Re: slower growth
>Thomas,
I think you have to keep an eye on the daily temps and see if the better
growth does coincide with warmer days and nights and not necessarily your
shade structure. I like to just cover with a white sheet. It protects the
skin and allows the fruit to warm up a little. You want the fruit to warm a
little. Sometimes during colder nights I will allow the fruit to warm
during the day and then put a blanket on it at night to help hold the
warmth. From what you describe I would go with what working best for you.
MB
Here is something I am beginning to wonder about. Everyone tries to cover
> the growing fruit to keep the harsh sun off it so that it will grow better.
> BUT, can you overdo covering it up and that in turn slows down the fruit
> growth?
> Reason I ask is for the last couple years I cover the new fruits with a
> heavy white cloth type cover and then when it starts growing and looking like
> it is going to be a good one I put the shade frame and cover over it to make
> it as dark as I can on the fruit. It seems like with the heavy white cloth
> that I use to cover it with that the fruits show a very good growth rate to
> the chart but then when I cover it with the shade frame and cover, that
> shortly after, the growth slows down. The shade frame I use has a lot of air
> space between the fruit and the top of the cover so heat does not build up to
> close to the fruits. I try to use a white tarp or a blue tarp covered with a
> heavy white material on top to reflect all the sun/heat off it so that heat
> will not build up inside on the fruit.
> This year the fruit was a little behind at day 10 but then at day 20 she was
> way over the chart and showing great growth. I decided to put the frame and
> cover over her and guess what? She slowed way down on growth and on day 30 she
> is way behind again. So when I only use the heavy white cloth to cover with it
> seems like growth is good but when I cover the fruits with a better shade
> system am I depriving the fruit of some needed sun that makes the growth so
> much better?
> Anyone have any thoughts on this?
> Thomas
> S.W. Oklahoma
>
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