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The Tennessee Vegetable Garden: Season Extension Methods THE BACKYARD SERIES W 346-F BACKYARD VEGETABLES THE TENNESSEE VEGETABLE GARDEN SEASON EXTENSION METHODS Natalie Bumgarner, Assistant Professor and UT Extension Residential and Consumer Horticulture Specialist Department of Plant Sciences Vegetable production is increasingly of conditions — thus extending the popular for Tennessee residents. THE WHY AND growing season. Growing vegetables at home WHAT OF SEASON This practice of season extension allows provides financial and nutritional EXTENSION gardeners to have some control over benefits through the bounty of the environment around their crops a fresh harvest, and the activity (roots and/or shoots) to enhance One of the basic facts of gardening enhances personal health and productivity or maintain survival until is that crops will grow, develop and well-being. However, a basic conditions are more appropriate for produce when temperatures are growth. Certainly there are limits, but understanding of soils, site selection appropriate. Gardeners carefully plant adding an extra few days to weeks and crop maintenance is required cool- and warm-season crops to grow to the growing season can be quite before backyard growers can take during the time of year that targets useful in vegetable gardens. Methods full advantage of the benefits of their ideal temperature range. Managing are divided into two main groups: home food production. To meet crops according to surrounding management practices that can extend conditions can work very well and fit these needs, this series of fact growing periods and structures or the needs of many gardeners. However, sheets has been prepared by UT materials that can be used to alter gardeners have the option of altering Extension to inform home gardeners temperatures and extend seasons. and propel them to success in the environment around their plants (called the microclimate) to enable residential vegetable production. crops to be grown in a wider range BACKYARD VEGETABLES | THE TENNESSEE VEGETABLE GARDEN - Season Extension Methods 1 Figure 1. A young tomato plant can be grown in a greenhouse to receive optimum conditions for growth prior to transplant. CULTURAL RAISED BEDS TRANSPLANTS PRACTICES THAT Soil temperatures can impact speed of One of the most common methods germination, root growth, and water to extend seasons is transplanting CAN EXTEND and nutrient uptake — all of which older plants into the garden rather SEASONS affect plant growth. Raised beds have than direct seeding (Figure 1). This a couple of benefits in altering soil simple practice enables plants to temperatures to extend seasons. In be grown when outdoor conditions SITE SELECTION spring, water in the soil can slow down would not allow or would slow growth. the process of soil warming because Additionally, conditions can be tailored Vineyards often are located around it takes more energy to raise water for each type of plant, and early lakes to allow temperatures in the area temperature than air. Raised beds that stresses that could limit growth can be to be moderated by the water — a allow water in soil to drain more quickly avoided. Pest pressures may also be good example of selecting a site to take can allow warmer air to enter the soil reduced by an early planting for advantage of natural microclimates. spaces and warm up the soil faster. some crops. Smaller scale examples include sites Additionally, raised beds have more close to buildings that retain daytime surface area that can be exposed to the Some of the most commonly heat, sites where plants have the warming effects of the sun. However, transplanted crops are tomatoes and benefit of a windbreak to protect from these factors also can lead to more peppers because these longer season cold and drying winds, or sites near rapid cooling in raised beds. Another crops can be harvested earlier when a slight slope that enables cold air to benefit of raised beds is that they are transplants are used. Additionally, drain away from plants. Gardeners can well suited to accommodate other planting can be delayed until create these season-extending sites season extension practices. They easily conditions are more optimal for plant around the residence, so pay close can be fit with plastic mulches, row growth. These warm-season crops are attention to discover where you might covers, low tunnels or even soil heating frost sensitive, and their growth can be use microclimates to benefit the home cables to warm the air and soil around limited by cool soil temperatures even vegetable garden. plants and make earlier and later when air temperatures remain gardening possible. above freezing. BACKYARD VEGETABLES | THE TENNESSEE VEGETABLE GARDEN - Season Extension Methods 2 Cool-season crops such as cabbage systems to alter environmental and broccoli are also good candidates STRUCTURES AND conditions. In passive systems, growers for spring transplanting. Transplanting CROP MANAGEMENT cannot increase the temperature if these crops in spring reduces time to there is no sunlight to provide heating, harvest and allows gardeners to ensure METHODS THAT CAN although they can temporarily capture crops do not mature during hotter EXTEND SEASONS heat that has been stored in the soil weather, which can deteriorate crop to provide warmth during cloudy quality. Additionally, transplanting periods. Also, they only have natural in the late summer can allow cool- WHAT IS REALLY HAPPENING? air movement to provide cooling. In season crops to be protected from the active systems, passive heating is used, The basis for most season extension warmest and driest times of mid- but it is combined with active heating methods involves absorbing or trapping summer to reduce stress and allow for and cooling sources to maintain more radiation from the sun to warm up higher quality fall-maturing crops. precise control, which always comes the environment around crops. For at a price. This discussion will focus instance, dark mulches absorb light (or Conditions after transplanting will on passive systems because they solar radiation) and conduct this heat influence how much time to harvest are the most flexible, cost efficient to the soil below. Clear plastic covers was gained by transplanting. The and applicable for home gardeners. transmit and then trap light, causing age of the transplant cannot always Greenhouses will be covered in a the air temperature under the be directly subtracted from days to separate publication. harvest because low temperatures and covering to increase. lack of moisture or nutrients in soil can Agricultural plastics revolutionized stress transplants after planting and season extension and provided a reduce the benefits of the practice. variety of tools that work across a range of scales (Table 1). The biggest decisions for the gardener are how much money to invest in the purchase of materials and how much time to invest in installing and managing Table 1. The range of control over growing environments provided by different types of growing Control No control Some control High control Cost Lowest cost of production Highest cost of production Method Open field* Mulch* Low tunnel or row Cold frame* High tunnel* Greenhouse** cover* Details Crops are at the Plastic that A thin, temporary A permanent A permanent A permanent mercy of the tightly covers sheet of plastic or structure often plastic-covered structure covered surrounding soil or natural agricultural fabric made of glass or structure that with glass or conditions. materials placed covers the crop rigid plastic to trap can be vented plastic. Features on soil surface to trap sunlight. solar radiation. to manage heating and to reduce weed Can be supported Can be closed temperatures. cooling to manage growth, moderate (typically 2 feet to to trap heat or Typically large temperatures. temperatures and 3 feet) or floating vented to reduce enough to walk conserve moisture. over plants. heating. in and unheated. Plastic mulch Warm-season Benefit depends Warm-season Enables year- Specific NA benefits in increases soil crops can often on whether crops can be round growing vegetable temperatures, be planted 1 to heating is used. planted from 1 to 4 and harvesting. gardens germination, 2 weeks earlier. Transplants can weeks earlier and and early root Cool-season crops be started several harvested later. growth. Organic could be planted weeks before Cool-season crops mulches can earlier or benefit planting. Cool- often can be kept reduce summer from better early season crops can alive all winter. soil temps. Both or late season also be grown can conserve growth. early and late in soil moisture. the season. * Passive — only solar energy for heating and air movement for cooling ** Active — other energy sources used to heat and cool as well as passive BACKYARD VEGETABLES | THE TENNESSEE VEGETABLE GARDEN - Season Extension Methods 3 also soil temperatures by trapping to flower. Often this coincides with TEMPORARY sunlight. Because of their light weight warmer temperatures when additional METHODS AND and permeability, they do not need heating is no longer desired. Thanks to structural support. However, some the improved climate under row covers in STRUCTURES crops, such as tomatoes and peppers, early and late seasons, weeds can also have tender growing points that may thrive under covers as well as crops, MULCHES need protection from abrasion by so proper weed control is essential to floating covers. maintain benefits of row covers. Mulches can influence soil temperatures in two important ways. The first Because these covers are permeable Row covers come in a variety of is through absorbing or reflecting to air and water, irrigation may not thicknesses, which vary in their ability incoming light. Dark mulches, such as be required. Also, these covers are to increase daytime temperatures and solid black or woven plastic, absorb naturally vented due to air movement retain heat at night. Thicker covers solar radiation and can transfer this through the material. These aspects retain more heat but block more energy to warm the soil below.
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