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Clipped from another thread:

Photoperiod should not be confused with light intensity as pointed out. The further north we travel, the longer the photoperiod. So we look to the lines of latitude. Example:

New York City Lat= 40.7 degrees nearest record weight = 1030
Manchester NH area = 44 degrees nearest record weight = 1458
Canby Oregon area = 46 degrees Official record weight = 1385

Daylight intensity is less in Canby than it is in NYC. But the hours of available sunlight on June 21 (longest day of the year) is 16 hours. NYC is little more than 15 hours.

This doesn't sound like much of a difference. But the lower latitudes are closer to the sun. So the intensity increases to the point where the efficiency of photosynthesis is reduced. Presumably this is influenced by leaf temperature. So when Scott Armstron decided to shade his plants this summer, the result appears to be a near 200 lb shattering of the former nearest records (Ken's 840, Dave's 821, Bart's 707 as examples).

So Joze hypothesis appears to be true. Further checking of west coast America & western Europe should jive. But I'm out of time for today.

One way or the other, Metro NY & other 43 degree growers might be better off shopping for shade cloth than reading this post. LOL

Scott, What kind of shade cloth did you use & where did you get it? Cost? How high above the plants? When did you put it up?

Who else is shading to reduce plant stress? Should we combine this tactic with misting? The needed support structure could also house the misters. I know the west coast growers are leading the way here & I think us lower latitude east coasters need to get with the west coast program like it appears Scott has.

Please also list your Latitude with your observations so we can get a better picture of what's happening.

Steve (about 41.1 degrees)

1/16/2004 8:28:44 AM

Webster, NY

Is Scott shading the entire plant or just the fruit?

1/16/2004 8:34:52 AM

Commack, NY

I used 30% shade cloth over the entire plant. I would say probably about 6' above the plant. I have to look up where i got it. what i did was i ordered it from a supply house, then looked up the company on the label and got a better deal on it! if i remember correctly a 25x25 section with no grommets was approx. $115. I set it up when i put the plants out, and didnt take it down until harvest.
Scott

1/16/2004 9:11:09 AM

[email protected]

Thanks Scott. In a previous post he said 95% of the plants was shaded. is that correct?

1/16/2004 9:17:32 AM

Commack, NY

A few of the leaves "escaped" under the edge of the shade cloth, that's why i said 95% of the plant was covered.

1/16/2004 10:59:00 AM

derry n.h u.s.a.

how did you support it scott?

1/16/2004 12:08:55 PM

Commack, NY

I used the hoop house frame that i had set up in early season (when i used it as a cold frame) i decided mid season to shade the whole patch, but it was too difficult at that point to set up a hoop frame over the rest of the patch. So i ended up proping it up with pvc pipe sticking straight up out of the ground......sort of looked like a circus tent. This year i'll do a hoop frame over the whole patch.
Scott

1/16/2004 1:49:35 PM

mcminnville oregon

i scored some nursery shade cloth??? my plan is to start with my small 6x8 cold frame!!! then build larger hoop house with 6mil!! as it becomes to hot ill cover entire plant with shadecloth! cool nights the sides go up!!! i wish i could do this to all of them?????

1/16/2004 11:37:41 PM

Deer Park WA

Dave, I started with 8 mill generic 20 X1 000 foot rolls of clear construction plastic ($108.00 per roll) I now buy the 4 mill 20 x 1000' roll for $39.00 per roll and it actually holds up better in the wind and lets more light in the old circus tent!

1/17/2004 1:04:40 AM

Norton, MA

Gad's where do you buy it? E'mail me if you don't want to tell everybody. Please.

1/17/2004 10:26:58 AM

Joliet, IL

after some research on line, i found a place that
has a nice selection of shadecloth that comes in
roll widths up to 34' with colors available like white
and green too.

http://www.green-tek.com/PDFs/Shaderite-knittedv4.pdf

it also show some examples and diagrams of set ups.

i am going to call the company monday and find some prices.
does anyone know what the best color would be? based on
the information, white would some to be the most logical
for also reducing heat helping the microclimate.

i am going to go with shadecloth over misting because
it will double as some hail potection keeping larger stones
from taking out vines with direct vine hits like last year.

shazzy

1/17/2004 11:54:14 PM

mcminnville oregon

thanks gads!!! im all about saving $$$ thats why i was so excited about scoring the commercial shade cloth!!

1/18/2004 12:09:05 AM

[email protected]

We can assume the grower is using the X-Mas tree patern with the main running straight doen the middle of a 34 foot wide cloth?
I'm thinking the middle ought to be supported at a height that allows easy walking underneath. But then the edges will then be covering the ends of the secondaries. That area will also need walking room & air circulation. So if the edges are 6 feet high & the top is high enough to offer good "PITCH", the center support needs to be______? 10 feet?

The last thing we need is for hail to drag the unsupported areas down causing broken vines, rips, & other types of agravation.

Cost to assemble will be relative to complexity & amount of materials used. Does 10 feet high in the middle sound reasonable? Or what would be a good minimum height?

How are galvanized fences posts & 1 inch conduit for support? These are very cheap & last. Wood supports might splinter in the weather & cause rips? How about steel cable?

Steve

1/18/2004 7:16:44 AM

Deer Park WA

Ooopps That should have been 20 X 100' 4 mill rolls for $39.00, it would be a really great value for 1000'!

1/18/2004 12:12:06 PM