The Winter Journey and greenhouse plastic

This is a good topic to bump. While we are still hot, other areas have started fall with possibility of frost soon.

I already have PVC frames for my older boxes but I need to make more for the 2 new TTs. Monday I ordered 45* couplings plus some hard to find pieces, to convert what someone called "handicap rails" to nicer looking gable ends. Also, the rain will run off better, no pooling in the little dips. Because all the boxes now have 1" PVC holder in the corners, the frames will have to be trimmed to fit their new foot prints. The green house will still have the 4 x 4' base but the height will be increased so I can have 2 shelves per side (total of 6) instead of one (total of 3).

I'm preparing to submit new pictures for my new ideas for the winter, but it won't be posted till october due to hot weather. i'm going to glean some ideas from audrey in hope of having a much simpler process in growing my food under a low hoop hose.I need to bring the hoops back for the cover cloth.
 Sanderson, I'm going to get you. My wife wants TT now. This will be another project and don't know how well it will work for our winter and summers. Of course, the first test is winter. So many ideas and project inside of my heart. I still have to put my mulch down and makes some compost vertical tumbler. I hope the tumblers not a waste of time. I going to use a smaller container to provide the organic matter for the winter, to prepare for the spring.

Has, we have similar weather: hot summers, cold winters without severity like northern folks.

I'll post the termite damage uncovered today. This on-ground box shows why I am so glad we are converting them at less than 2 years old. They are also safer for for me to walk around, like having hand rails for just a little stabilization.

Sanderson, who is hiding from Has.

sanderson wrote:.Sanderson, who is hiding from Has.

LOL! I can picture you ducking under and behind one of your table tops, tee hee hee!

 
The PVC couplings arrived this afternoon.  After we finish raising the beds, that will be the next big project.

LOL. 

 Look forward to your termite damage post. A picture is with a thousand words.

oops. just saw you termite post.

This is a good topic to look through if you're thinking about extending your season or gardening all winter long.

I had very good experience last year using information from this source (thanks to the original poster in this thread): http://www.ext.colostate.edu/mg/Gardennotes/722.html

Using a greenhouse all winter and not using much if any power works best with the greenhouse within a greenhouse or a survival blanket over the top of your hoop house (see the article for details). In my garden I had large tomatoes all winter long, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, hot peppers, cilantro and onions (my salsa factory!), eggplant (though I won't repeat as they're not very productive), as well as more standard fall/winter crops.

Add your ideas or things that have worked for you, we'd love to learn more!

I have a question about extending my season. 

The above article and others I have read seem to suggest that you can leave a row cover on during the day and the plants will not overheat.  If I am using Agribon 19 and cover my bed, that means I do not have to get up early in the morning before work and uncover the bed.  Is that your experience.  If the row cover will not allow the bed to overheat during the day, how does it stay warm during the night.  I would think it would let the heat out at night just like it does during the day.

Also, they said if you are using plastic, cut slits in the plastic to let the heat out during the day.  Well with slits cut in the plastic, how does it stay warm during the night??

I don't think there's a simple answer that will work for everyone with every fabric in every location and every season. My "unexpectedly hot day" that goes up an unexpected ten degrees and leaves the plants under a row cover at still only 38 degrees is going to have a different effect on yours if you go to 45, even if you're growing the exact same plant under the exact same cover. If I've been watering more or less than you, or have more or less direct sun than you, or am closer to something that radiates heat than you, like a wall or the house, I'll have to be more or less careful or use a different kind of care.

I've read of people who take their covers off every morning, or afternoon, or when it hits X degrees. Even when their stories are specific in some ways, they usually aren't in others that we'd need to know. You might want to ask someone who has had success in your particular area what they do. Sellers down at a farmers market often know a great deal about the vagaries of the weather in your area that nobody who doesn't live there would. And there are always your local Master Gardeners who might have that same area-specific knowledge and experience.

All of my stuff was doing great,. or at least staying healthy, last year under a single layer of row cover and then a double layer until we had a record cold snap, but after reading the label, I couldn't tell you what it was made of, how much sun it was supposed to let in, etc. So many variables, including ones I can't even pin down!

I think you're going to find a lot out through your own personal experience and simply using common sense, which I see you're already doing. If a cover holds warmth in during the night, it will of course also hold warmth in during the day.

Marc Iverson wrote: I think you're going to find a lot out through your own personal experience and simply using common sense, which I see you're already doing.  If a cover holds warmth in during the night, it will of course also hold warmth in during the day.

^^^^^THIS^^^^^

All of gardening is an experiment!  I have a 10 x 20 x 8 high greenhouse, so I have a little more leeway on when I open things up.  However, the survival blankets block 100% of the sun on my plants and beds so it's "grab the coffee, go open up my beds" every morning.  My routine takes 5 minutes to  uncover, 7 to cover at night so it's not a big deal.  

Some things I was able to grow all winter proved not really to have been worth the space I dedicated to them - so on to the next!  Learn a little more each year and enjoy the process while you're doing it.

In our area of Texas, many winters have moderately warm days with the cold nights.  Plus the sun is quite direct so the solar impact is strong.

I use 6mm plastic to cover my hoop houses.  If I don't vent, or open the covers, the inside temperate can get into the 80's fairly quickly.  That causes too much difference between the day and night temperatures. Plus, it's much too hot for my fall plants.

So I tend to vent in the morning as soon as the temperature reaches about 40 degrees and close in the late afternoon when it drops to about 50 degrees, so I can retain some of the daytime heat.  No scientific reason for those temperatures, but it seems to work for me.

GloriaG wrote:In our area of Texas, many winters have moderately warm days with the cold nights.  Plus the sun is quite direct so the solar impact is strong.

I use 6mm plastic to cover my hoop houses.  If I don't vent, or open the covers, the inside temperate can get into the 80's fairly quickly.  That causes too much difference between the day and night temperatures. Plus, it's much too hot for my fall plants.

So I tend to vent in the morning as soon as the temperature reaches about 40 degrees and close in the late afternoon when it drops to about 50 degrees, so I can retain some of the daytime heat.  No scientific reason for those temperatures, but it seems to work for me.

We also have very wide swings in temps from morning to afternoon.  I have to vent the hoop covers about 7am (which is almost the low temp for the night) before I leave for work.  BUT I will be retiring August 2015 so next fall I can open the cover later in the morning.

Countdown to retirement, eh, Yolos?!  Me, too...4 yrs to go!  

I have row covers &/or plastic windows that I'll use for frosts until the freezing temps click in.  But I'll only be growing cold crops so they won't care.  Once hard freeze knocks on the door, it'll be plastic over the row cover...cover, uncover, cover, uncover...until I don't want to do it anymore.  BUT, the carrots will come out BEFORE hard freeze this year.  Learned that lesson well and had the bloody knuckles to prove it.
 
I think our gardening instincts kick in and tell us what to do, and when, if we listen.

CC

GloriaG wrote:In our area of Texas, many winters have moderately warm days with the cold nights.  Plus the sun is quite direct so the solar impact is strong.

I use 6mm plastic to cover my hoop houses.  If I don't vent, or open the covers, the inside temperate can get into the 80's fairly quickly.  That causes too much difference between the day and night temperatures. Plus, it's much too hot for my fall plants.

So I tend to vent in the morning as soon as the temperature reaches about 40 degrees and close in the late afternoon when it drops to about 50 degrees, so I can retain some of the daytime heat.  No scientific reason for those temperatures, but it seems to work for me.

Yolos, GloriaG is right about our winters and Marc I. is right about learning the variables for your area. I worked 12 hr night shifts and I'm not too keen in getting up early to vent the hoop houses in the AM on my days off and then cover them at night just prior to going back to work. On the days I work, it not a big deal to uncover the low hoop houses when I come home. I'm experimenting with a new idea AGAIN!!! for this winter.   I'll put up pictures of my new idea later this month when I complete it. Audrey is right, glean what you can from everyone for ideas that will work in your area.

audrey.jeanne.roberts wrote:

Using a greenhouse all winter and not using much if any power works best with the greenhouse within a greenhouse or a survival blanket over the top of your hoop house (see the article for details).  In my garden I had large tomatoes all winter long, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, hot peppers, cilantro and onions (my salsa factory!), eggplant (though I won't repeat as they're not very productive), as well as more standard fall/winter crops.

I'm still jealous of all that green house winter food you had from last winter.  , but 

My roll of 6mil clear poly is on the way, and I have the PVC from first season still, and it looks like it'll make nice hoop houses.

Here I am, all planned for winter veggies, and now contemplating...fresh bell peppers in the middle of winter?  Could happen....

I put auto open foundation vents in my cold frames and green house.  That does a pretty good job for those days that walk the line between too warm and too cool.  Here is an example at a big box store. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Master-Flow-16-in-x-8-in-Foundation-Automatic-Vent-in-Black-FVRABL/202067979

I got the idea from a video posted here long ago.

I think I posted that video back in fall of 2011.  I bought the vents also but never made a bed with vents.  Another project for after I retire.  Hmm, I think I need to start making a list.

I bet my engineering mind hubby could figure a way to put those in our vinyl greenhouse.  One at the front and one at the back would work to create flow through ventilation with our natural air flow.  

Oh sweet, wonderful, adorable, brilliant, kind, helpful hubby!!!!!! ;-)

Turan wrote:I put auto open foundation vents in my cold frames and green house.  That does a pretty good job for those days that walk the line between too warm and too cool.  Here is an example at a big box store. http://www.homedepot.com/p/Master-Flow-16-in-x-8-in-Foundation-Automatic-Vent-in-Black-FVRABL/202067979

I got the idea from a video posted here long ago.

Here's another place to get automatic vents.
automatic foundation vents

Turan, how are your vents doing? are they still working? Mines are doing fine, but they only one year old and only use for  3 1/2 months. 
I was concerned when I read the HD reviews. Now I'm wondering how long my vents will last. it has  a 5 year limited warranty. which is ok, but people put vents in their houses to last 10-20 yrs, mostly 20 years. I have manuals installed on my house. 
So how long have you had your automatic vents? If it been a while could you share the site? It would be great if there something better that I can use on my low hoop houses and also cost effective.
thank you.

I have had them for 2 years now and did not take them inside for last winter.  They appear to be doing fine. They are Solar Tek brand.  Wind can open them and they do not really seal closed but for my purposes in a cold frame they work fine.  If I absolutely must have them close solid I but a bit of board in front of them or a blanket bit over them.  I did that now that we are dropping into the 20s at night.  The one in the greenhouse is right next to the peppers so
I have a board to angle the fresh cold air coming in upwards, peppers being such cold wimps.

20s at night?   Increases my respect for those of you in short-season areas.

So I ordered some 6mil that was labelled clear...it's not.  It's white, but passes some light.

Do you think I could still use it for hoop houses?  I know that's hard to say without a pic or example, but has anyone used basically white 6mil poly before with decent results?

BC, I use 4 mil because it is easier for me to manage. I think the 6 mil will work fine. When you say it is milky, I assume that it is kind of hard to see through, but not "white" like Glad kitchen garbage can liners.