Market Farming

["Tradingpost" <tradingpost AT gilanet.com>]

Isn't 8 years way beyond the normal life of flexible plastic? I've found
the shrinkage is most severe in the coldest subzero temperatures. And I
think I weakened my own plastic by moving snow off it.  I see no harm in
recovering it in the cold, if it's practical to do it. 

paul AT largocreekfarms.com
http://medicinehill.net

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

On 1/19/2005 at 3:39 PM Ploughshare wrote:

>This afternoon I went out to our hoop house to find the whole inner
>lining of the plastic slashed up and falling down.  It really looks like
>someone (Freddy Krueger?) went in there with a knife and took swipes at
>the entire inner lining.  It was a real kick in the stomach because the
>week before when I went in there to push the  snow off there was only one
>small rip in the entire inner lining. For the past week in MN we have been
>experiencing night time temps in the -20 to -35 degrees, and I assume that
>this is the cause of the shredding and not some horror movie ghoul.  In
>addition to this, the day I went out there to push snow off the roof, I
>turned on the heater so it would melt and slide easier.  When I did this
>there was a lot of moisture that froze in between the layers which might
>have had an effect.
>    I was planning on replacing the plastic this next year anyway, so that
>is not the big deal (It's getting close to 8years old).  However, this is
>where I start my starts the first week of March.  I feel quite vulnerable
>with only one layer, feeling like much heat is being lost.  Besides this,
>I 'm concerned of course, that the top layer is going to give way.
>    I wonder whether or not I should attempt to change plastic still this
>winter. Or should I just buy the rolls, keep them handy and try to make it
>until this summer with just one layer?  Does anyone have experience
>putting on plastic in the winter?  How did it turn out?  Also, how much
>heat will I be losing?
>--Gary
>
>
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