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Australia eastcoastcitrus@hotmail.com

growers wwho put a sheet over there pumpkin do you also put a roof to stop rain and if so does the sun hit the sides of the pumpkin in morning and afternoon never done this before was planning to try it this season and is it a heavy sheet or preferabla lighter one

7/6/2023 5:34:56 PM

Syracuse, NY

I just thought this looked cool (lol) as Hell and
it was on the Home Page just when your question about shading came up:

http://www.bigpumpkins.com/DisplayPhoto.asp?pid=1377&gid=1

You get the idea on that -
Look, I have no experience with putting a sheet over any pumpkin in 20+ years,
so, why would you listen to me(???), but as you do any shading at all, think to yourself about what would YOU like protecting YOU from the sun? I'd not say white, nor would I say thin.
Everybody says a thin, white sheet. I'd say a thick, black one...
...or at least a TARP that is actually big enough to do its job, similar to the picture(!);
I DID see recently butt cannot find a grower whom used 4 VERY sturdy posts with a tarp
stretched over the fruit and I'm GUESSING!!! that one edge should be lower than the others
for drainage...
JUST my nickel's worth (inflation)---Good Luck---eric g

7/6/2023 6:27:00 PM

Syracuse, NY

Also, if there ever was something you can have fun with,
please do a 'Site Search' at the top right here and type in
pumpkin shade
and hit 'GO' and you'll have more photo examples than you bargained for---
eric g out

7/6/2023 6:36:48 PM

Colorado

Dale I like to use a white sheet and prefer polyester cause mold doesnt seem to be a problem and they dry easy.I like to make a pvc frame to hold a tarp for shade and keeping moisture off the fruit. The frame should be desighned so the tarp doesnt rest on the pumpkin.

7/6/2023 9:28:23 PM

Torrance, Ca.

Cojoe, you're always spot on!

Searching like pumkinpal2 said is always very helpful for me. Sometimes you find some old gems from back in the day.

Man, I miss Paps posts!

Taking the year off for the first time ever I have a lot more time to see what's going on here at bp.

7/6/2023 10:23:00 PM

Western NY

White sheet, a second set for when they get wet, and rotate.

7/6/2023 10:31:34 PM

Mill Bay, British Columbia

Yup, we do the same as Andy.

7/6/2023 10:54:49 PM

Australia eastcoastcitrus@hotmail.com

Thanks everyone for your input you've probably seen in my diary I use a tarp for keeping it dry and our uv gets worse as the pumpkin grows and I. End up having to shade down low so. I thought maybe try a sheet out to get more airflow on the hotter days

7/7/2023 6:00:07 AM

Upa Creek, Mo

I also like to swap out white sheets, dark sheets would attract to much heat as we are often close to 100F this time of the year.

Like many others, I use a tarp clamped down to pvc staked into the ground (like a tent with air flow). It is critical the tarp never touches the bare pumpkin skin. It will cause a burn that will cause massive scarring and deformation as it grows. I made this mistake in 2011.

7/7/2023 8:24:31 AM

Syracuse, NY

Per any observations in '22's diary, I was surprised at your method already - I would not change anything and if I were gonna die in the heat and sun, like on Wed and Thurs in CNY here, I'd crawl to your shade structure first before even my OWN to survive...and ask YOU 4 some advice, lol---
http://www.bigpumpkins.com/Diary/DiaryViewOne.asp?eid=336186
eg
PS---PURELY GUESSING, concerning future ventilation, if even more manic,
I'd consider a 90-degrees-sideways-tipped vent portal at the top of
a shade structure and being sure to not enclose it all along the ground.
Your structure lets no overhead sun in (YAY!) and that is pretty much the point.
It is, after all, a house---eg REALLY out.

7/7/2023 9:05:29 AM

Torrance, Ca.

Dam, Andy,,,, how many sheets do you own? 100? lol


Looking forward to hearing good things from your patch in a couple months!

7/7/2023 9:59:44 AM

Grittyville, WA

I am trying a clear plastic canopy for the first time this year. Big enough to keep entire pallet dry. I like it so far, if I had time to fiddle with a sheet, or a light blanket at night, I'd probably do that also, the main thing for me is to keep the direct mid day sun off the kin.

7/7/2023 11:56:47 AM

Lloydminster/AB

Polar fleece. Go down to the fabric store. Insulates when wet. Sometimes i have to put a tarp over that when its cool outside and condensation rains down on from the greenhouse.

7/8/2023 11:58:28 AM