Extending the growing season
We’re fortunate to live in a moderate climate (Zone 9b) with year round temps that don’t typically go below 40 degrees F (4 degrees C) or above 90 degrees F (32 degrees C).
Nonetheless, I’d like to grow year round.
With fewer sunlight hours and cooler temps things are most definitely slowing down.
Cooler weather growing options
Greenhouses of course provide the highest level of temperature control. I’m looking for something less expensive… and I don’t have the space for a greenhouse anyway.
There are more flexible, lower cost options.
You can cover individual plants with “clotches”. A clotch is a clear, rigid object you put over the plant. It can be glass – generally reserved for indoor plants. Or it can be plastic. Soda bottles make great clotches.
Clotches keep the heat in, let the light in but are not breathable. You can cut the top off for breathability, or take them off during the day.
Cold frames are built by taking glass or rigid clear plastic and putting it over a frame. People often use old windows. The frame can be wood or even bales of hay. It creates a mini greenhouse.
Garden Fabric (also known as “row cover”) is a finely woven mesh material made of polypropylene. A bit like a sweater, it’s breathable, lets the light through and lets the rain through. It also keeps most insects out. Once it’s on you can leave it be.
I’m opting for plastic sheeting. It keeps the warmth in, lets the light through, but isn’t breathable, nor does it let the rain in. I’ll leave it open at the ends for breathability tho, I’ll need to lift it up during sunny/warm days. I’ll also need to lift it up when it rains to capture the water.
Over the weekend I put up a quicky teepee for the plastic. (Not as quick as I planned… always the way, eh?). It works ok, but not as well as I like.
The plan for this weekend is to visit the scrap pile and pull out some wire fencing. We have chicken wire and heavier wire fencing. I’ll create a “hoop” over the beds by attaching the wire to one side and stretching it up and over to the other side. I’m choosing the wiring because it will hold the oval shape.
The inside height will need to accommodate the plants at full growth… 2-3′ will be ample. I’ll attach clear plastic sheeting to the outside of it with clothes pins. On days I need to lift it, I can roll it up to the top.
A popular way to construct a hoop – particularly if you want it to be standing height – is with PVC. It’s stronger. Here’s a very good how to article.
Over the past three weeks we’ve put in quite a few seeds and seedlings. They’re all doing well. Giving them some extra heat should help them quite a bit.
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