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OPTIONS & ALTERNATIVES TO GROWING FOOD IN ALL FOUR SEASONS, EVEN IN THE c c c c c COLD
HOWD WE GET HERE? You mean we dont need California after all?
LATE SPRING: Transplanting from heated GH; early tomatoes in hoops along with other warm season crops like cukes, zukes, eggplant.
EARLY SUMMER: hoops for tomatoes and tenders, seed for late summer LATE SUMMER/EARLY FALL: start transplants for fall hoops FALL (by October): direct sow hoops for winter production that will last until Feb/March
HEATED GREENHOUSE:
Seeding transplants for all seasons Starting microgreens Drying seeds, herbs, garlic Curing crops
STRUCTURES
LOW HOOPS
SMALLER STRUCTURES
A QUICK HOOP IS a low tunnel that gives plants extra protection in cold weather.
Acting as a mini-greenhouse, the inexpensive structure allows you to grow vegetables year-round metal or PVC.
HOOPS CAN BE HELD DOWN WITH PLASTIC ROCK BAGS, OR LANDSCAPE STAPLES WORK
Various berries, basil for early harvest , ginger, and culinary herbs
HOOPHOUSE PRODUCTION
GENERAL BENEFITS OF SOLAR-HEATED COVER IN A HOOPHOUSE: Low Cost extended cold season of growth and pushing summer crops earlier with natural ventilation and no electric costs or infrastructure Can be a quick PAYBACK time due to high value of crop and extra season
your benefit.
FALLOW AND ROTATE LIKE YOUR FIELDS. Temptation to keep cropping over and over without a fallow period and cover crop
SITING:
LEVEL site with soils that have good drainage. Good sunlight a must! Away from trees and shade. Line up with prevailing winds so wind goes through and not dead on so it will topple the HH. (I always strengthen with rebar and ropes) Think of drainage on sides if mucky and fill with vegetation but not
ROLL-UP SIDES!! The best ventilation possiblebut remember when nights get cool.
DIFFERENT END WALL DESIGNS: the more light and ventilation the better!
SEEDING SCHEDULES
HOOPHOUSE: Direct Seed, seasonal change-out, rotation, fallow cover crop GREENHOUSE: Flats to transplant into larger pots, Jan to Sept FIELD: Direct Seed, March to October
TRANSPLANTS: Leeks, scallions, cress, garlic for early scapes, Head lettuce can be started in the greenhouse, or coldframes or the hoop in trays or soil blocks for transplanting into the HH later
APRIL PLANTINGS: early tomatoes, peppers, eggplants - these will last until November and be followed by transplants of select greens for the winter
MID APRIL: Basil, cucumbers, zukes
short days, longer nights, cool evenings and then eventually cool days
-Varieties: Spinach, scallions, beets, lettuce, turnips, beets, Asian greens: Napa cabbage, Tatsoi, Bok Choy, Mustard Greens, leeks, cilantro, dill, parsley, peas, arugula, kale, chard, broccoli, broccoli raab, short season cabbage
ADDITIONAL CROPS: Cilantro: best in cool temps Sweet Peas : Snaps and Podded, Snow Peas Cold Tolerant not FROST-tolerant EARLY Tomatoes: Sweet 100s, Siberian, Stupice, Moskvich, Oregon Spring, Earliana, Northern Lights, Early Girl, Early Wonder, Siberian Red,
Hoophouse Cultivar and Scheduling Examples From the Michigan State University Student Organic Farm Crop Cultivar* Direct Seed (DS) or Transplant (TP) Seed Date** Calender Week Scheduled Transplant Date** Week of the Year
SPRING Asian Greens*** Baby Salad**** Beets Carrots Chard Cilantro Collards Cucumber Eggplant Kale Various Various-Fast and Slow Golden, Ace Sugarsnax, Napoli Bright Lights Santo Flash Diva Orient Express, Nadia Red Russian, Toscano, Winterbor Aruba, Ermosa, Various Ace, Carmen TP DS DS DS TP DS TP TP TP TP 14-Jan 1-Feb 1-Feb 1-Feb 14-Jan 1-Feb 14-Jan 27-Mar 1-Mar 14-Jan 3 5 5 5 2 5 2 12 9 2 11-Feb 11-Feb 11-Feb 1-May 1-May 11-Feb 7 6 6 17 17 6
Lettuces
TP
14-Jan
11-Feb
Pepper
TP
21-Feb
15-Apr
15
HIGH TUNNEL MANUAL , Produced by Regional Farm and Food Project and Cornell University http://www.uvm.edu/sustainableagriculture/Documents/HighTunnels.pdf RUTGERS UNIVERSITY CORNELL UNIVERSITY
PENN STATE
Books: 1. The Hoophouse Handbook, by Lynn Byczinski 2. The Winter Harvest Manual, by Eliot Coleman 3. Walking to Spring, by Paul & Alison Weidiger 4. The Northlands Winter Greenhouse Manual, by Carol Ford & Chuck Waibel
High Tunnel Manual "Production of Vegetables, Strawberries, and Cut Flowers Using Plasticulture NRAES-133" "Implementation of a BioControl Program for Insect Control in High Tunnels" Cost is $10.00 (includes tax).
Presentations
Green Production in High Tunnels [pdf] High Tunnel Cut Flowers [pdf] High Tunnel Construction [pdf]
Production System for Horticultural Crops Grown in the Penn State High Tunnel [ pdf] High Tunnel Production of Cucumber on Raised Beds