From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Kutztown, PA

So, what's your sweet spot night time low temp. before you completely take your mini hoops down?

5/10/2023 9:14:44 AM

Grittyville, WA

Maybe temps below 48 can stress them but 38 is where I begin to worry about actual frost damage. (Technically nothing can freeze until 32, but at 38 I've found that radiant heat loss and pockets of cooler air can still work together to freeze things.)

5/10/2023 10:13:36 AM

Kutztown, PA

We have a great stretch of weather over the next 10 days. Nothing lower than 50 and nothing higher than 72. I'd like to take the hoops off completely. Even the wind forecast is good. Thing is, I could also close them at night and keep them a little warmer than 50. I'm wondering if there'll be any real gain from doing the later. I still have the soil cables in. I took your advice and set them in the low 60's.

5/10/2023 10:28:54 AM

Roseville CA

They say that 55 is a good low, but for me my plants have grown wayyy to fast, a good problem to have, so I am going to have to remove my hoops around 2 days early, when the low is 52, and the high is 66, but in another 4 days it is going to be a high of 98, and a low of 66, so I should be fine.

5/10/2023 10:32:41 AM

Colorado

I take them off as late as possible to get maximum greenhouse effect.My hoop design lets me get the plant about twice as long as as the hoop b4 it has to come down. The plastic over the stump area is gonna keep that dirt warmer than without.

5/10/2023 10:42:39 AM

Western NY

I keep them in as long as I can. Electric fence has to go up when they're removed.

It was 32 here this morning.

5/10/2023 10:45:11 AM

Kutztown, PA

It's just as easy to keep them up I guess.

5/10/2023 10:59:03 AM

New Castle, Indiana

My plan is to wait until the plant outgrows it, regardless of temps.

5/10/2023 12:42:30 PM

Elk County, PA

I like some soil on the vine before I take them off. Longer the better don't have to worries about bugs.

5/10/2023 1:49:17 PM

Grittyville, WA

Ps Garwolf, I just have a sheet of plastic that I clamp to the pvc arches. Four clamps is all it takes to cover or uncover the plant. I wont even bother to remove the pvc because it can simply transition from greenhouse to shade structure. Hope that helps. The weather is so variable that I've simply transitioned away from anything 'permanent'.

5/10/2023 2:08:13 PM

Plymouth, MN

I'd prefer to have the vine down before I pull the hoop house, but think one fo my plants could benefit from more direct light to stimulate Vining.

5/11/2023 10:11:20 AM

Kutztown, PA

Thanks for the input. I'll just leave them up a while. At least they'll block some wind. I'm glad I didn't take them down. Tonight it'll be 34-36 which is a little unusual.

5/17/2023 10:08:48 AM

Syracuse, NY

30*F here at 12:24 AM...
OMGs. All the little rocks I put out when I put down the
WeedBlock over the weekend thru yesterday are hopefully gonna pay off, by a tiny bit.
On the Big Four (2-839 Sandercock and 2-1541.5 McMillin) plus about 5 others including the 1511 Haist*, 1 or 2 trash bags or a white plastic tablecloth go on before a 55-gallon barrel is placed as well that each have the tops cut out, upside down - they used to be my 'Tank Farm' - Ahhh, memories---
Funnily, I snagged two PERFECT 55-gallon barrels that were put out as 'Free' today!
I could not believe it = YAY!!! eg

5/18/2023 12:37:48 AM

Syracuse, NY

...bottoms cut out, right side up, lol---eg

5/18/2023 12:42:23 AM

Upa Creek, Mo

I do what Steve does, let the plant outgrow it. I only do this to help keep the animals off of the small plants. Had too many secondary tips chewed off young.

Temps are not an issue

5/18/2023 8:22:02 AM

Kutztown, PA

Wow! That was a close one. When I started this thread 8 days ago I was seriously considering removing the mini's. Based on the advice of people in here I decided to leave them up, primarily for wind protection. Last night we had a record low that would have killed them all. But thanks to you guys, there they were, all cozy inside with ceramic lamps. Good advice here, as usual. Thanks

5/18/2023 9:58:42 AM

Syracuse, NY

Let's remember this image for next year at this time;
To heck with who or what's in the house - we have our priorities!

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=337892

eg

5/18/2023 12:42:03 PM

Kutztown, PA

Well pumpkinpal, I for one can't afford to hire people to sleep in tents next to my plants everynight:) Besides, what if they roll over on one? I won't even mention soil compaction.

5/18/2023 2:28:08 PM

Syracuse, NY

LOL! You are a pumpkin visionary.
His plants are pretty intense, eh?
DOE! eg

5/18/2023 6:31:15 PM

Syracuse, NY

I had one casualty, possibly NOT from the frost, which I never did see the effects of, although I did step outta the garage back door and it was deathly-still...It was my 206.1
(20 Gerry X Self) that should become all the rage for a super-sweet,
medium-sized (250?) replacement for my 20 seed;
It has been replaced already and it may have died (roasted/dehydrated) because I did not check on any plants the day after the low was down to 29 or so - I forgot what it was, lol---eg

5/19/2023 11:50:36 PM