Season Extension Techniques

for Vegetable Growers in the

Mid-Atlantic Region

Jason LilleyMasters Student: Horticulture @ Penn St. U.

E-mail: Lilleyjm@gmail.comWebpage: Sites.psu.edu/farmstarter

Johnnystooldude.blogspot.com

Overview

I. Why use season extension

II. How cold effects plants

III. Identification of field sites for season extension

IV. Cold tolerant cropsI. Succession planting

V. Utilization of Season extension techniques and materials

Flickerhivemind.net

http://goransonfarm.me/

Retail prices for organic and conventional spinach, monthly, 2004-06Year Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec.

Dollars per poundOrganic price 1/

2004 7.36 8.02 8.36 5.71 4.41 4.80 6.62 7.02 4.72 5.39 5.70 4.942005 7.46 7.63 7.16 4.84 4.55 5.81 6.32 5.09 4.83 6.89 5.23 5.242006 6.02 8.03 7.64 6.74 7.73 6.83 7.77 5.96 5.90 18.60 11.63 10.22

Why extend the season?

Retail prices for organic and conventional salad mix, monthly, 2004-06Year Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec.

Dollars per poundOrganic price 1/

2004 8.10 8.68 8.21 7.81 8.10 7.64 7.84 7.78 7.94 7.74 7.86 7.492005 8.74 8.85 9.84 9.39 9.36 8.85 9.27 8.58 8.73 8.54 8.50 8.642006 8.51 8.32 7.93 8.20 8.21 8.14 8.13 8.29 8.30 7.74 8.09 7.87

Prices for organic and conventional fresh broccoli, U.S. farmgate level, monthly, 1999-2007Year Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sep. Oct. Nov. Dec.

Dollars per 14-18 count bunches (approximately 23 pounds)Organic price 1/

1999 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 9.58 17.692000 12.41 8.57 14.19 9.16 20.45 12.00 13.25 13.19 12.25 14.37 23.19 17.362001 10.56 15.44 13.00 10.75 13.28 17.21 16.88 8.81 10.44 7.80 8.25 15.592002 27.38 23.75 17.26 14.08 7.13 14.19 26.57 22.42 17.00 9.44 15.40 8.712003 10.51 13.03 13.64 14.43 13.73 17.73 24.26 14.57 20.98 21.02 18.22 25.602004 13.26 12.06 12.97 16.71 15.90 15.59 14.54 9.41 18.18 16.35 16.36 --2005 11.14 12.50 17.25 23.25 15.60 18.50 25.18 15.78 18.95 13.32 12.90 12.902006 12.90 13.55 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- 19.25 19.25 19.252007 21.66 21.90 16.97 31.45 22.71 17.67 18.53 18.26 18.83 22.47 26.19 --

http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/organic-prices.aspx#.VDmYvPldWd4

Price Premium

Why extend the season?

• Increase customer loyalty

• Extend the duration of Income

• Ward off boredom

How cold effects plants

1.Decreased metabolism

= Cell Death

2. Decreased Growth Rate

3. Cell Damage

Times of High Frost Risk• Advective Frost

• Associated with cold fronts• Gusty winds• Thick layer of atmospheric cold

• Radiation Frost (Typical 1st and last frost)• Clear skies• Calm windless nights• Primarily at the Bottom and Top of hillsides

Cold Air

Weatherquestions.com

Mymodernmet.com

Planting Site Selection - Slope - Direction

Oteromastergareners.com

Planting Site Selection

- Heat Sinks

Grit.com Virginiaradiant.com

Planting Site Selection

Aeon.co Midwestpermaculture.com

Aeon.co Midwestpermaculture.com

• Heat sinks

Crop Selection

Flickerhivemind.net

• Frost tolerant • Cold tolerant• Warm season• Storage crops

Ohbriggsy.wordpress.com

Crop cold tolerance for

successional planting planning

Materials to use for frost protection

•Floating Row Covers!!

Brooksideinccontracting.comTunnelfarming.com

Veggiecare.com

• Mid Tunnel

• Low Tunnel

• Heat retention 2-5°F/ layer• Frost (moisture exclusion)• Pest protection

Materials to use for frost protection

• Black Plastic Mulch

• Increased soil temperature• Increased plant rate of

development • Decreased weed pressure

July 1st – Oct 1st

Materials to use for frost protection

•Cold Frames

• Dramatic season extension• Harden off seedlings or

Plant in cold frame

Golocalworcester.com

Materials to use for frost protection

High-tunnels and greenhouses

Extension.org

Hortserrvicesin.com

Materials to use for frost protection

• The Onion Theory (Layer Up!!!)

Highplainesstewadship.com

Overall goals for successful season extension

• Advantageous site selection• Crop selection• Proper planting time• Coverings

Questions or Comments???