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  • From: Lucy Goodman <goodows AT infinet.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Lettuce in April
  • Date: Thu, 24 Apr 2003 10:51:06 -0400

Liz and list,

my experience with row cover for the past 7 or so years has been
different than conventional wisdom. Row cover does indeed shade your
crops. we use a heavy weight all summer because it cuts about 25% to 45%
of the light.

Another myth (backed up by a bit of science, even, in a Spanish study
done about this in 2001, IIRC) is that row covers will cook your plants.
I had about 80% of my crop under row cover all summer last year in heat
the topped 100°F. The temps under the row covers were consistently 5°F
to 10°F cooler than the outside temp in temperatures over 90°. the
Spanish study found the temp under row cover never exceeded 85°F.

I like 35 weight best (this is a "winter" weight) use as this delivers
good shade and keep things at a decent temp. The 19 weight covers don't
seem to have much heat moderating effect and get damaged by wind, etc.
much much more quickly.

Row covers do tend to weaken the color on red lettuces. Outredgeous
(Sold by Johnny's ) is a lettuce that does not lose its color intensity.
There are a few others I use but as I should be writing a CSA newsletter
and not playing on line I don't have time to look them up right now).
One thing you can do is uncover the lettuce but leave the hoops up and
the row cover beside the row ready to put it back on for rain storms
(especially if hail is predicted). the lettuce will color up but it will
also lose the tenderness in the leaves that you get with row cover culture.

If the black plastic gets too hot you can leave it on and put down a
light straw mulch on top.



Lucy Goodman
Boulder Belt Organics
New Paris, OH
Check out the Boulder Belt website:
http://www.angelfire.com/oh2/boulderbeltcsa
"There is no way to peace---peace is the way."
A.J. Muste
>From marcw AT iinet.net.au Thu Apr 24 11:11:19 2003
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From: "Marc Winterburn" <marcw AT iinet.net.au>
To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
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Date: Thu, 24 Apr 2003 23:07:12 +0800
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Subject: [Market-farming] Hello from Oz
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Hi,
I have just joined the list and would like to say hello. I am an organic
grower from West Australia. We are only just getting going again after being
completely wiped out by bushfires at Xmas. Finally got some insurance to
replace irrigation, fencing, tractors and other necessities. So we are away
and growing vegies for our local Perth market. We are also growing (next
spring) chillies for smoking. I grow many varieties of chilli as a hobby as
well.
We have 12 acres in total in 2 properties across the road from each other.

Kind Regards
Marc Winterburn





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