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Canada

When do most of you guys usually remove the greenhouses off your plants so they recieve full sun.

Here in Ontario we normally plant the flower beds tomatoes and other vegitables outside on the may 24 long weekend
mind you it still gets down to 40-45 somenights but we have never lost any plants and tomatoes dont like the cold.

I was thinking May 24 long weekend i would remove the greenhouse and just let the plants grow as they normally would. is this too early yet? or once they have a good root system started and both have 5-6 leafs out a few nights of40-45 deg weather with NO frost wouldnt hurt them would it?

thanks
Dave

5/15/2004 8:34:10 PM

Puyallup, WA

We build large hoop houses here...19' X 16'. They come down about June 16 to 20th. By then, we have had to cut holes in the sides for the secondarys to grow through.

5/15/2004 10:14:51 PM

[email protected]

It was 90F here today so the huts were off.
It'll also likely go down below 60F tonight so they're back on.

This is how it is every day now here.

5/15/2004 10:21:11 PM

Appalachian Mtns.

I haven't really needed mine so far in regards to day/night temperatures...both ends are wide opened. They do function to protect the new plants from heavy rain, sunburn, etc. so theor use is justified.
Awful warm/mild May here, my best start ever.

5/15/2004 11:41:02 PM

Commack, NY

Im with you Steve. Every day is an adventure. All you need is one weather forecast for rain all day, leave the hoop house covered, then the sun comes out......and its over. I uncover mine most days. id rather it be a little cold and possibly wet then burnt to a crisp!. i do cover it every night though.

5/16/2004 8:03:11 AM

Leicester, NY

Dave,
I leave my greenhouses up until about June 7-10, but mostly for added wind protection. By that time, I have to peel back the plastic on the east and south sides so the plants don't cook. If you think low temp's of 40-45 are still possible after May 24, it would probably be an advantage to leave the houses up a bit longer.

5/16/2004 8:28:11 AM

Ontario, Canada.

Dave, I use Automatic Heat-Activated Window Openers from Lee Valley Tools. They work amazingly well on my three
6 x 8 hoop houses. I have not had to worry about my plants at all. Last week with the temperature in the mid eighties the windows were held wide open. Check out my diary. I would agree with Stan about the date, mid June is good for Southern & Central Ontario.

http://www.leevalley.com/garden/page.asp?page=10543&category=2%2C43224&SID=&ccurrency=1

5/16/2004 9:09:33 AM

[email protected]

Wow. I just posted that link to Joes other query. LOL

I need 2 of those. Badly! How well do they open & close? Do they have the power to open & close a 3 or 4 lb. door that is hinged from above?

I'd love to see some pictures of those things incorporated into the use we intend.

Would you recommend one for each end? Or perhaps a slit in the opposite end would suffice?

Steve

5/16/2004 11:44:36 AM

[email protected]

It says will open 15 lb window right on the page.

5/16/2004 11:46:12 AM

Ontario, Canada.

Steve, They are so handy. I wish I had a few more. The size of my plants in the hoop houses are fantastic. They do a perfectly wonderfull job of regulating the daytime heat. I tried the first one by making a window (not really needed). The other two are just the plywood cutouts with cheap hinges for mounts and trimmed 1/4" for clearance.

5/16/2004 1:04:22 PM

I'm with Gordon... GO UTES!

Last year my biggest mistake was taking the hoophouses down
too early, and that was in mid-June. But we had an unusually
cold latter half of June last year...

I find that if I keep the interior moist, the plants will thrive
in the heat. My new opinion is to keep the hoophouses up until
the plants completely outgrow them, no matter how big they are.

Regards, Cliff

5/17/2004 10:03:02 AM