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Date Posted

Upa Creek, Mo

Hello, I am currently using a lawn chair as my shade shelter for my 12 day old pumpkin, but it is starting to outgrow the chair. What do you all like to use to construct a shelter and does it matter if any light gets in say if I was to use a tarp?

Thanks in advance.

7/7/2010 8:25:36 AM

Nova Scotia

old wht bed sheet right on top is the easiest and very effective

7/7/2010 10:01:17 AM

Honeoye Falls New York

are you to shade the pumpkin only or the plant as well?

7/7/2010 1:03:25 PM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Just the pumpkin

7/7/2010 1:11:50 PM

Upa Creek, Mo

I am shading just the pumpkin. I'd assume if you do the whole plant you need something that light can penetrate more than the sheet.

7/7/2010 1:51:11 PM

Joliet, IL

this year i have gone to silver and white tarps. silver reflecting heat up and white under neath by the pumpkin. i use 6 pieces of rebar. 6- 6' pieces of rebar hammered in with 3 on each side of the pumpkin making a pitched roof like tent tilted towards the angle of the sun lower on the sun side. i use white xxx lg t-shirts when smaller then put the tarp over the keeper this year after culling decisons final. we had so much rain i wanted to keep them dry and free from possible hail early on. also one of my stems had minor splitting and i wanted to keep it dry. now its so hot the extra shade is helping out and i have been overhead watering a lot to keep the plants cool and again no moisture on my stems or blossoms this way. i used to use the white sheets but was afraid this year of all the high winds blowing the sheet partially or completely off and rain and possible hail and now the heat that i just put up the tarps and am leaving them up.

7/7/2010 2:53:34 PM

Colorado

Luke you can make a cold frame style structure over the pumpkin 5' by 5' with 4 pieces of rebar(3 to 4 feet).two 12 ft pieces of half inch pvc(for the ends of the structure) and a 5.5 ft piece as the ridge(duct tape that to the hooped ends). Clip a piece of tarp to that and it will keep your pumpkin shaded and dry-the white sheet will suffice if you want to go simple

7/7/2010 5:41:23 PM

Upa Creek, Mo

Thanks for the responses everyone. I am going to start building it this weekend.

7/7/2010 6:11:48 PM

Buffalo, New York

a white bed sheet has always worked here in previous years.

7/7/2010 7:03:57 PM

Middle TN

Is a sheet enough? I was using a sheet but was advised to switch to a tarp to keep the pumpkin dry.

7/7/2010 8:20:59 PM

Aurora, IL

If I am understanding correctly, a white sheet directly on the pumpkin is preferred to a silver tarp structure?

8/14/2010 9:34:37 AM