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Subject: Market Farming

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  • From: Willie McKemie <mf AT austinfarm.org>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [Market-farming] shade
  • Date: Sun, 27 Nov 2005 15:15:21 -0600

I visited a fellow farmers marketer the other day and noticed that they
had been shading peppers with shade cloth up on wood poles. They move
the poles each season. Even though I loose about 75% of my mid-summer
peppers to sun scald, I don't think their value justifies the cost of
shade. But, my neighbor got me to thinking about shade. "Me thinking"
is always dangerous. And sometimes costly.

I decided that alternate rows of okra might do the job; I do grow about
the same amount of okra as peppers and we grow both peppers and okra
through our long spring-summer-fall season. The okra's affinity for
heavier soil would limit my rotation options for peppers. We normally
start cutting okra back when it reaches about 6' in height, but we can
easily let it grow to 8' or more. Beds are 5' center to center and the
okra has to be cut to keep open picking paths.

Here is a thought I had for more manageable poles: drive T posts and
then slip over them capped PVC pipe. 6-8' T posts and about 8' 1.5"-2"
PVC that would extend the height 2-3'. T posts are more easily set and
removed than wood poles. Has anyone had experience keeping shade cloth
up on poles?

Comments?

Tom's "snow fence" query: What is "snow"? Does not compute. Need
more data.

Willie in central Texas

--
Willie, ONWARD! Through the fog!
http://counter.li.org Linux registered user #228836 since 1995
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