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Butler, Ohio

Hot hot is too hot inside the hoop house? I just transfered my 3 plants to their houses yesterday. The digital thermometer I put in one of them says 113* F. The plants do not appear to be stressed and seem to have actually doubled in size since yesterday. I rolled up the front side to get some air in there. Just curious as to how hot is too hot. The low inside last night was 40 with a 100 watt shop light in there. We had a lght frost outside but it didnt affect the plants.

5/8/2005 4:02:20 PM

Hilpoltstein, Bavaria, Germany

If possible keep it below 120°F and you should be ok.

5/8/2005 4:22:20 PM

Montoursville, PA

90 - 100 degrees is just about perfect while giving you a little edge, of safety, for possible increased temperature, for any reason.....like when a door or opening might blow shut.

5/8/2005 4:41:47 PM

Arizona

My greenhouse in the summer can get 130F. The tomates can take it, but will never set fruit.

I installed a fan/blower this year and it keeps the temps down much lower. Very nice right now. We will see come summer

Jeff

5/8/2005 4:54:39 PM

Canada

Ya my hoop house temp today by noon was well over 100
i removed the hoop house and left the plants in the open
till 5pm current temp at 7pm is around 85. suppose to stay between 60-70 dureing the nights for the next week so
they should be ok

5/8/2005 7:23:37 PM

mine was 122 today. Oops. It was raining when I left for Mother's Day and when i got home it was 122. the plants seemed fine after they recovered.

5/8/2005 7:50:50 PM

Butler, Ohio

Wow dave you guys up there are having some warm nights. I live in the valley so we get frost later in the year than everyone else. Thanks for all the info everyone!! Now I dont feel so nervous. Mike

5/8/2005 8:27:50 PM

Puyallup, WA

I found that maximum growth occurs at 85-95°. Anything over 110° for more than an hour definitely stresses the plant.

5/9/2005 12:37:03 AM

I try to avoid big swings and maintain 80-90 degrees.

5/9/2005 7:20:05 AM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

I've got to agree (again) with Stan on this one. I forgot to open one of the end flaps this morning and by 11:30am it was 70 degrees outside but a whopping 120 in the hoophouse. My 1142 van Kooten was a little heat stressed but bounced back in about 15 minutes after I opened the other end.

I'm keeping the overnight low at about 60 degrees with the help of a small heater.

5/9/2005 3:06:12 PM

i have used as many as 3 thermometers in 1 hoop house-i noticed you must cover them somehow from direct sunlight-they will read 20-30°higher than one in shade-5 inches away-exact same brand

5/9/2005 3:40:01 PM

Eveleth MN

Don, I have one of my radioshack ones out in the open in the middle of the patch in direct sunlight and it only reads ~5*f warmer than actual air temps. Never tried a shaded and unshaded IN the hoop house though.

5/9/2005 7:24:49 PM

Rhode Island

i agree with keeping the temp no higher than 95 to 100 degrees during the sunny days
the most important thing is to try and be as constant as possible

i like the smaller heating cables here on the east coast along with a 60 watt black bulb for a bit of heat at night

the soil stays at a constant 72 degrees early on and if its going to be a series of a couple very cold nights we will place a laundry basket size clear plastic tub over the youndg plant and leave the bulb in the corner of said tub
kinda like a greenhouse inside a greenhouse

nothing beats a good start
soil temps play the biggest roll in determining early plant development

pap

5/10/2005 7:10:23 AM