Re: Big Jon Hunt
>Chris,
>
>As I mentioned in another reply my plants were in full sun except for the
>early morning hours. I will play with a little more shade cloth this year
>on one plant to see if I can come up with a happy medium between heat, sun,
>shade, and mist. My biggest problem has been reflective heat on the new
>growth so maybe concentrating on new growing tips needs to be looked at.
>
>After visiting our growers to the north this year, I only saw one grower
>using shade cloth. This grower realized it wasn't going to be necessary
>because of the cool summer and removed it. I think the northern growers
>have more light but they also have cooler days so more direct sunlight
>probably doesn't hurt the plant. Just a thought but seems like it might
>make sense. I have struggled with the sunlight/heat issue for years. I
>have a hard time with the thought that we need to shade a plant that
>requires full sun.
>Jon
>
kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk
Jon,
I like that term reflective heat. So glad your here!! The soil around the
growing tips gets so hot and the sun beats down on the new growth it fries
the cells and the growing tips are crisp I have lost many a main tip. If i
don't shade or mist near these tips they are lost. In a normal season this
is a daily threat. It doesn't matter if you water the heck out of the
plant the water doesn't seem to be stored near the tips..........i have
noticed that when I cut a mature leaf shaft after a good watering they seem
to have stored water in the shaft as the shaft looks like a cup full of
water. But the tips don't have this kind of storage. Why would a plant
have stores in a leaf shaft??? . I think and its a hunch that they prepare
for the daily transpiration of water loss. But when we mist this cuts down
on the water loss by cooling and adding more. I talk with a Biologist and
he said I would be amazed at how much water is lost thru tree leaves. I
wondered if allowing vines to grow long and root and then cut back on some
leaves if this would work for us in Calif where abundant water is not
always available. But if you have water then misting I think is better
than any shading......brock
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