the shed and 48° outdoors. And, the window was open!

Did I mess up? Not really, the only thing in there was 4 eggplants! Right now, the eggplants are back in the greenhouse and the shed and its attached 8' by 12' hoop house is empty!

I don't think I'll pull the plastic off this week. There are still plants under the hoopies on the lawn. I've never tried to get a heater in those things. I'd just as soon put those plants back in the shed. . . Thursday morning if it drops below that low-40's forecast to something unreasonable like mid-30's.

That is not gonna happen but why not stand ready. There's lots of basil in the greenhouse. They haven't even required the furnace in there for nearly a week! I think I have gotten thru much of anything that amounts to "protective growing" for the year.

Steve, hoop house monitor

 

[Gardening with Rabbits]

When I got up at 4am this morning, it was 52°f in the shed and 48° outdoors. And, the window was open!

Did I mess up? Not really, the only thing in there was 4 eggplants! Right now, the eggplants are back in the greenhouse and the shed and its attached 8' by 12' hoop house is empty!

I don't think I'll pull the plastic off this week. There are still plants under the hoopies on the lawn. I've never tried to get a heater in those things. I'd just as soon put those plants back in the shed. . . Thursday morning if it drops below that low-40's forecast to something unreasonable like mid-30's.

That is not gonna happen but why not stand ready. There's lots of basil in the greenhouse. They haven't even required the furnace in there for nearly a week! I think I have gotten thru much of anything that amounts to "protective growing" for the year.

Steve, hoop house monitor

As soon as I saw Hoop House I nearly I thought for a minute it was going to freeze tonight. Most of my eggplant are in the ground, but I do have a few left. I put everything in the sawhorse because of the rain. I have a few tomatoes, peppers and most of my basil.

 

[digitS']

An "unsettled" week, @Gardening with Rabbits .

I may just go ahead and take it down. The neighbor is probably tired of looking at it. He said he noticed that it was empty and "it must be that time." The nuances of the relationship are important when relying so much on the resources of others.

Sometimes I have wondered about the sharecroppers and serfs that are likely to be my ancestors. I don't know that they are, just assume that is so with probably more than half the "free" population of this and most any country.

I have very deliberately not taken on that role. I have boundaries to my Gardening On Other People's Properties (GOOP). Anyone can do this. I didn't know or hardly knew ANY of the property owners before I showed up with my spading fork about 20 years ago.

Doing what I do is what it is all about. They are welcome anytime to harvest something. I'll leave the beds, sans hoops, with enough plants to fill or give away. "We like to watch." "It's a beautiful garden." Those are the things I hear. Of course, I'm nearly deaf (& their vision may not be so good ).

Steve