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  • From: "Michaele Blakely" <mjb AT premier1.net>
  • To: <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] floating row cover question
  • Date: Sat, 25 Jan 2003 14:09:27 -0800

David,

I don't use hoops because of the wind in our area. We have winds similar to
yours that come in every afternoon like clockwork. The hoops make it easier
for the wind to dislodge the cover and off it will go. Having the row cover
laying closer to the ground keeps it on the crop 90% of the time. I would
not be able to get a lot of my crops up and going without row covers. The
wind sets them back considerably, and every year I leave a partial row
uncovered so that my interns can see the dramatic difference there is
between what is covered and what is not.

I have no problem with sand or silt but I also have cover crops between my
planted rows.

I will use hoops if I have an isolated crop that is being grown in the
winter and needs protection. Fog rolls into my valley during the winter for
weeks at a time and a cover laying on top of vegetables (especially the
leafy varieties) causes rot for us. In our case it's best to grow in
hoophouses.

Michaele
Growing Things
Carnation Wa
----- Original Message -----
From: "David Heininger" <xxchef AT wmonline.com>
To: <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Saturday, January 25, 2003 9:33 AM
Subject: [Market-farming] floating row cover question


> Two of our biggest spring garden obstacles here are the wind and resulting
> blown sand and dust. We regularly get numerous days-in-a-row of
relentless
> 30-40 MPH winds at just about the time we are trying to set out our
> seedlings, or trying to get them to come up. Many of the seedlings that
> don't get completely sand-blasted away or "helicoptered" into a twist are
> damaged. This often sets our growing season back by several weeks.
>
> We are working on growing some better windbreaks, but for the next season
or
> two I was hoping floating row covers might help. Anybody with experience
in
> high wind areas with them? I am concerned , not so much with the covers
> blowing off - I can find a way to secure them, but with the potential
> accumulation of sand on the covers. I have not used row covers before,
will
> they keep the sand and fines off the plants or will it filter through onto
> them?
>
> I followed the recent discussion here about row covers and it seems that
> very few of you use hoops at all. Might this be a situation in which
hoops
> could be used to advantage, or would the wind just whip them away?
>
> Thanks,
> David
> Black Mesa Ranch
> East-Central AZ
>
>
>
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