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NEPA [email protected] KB3QKV

What does everyone use to protect the pumpkins from direct sunlight? How far away from the pumpkin should this shading be? When should we begin to protect?

7/5/2005 2:44:45 PM

Montoursville, PA

Protect as soon as the sun hits your pumpkin as it grows. In the very early days, of growth, the little bit, of sun moving through the shadowing leaves is, of little concern. The leaves protect it for a week or so. While you consider shade structure you can throw a sheet over it. Do not use plastic because it will trap moisture and defeat circulation.

In my diary and others are some ideas you can see. My structure is made, of ripped two by four stock driven into the ground and held together with screw nails. Over it is half, of a twelve by sixteen plastic tarp. One inexpensive plastic tarp covers two pumpkins. Total cost was under ten bucks per pumpkin. All parts were saved from the year before so cost goes down yearly. I believe the tarps will hold up for at least three years. I tack and tie the tarps to have reasonable high wind protection. There has not yet been a problem, with my structure or covering tarps. I use orange plastic tarps because it adds eye appeal to the patch. No other reason.

My only mistake was to think to small. Go ahead and build it for a thousand pound pumpkin. Think big. Think at least four and a half to five feet in height. Think about five by seven feet, for the size, of the box frame. This permits you to work under cover without being all hunched over or on hands and knees. All parts save a possible split member can be used over and over again, by using screw nails.

My structure is only one idea. Snoop about the diarys and you may get even better ideas. My structure has held up well in fourty to fifty mile per hour gusts, of wind.

7/5/2005 10:24:48 PM