15-02-2004, 09:02 PM
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TIme to plant? (Michigan)
(Pat Kiewicz) wrote in message ...
Ray Drouillard said:
Have you ever considered making a portable hoop house? I think we
Michiganders can add a month or two to the growing season by putting in
a small hoop house in early spring, removing it when it gets warm, and
putting it back up when nights get cold again.
Unless you are around to open it on some of those exceptionally early hot
days (or can rig it to open automatically) you are going to bake stuff in there.
That's what happened with my wall-o-water experiment a number of years ago.
Most springs we have some *really* dramatic weather turns. My daughter (spring
baby) was born on the day of an ice storm. One week later it was 80 degrees.
And a couple of weeks after that, it snowed!
Yes, one April, I think five years ago, the temperature swung 60F in
36 hours. Baking plants is an issue, and tall, young plants (such as
tomatoes) are the least tolerant of cold and hot. Young cabbage
seedlings are also sensitive.
It is really difficult to cheat with tomatoes around here. You have to
have a well-ventilated greenhouse with a decent thermal ballast.
At the other end of the spectrum, short plants (like lettuce or
chicory) that have overwintered and are well established can take that
kind of beating (under a hoophouse) without dying. Still, I tend to
uncover them sooner rather than later (around March 20), and
transplant the lettuce to its permanent location as soon as the
forecast predicts two or three overcast days, with rain and above
freezing temperatures. Having taken lots of cold units, they will be
more adapted to a cold spell than a hot spell.
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