Re: Cold Protection--READ

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Mark wrote:

> I received this from Kansas State University. You can sign up for their
> newsletter at http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/dp_hfrr/hnewslet
>
> VEGETABLES
> Protecting Plants from Frost Using Plastic Jugs, Opaque Hot Caps
> and Wall-O-Water
>   Research done at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State
> University tested common cold weather protectors on tomato
> plants. They found that plastic jugs (with the bottoms sliced
> off, caps on at night, off during the day) retain heat poorly.
> Soil temperature under the jugs decreases rapidly during the
> evening.  They kept the air temperature about 1.8 degrees F
> higher than the ambient air temperature for most of the night.
> Wax-paper hot caps were a bit better, raising the air temperature
> around the plants by as much as 2.7 degrees F above ambient
> temperature. The Wall-O-Water maintained a nighttime temperature
> around the plants as much as 5.4 degrees F warmer than the
> outside air. It also slowed temperature decline around the plants
> the most due to the heat retention of the water inside the Wall-
> O-Water's walls.
>   The opaque hot caps drastically reduced the amount of solar and
> photosynthetic energy received by the plants underneath. Although
> the hot cap plants eventually recovered and developed normally
> later in the season, the number of fruits on the plants was about
> half that of the unprotected control plants.
> Fruits from the plastic jugs actually were five days behind the
> uncovered plants. Plants capped by the Wall-O-Water and the wax
> paper showed their first ripe fruit about 7 to 11 days earlier
> than the uncovered ones, but early fruit were small.
>      Results show that plant covers provide some protection from
> cold temperatures and provide earlier small fruit. Perhaps, a
> better choice is the use of floating row covers made of
> polyethylene fabrics. This product provides 2 to 5 degrees of
> freeze protection and allows water and sunlight to penetrate.
> Planting at the proper time is easier and can be as productive a
> gardening method. (GE)
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