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Carrollton, Ga.

Hello,
Whats the heaviest pumpkin grown under a shade cloth? I am talking about one that shades the whole vine.
One Dude
Doug Adams

6/25/2003 7:28:51 AM

Montoursville, PA

I doubt that you will get a good answer to this unless you consider a specific area. Northeast growers show little or no practice doing the grow under shade.

That having been said I, in North Central Pennsylvania, have had serious heat, to consider, for the past two days. The plants were or are no more used to this fast change from cool wet to hot wet than you or I were ready.

I bought a 20 by 50 foot second hand greenhouse shade cloth yesterday. It will be used when the plants indicate less stress when in use. I may use it only on days or a series of days when ninety degrees or higher is forcast.

My opinion is that if stress is reduced or eliminated from heat maximum growth will proceed. Those leaves will talk to me. If they show signs of reaching for light I will consider the trade off at least questionable. I would like to reduce the amount of water and consequently the duration of time the plant must be kept wet to acomplish the same end.

I see California growers showing, in their diary reports, here under a misting system over which they are using shade cloth. I believe this is an area of untested growing practice in much of the North East. Yet I see it as a possible valued tool.

My shade net is programed to be in place today. It will be supported by the misting support piping. I will post pictures of progress in my diary and observation comments as in use observation shows possible gain or loss.

I would think you Southern growers could do this to your advantage. If you are hot, wet and muggy fungi on the plants no doubt becomes a major concern. If you can eliminate the hot to a large degree you should show an advantage. This at least warrents consideration and testing on your part. My netting is a greenhouse over the roof filter designed to cut the direct sun about 25%

6/25/2003 8:56:08 AM

Carrollton, Ga.

doc, i had a 30 percent shade cloth up 3 years ago and don't remember seeing any wilt at all. during the hot part of the day my other plants would look like they were dead. i never did get a pumpkin set, but i dont think it had anything to do with the shade cloth.

6/25/2003 9:40:11 AM

Utah

so where can you buy shade cloth ?

6/25/2003 12:25:55 PM

Montoursville, PA

Start inquiry at the local green houses. You might get lucky and get a partly damaged one for a song.

6/25/2003 1:06:29 PM

syracuse, ny

it is interesting, this shade cloth idea, and i hope it works for those who use it. my only concern would be about the fact that you are cutting back on the available sunlight that is needed to grow the AG. perhaps someone knows how much the shade can affect the plant; how much better in one area (of the plant's environment), how much worse in another. heck, i even decided not to use a kind of really good fabric this year on a big frame because i was concerned about cutting down the sunlight.
perhaps even more effort to get them out there ASAP, combined with the stress reduction of no heat and sunburn
would be just the ticket! any ideas? 'pal

6/25/2003 5:47:06 PM

Montoursville, PA

Pal.........almost every greenhouse in America has thirty percent or more sun block or shade cloth over the top.

Mine's going up with the considerations mentioned above.

6/25/2003 6:11:58 PM

[email protected]

Thus the orage growing belt that spans the earth (just North America in Don's books).

Too far south & the days are too short (bad) & the sun too close (also can be bad).

Catch 22: Shade to prevent stress & we lose lumens.

Too far north & the days are very long (good) but the season short because the season is short.

I suppose this all depends on where one grows & whether or not the sun has full horizontal access to the patch.

Here's another one we'd like to see the ag schools testing & reporting on. Total candle-power requirements of an AG in hours & intensity.

Steve

6/25/2003 10:12:16 PM

Montoursville, PA

Those leaves will tell you more in a few hours than all the lumenistic specialists doing their guessing with no patch experience.

By gad when the leaves fold from heat stress it's just pure and simple to damn hot. Do something to cool them and get them perked up. Water and humidity may not always be the answer. Like I said earlier, "If the leaves start reaching for light give them light". They talk...we watch and listen.

Two days of close observation should be ample time to determine if lack of lumens is causing reach. It would take the average university two years to plan a study, another year to write it up and four good buddy publications to prove what they came up was a winning discovery.

What we need the unversities to do is come up with another ground cover like Crown Vetch. Two invasives like that should finish the job or covering the earth with their learned discoverys. It does help the makers of Round Up be more profitable.

6/25/2003 11:14:01 PM

Appalachian Mtns.

Southern Growers beware of the dreaded gummy stem blight! It seems to have affected Tennessee, at least my part of it. Check out the new pics in my diary.

6/26/2003 6:46:47 AM

Chico, Ca

for a great selection of shade cloth try WWW.Greenfire.net.
I grew two ag's for a total of 1100 lb. on one plant just 400 sqft under 30% shadecloth last year. I have picts in our growers diary of the shade /misters set-up.

Robert

6/26/2003 12:19:35 PM

Chico, Ca

oh the biggest we grew under the cloth was 758.5 lb

6/26/2003 12:20:20 PM