Healthy soil and sustainable growing

["TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>]

If you can count on most 50 degree nights then no problem. My single layer
greenhouse stays at least 10 degrees higher than outside at night,
depending on the wind factor. The ground inside holds daytime heat once it
gets warmed up in spring here. Without added heat or heat storage in
barrels etc. Most of our summer nights are 50 or below. Most tomatoes set
fruit above 55 and below 90. Ours are all Mediterranean heirlooms (used to
heat) and kept setting fruit and ripening as nights outside fell to the
30s. Straw mulch. YMMV. 

paul tradingpost@lobo.net

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 1/5/2008 at 6:58 PM Phil Bunch wrote:

>Climate wise we get 70-72F days and +/-50F nights year around. I'd like to
>use organic mulch and this will work for potatoes but I don't think I can
>warm up the soil under organics enough to radiate enough heat during the
>night. The black plastic would act more as a solar collector than anything
>else.
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: livingontheland-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org
>[mailto:livingontheland-bounces@lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of
>TradingPostPaul
>Sent: Saturday, January 05, 2008 6:23 PM
>To: livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
>Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] Cool Climate Tomato Growing
>
>
>The soil will warm during the day but ventilation is needed to avoid
>overheating. I have no idea what your climate will be tho. I can't comment
>on black plastic for mulch since I have no plans to ever use it. 
>
>I'm facing the same challenge here with our four month frost free season.
>But we need more than 55 degrees in the greenhouse for best production,
and
>we need to hold down heating costs. Maybe set up a wood stove? We use
straw
>mulch on 4'x12' framed beds.This greenhouse is single layer 6 mil UV and
>lumber, 15'x50', and a double layer structure would be far more expensive
>seeing how I did this one myself for well under $1,000. Seeding should
>start Feb 1st to have loads of ripe tomatoes by June 1st at least, and has
>to be started in pots in one walled off end with a small room heater. 
>
>
>paul tradingpost@lobo.net
>
>*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********
>
>On 1/5/2008 at 6:02 PM Phil Bunch wrote:
>
>>I'm thinking about how to raise night temperature from 50F to 55F for
>>tomatoes. Anyone think a double walled hoop house with black plastic
mulch
>>would do it? I'm thinking that if one warmed the soil during the day the
>>radiation at night may be capable of 5 degree rise in air temperature.
I'm
>>pretty sure that the dimensions of the hoop house would be critical but I
>>don't know how large it would have to be.
>>
>>Any ideas?
>>