Anybody else giving low tunnels a go this year

[Alan]

Well, the drought has most definetly put the hurting on the fall garden.....again. But there is still hope for a mid-fall and then a late fall and winter planting. Which is exactly what I intend to do. I'll be throwing up the low tunnels/clouches again this fall for winter growin. The year before last when I gave it a go we got excellent production all winter long and then a blast of fresh greens in February and March. I'll probably throw out about 12 of them at 25 foot long. Makes them a little more managable at that size as opposed to 50 feet.

planning on wild garden seeds kale mix, turnip greens, spinach, lettuce mixes, and a lot more! Greens sale great in the winter on farm, at market, and at stores and we eat a ton of them.

-Alan

[ohiorganic]

What do you mean by low tunnels? is this the same as putting heavy row cover or plastic on 7' #9 wire hoops so the tunnels are about 2' to 3' high? or are they higher, like you can walk through if you stoop a bit?

[Alan]

Yeah, they are about 2 feet tall and 3 foot wide. We've got a ton of those things that we bought and have been given by flower growers locally that got out of using them. I use plastic to cover tender stuff like lettuce and use remay to cover Kales and other cole crops that don't need near as much protection. It really helps in extending the season and eventually I'll go into some taller cold frames so I can walk into the tunnel and harvest comftorably, but I suppose these will have to do at least for this year.

It's nice to be able to add to the winter cash crop that's in the greenhouse with some nice green material in the fields. Keep it cut and sold and let it grow back untill about January or so when it will drastically slow down growth and then once it warms up you've got a crop already growing and coming on.

[ohiorganic]

Okay than, I use low tunnels with row cover though anymore those are inside of hoop houses because it is such a bitch to harvest from them when it is below freezing or raining/snowing. We used to do the low tunnel thing with both plastic and heavy row covers but found high tunnels grow a lot more a lot better and it is a lot more comfortable to harvest in high tunnels.

we will use low tunnels for garlic and onions and anything else we are overwintering but not harvesting and does not mind having snow smash the low tunnels to the ground

[Alan]

I agree. They most definetly a pain in the ass. In all honesty I had planned on mirroring your system this year, but ran out of the money needed to construct and or buy some cold frames and the plastic to put up. But there is always next year. I guess I'll have to deal with one more year of rain and snow and wind. God knows there is nothing worse that that Indiana/Ohio wind, rain, and sleet mix we get in the winter while trying to harvest out of these damn things!

[canadamike]

Euhhhhhhh Alan? AAlan?? AAAAAAlan??? That mix would be heaven on earth to me

Is it a normal hoosier habit to ALWAYS forget the poor guys up noth trying to warm their frozen balls with a welding torch?

[ohiorganic]

Mike I would rather have a dry cold winter than the humid ice/sleet/snow mud mix we get many winters around here. oh and the thaw freeze cycle which kicks roots out of the soil. I have done winters in the north and in SW ohio and can say our winter weather is generally suckier than more northern climes. Our advantage is winter doesn't last nearly as long-Haw!

[canadamike]

I was just kidding here, but I agree 100% with you. Nothing here is worse than a winter that is not a winter, freeze, thaw, rain then snow.
And in winter, nothing beats a great snow cover.

In 1992, we had a weird one. It started by being the coldest in recent times, the ground, usually frozen 4 feet deep, froze to 8 feet, the city water system cracked open like a ripe Cream of Saskatchewan watermelon. It was minus 40 and water was pouring down Laurier street, our main one, like during a summer storm. There were repair teams al over town.

Then, mid to late january, we had many consecutive days of minus 40 that were followed by very heavy rainy days the next one. The ground being frozen to 8 feet, it could not take this water of course. Where do you thing it went? Basements being warmed by heathing systems, the sand along the basement cement walls was the only place in town were water could go.Hundreds of people ended up their basement filled with water, including everybody on my street, despite natural gravitational drainage and slopes of 10 % on the properties. A water filled basement in a temperature of minus 40 is no fun at all..

[Alan]

All I've got to say about that situation is screw that!


But still, does anyone know the worst feeling in the world in Southern Indiana/Ohio/Kentucky?


When you are harvesting out of those low tunnels and it's raining/sleeting/snowing and you have a bad case of plumbers butcrack like a fat kid like me gets and you bend over and down the crack of your ass slides that mix of rain/sleet/snow!

What's bad is if your a man, you know where all that cold water collects at when your bent over!

[ohiorganic]

Alan, the drip is none too pleasant for a less than thin woman such as myself. Cold precip going down the butt crack is never a nice thing no matter what your sex.

I remember using low tunnels years ago and harvesting kale in subfreezing temps. Pulled leaves off the plants and than the leaves froze in the bin I was using and I though oh F**K all the work I just did is ruined. Still, took the kale indoors and within 15 minutes it had thawed and was perfect. Not too many plants can freeze and thaw in decent to perfect condition. kale is an incredible plant.

[canadamike]

Alan, why don't you use a long tail tuxedo!! I think I can see you in one, it would suit your character,and what's wrong with a little excentricity ? ;D

[johno]

All I got to say is extra long shirts...

[mayfinnfarm]

Okay, I was reading and really thinking hard about these low tunnels...until I got to the plumber buttcrack part....and lost all concentration. It would really be no better for a big girl like myself, and now im thinkin...come on spring! ;D

[Alan]

You guys should give the low tunnel thing a go here as well. You can grow all kinds of lettuce, spinach, kale, collards, cabbage, broccolli and cauliflower and other greens right through winter here in the Pekin area, lots of good high calcium, high iron foods that are fresh and at a fraction of the price of what you would pay for them at the supermarket. Or you could buy some from me!