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Kutztown, PA

Cut up a bunch of old white t-shirts this a.m. going to throw them over all my new growth. Wow, what a stretch of scorchers were having here in PA. It's aways something. :) What do you do to protect your new growth, assuming you don't have shading??

6/20/2024 9:50:46 AM

Upa Creek, Mo

I don't like anything touching my new growth because it traps in heat. I use multiple white lawn chairs (weighted) and move them a foot a day as new vine stretches out. When we have stretches of 100+ I sent up large canopies and leave in place.

6/20/2024 11:17:02 AM

Syracuse, NY

I have never had to shade new growth.
I have, however, used the lawn chair method vs. a woodchuck or rabbit for camouflage for a main vine and even that had a challenge of the main vine trying to grow up and through the lawn chair, lol---Seems it would be a fun project to seek out roadside yard sales or I even saw LCs for free as trash yesterday. Shoulda snagged 'em...still can...
PS---Nothing is more shading than shade itself.
eg

[Last edit: 06/20/24 11:30:45 AM]

6/20/2024 11:29:40 AM

Kutztown, PA

I haven't used the lawn chair method yet. I'd have to have 20 lawn chairs per plant to cover the vine tips. Right now that'd be 60 chairs plus my 150 plant. I can see it now. :) Anyway, the wind around here would put those lawn chairs all over the county by the end of the week. Even these old T-shirts wont stay on if the wind picks up. The only reason there working now is that, along with this heat, there's only a slight breeze. Hopefully, the heat subsides by next week. I bought some misting stuff, but I'm so busy burying vines, watering, covering new growth, icing my two pollinations, etc. I can't get to hanging it. :)

6/20/2024 11:47:31 AM

South of Buffalo

Hight temps here in Buffalo NY area this week high 80's to low 90's going to break tomorrow to low 80's. I use shade netting on stakes over the plant. Not one bit of burn. The netting cuts the temps underneath substantially and cuts UV exposure. I also soak the plant and ground in the am, then the netting helps prolong that lower temp longer. Then when the plant leaves are more mature and can tolerate full sun I move the netting further down to cover the newer growth. Some years i dont need it as the plants liked the heat...didnt test that this year, I put it up early on both plants.

[Last edit: 06/20/24 7:31:20 PM]

6/20/2024 7:28:19 PM

Ironton, ohio

The store 5below sells large beach umbrellas, they are two piece allowing me to remove the top if I need to work the plant. Of course umbrellas can be tricky gotta keep an eye on wind speeds.

6/20/2024 8:11:31 PM

Syracuse, NY

Not pushing lawn chairs, butt those trash ones were still there. Two, low to the ground & made of cast iron, I swear, butt gave me Piece of Mind big time, as my biggest plant came outta the GH this AM. I got what I paid for, lol---eg

6/20/2024 11:33:54 PM

Bethlehem CT

Definitely a leaf scorch week here too. I should have set up my overhead sprinkler set up. A month from now when the plants are mostly done growing and the roots are fully grown, the plants are much tougher and can handle the heat much better.

6/21/2024 5:18:09 AM

Upa Creek, Mo

The heat the Northeast is experiencing is what we have all summer long. A well rooted plant is the best thing you can do early on to prep for heat.

Gar, I definitely don't shade every secondary. It is usually just the newer ones and always the main. I have lost canopies and umbrellas into the trees with high winds so I use them as a last resort. But, lawn chairs HAVE to be moved daily or you can snap a vine as it grows into it. I weight mine down with a few bricks so they don't blow over, have a small cut sheet hanging on one open side to block the sun, but still allow airflow on the others.

[Last edit: 06/21/24 8:24:50 AM]

6/21/2024 8:23:29 AM

Hadley Ny

I will agree with Smallmouth on the chairs and weight. Not sure how many I have but a lot. I also do not cover tips on my secondaries as main burn comes on the main vine. I keep tips covered on main and move chairs or small plastic tables accordingly. I also try to mist or overhead water plants during the day for a short period to try and keep them cooled down.

6/21/2024 9:55:20 AM

Putnam Ct.

Shade cloth up at 11 am down at 3 or so. Misting in between.

6/21/2024 9:56:11 AM

Hadley Ny

Glad I had weighted chairs when the storm blew thru yesterday afternoon. Plant Leaves were blown over an Snapped all kinds of trees yesterday.d hail put holes in a lot of plants. Everything under weighted chairs and tables was fine. Gene is right if you can do shade cloth but believe with the straight line winds we get here it would take a hell of an anchor. Many snapped trees here today.

6/21/2024 1:37:30 PM

Hadley Ny

Also should have added the leaves stood right back up by morning..they bend a lot but hail holes we're still there...all is good

6/21/2024 1:43:26 PM

Kutztown, PA

Hoff, I have four in the ground. Three do a normal slight wilt in the middle of the day, but the fourth one is pitiful. That one must have less root mass. Even after a deluge of water the leaves drooped like a Bassett hounds ears. For two days it didn't come back overnight and I was literally planning to yank it. I don't like wasting time on lost causes. However, I didn't have time on that particular day. The next morning it looked great. I'm still nursing it, but it comes back good each morning. If I can get mine through this Sunday in good shape, I think I'll be out of the woods. A concern I have is that even though water part of the answer, too much water can be as bad as to much heat. We'll all probably be complaining about to much rain in a few weeks. Pumpkin growing ain't for Cissy's !

[Last edit: 06/21/24 2:58:24 PM]

6/21/2024 2:55:02 PM

Kutztown, PA

PS, I am having some leaf scorch, but like I said at the beginning of this thread, I'm covering the ends with white T-shirts.

[Last edit: 06/21/24 3:02:13 PM]

6/21/2024 3:01:25 PM

Australia eastcoastcitrus@hotmail.com

imagine if you have extreme uv to go with it

6/21/2024 4:42:04 PM

Nova Scotia

I have to agree with Smallmouth regarding heat all season long that he and many others must contend with trying to grow a giant pumpkin? But they work, adjust and adapt to the elements that are thrown at them. Likewise all other regions around the World. Many years ago there was what we called the "Golden Zone" where AGs thrive best, that being located in between a range of global parallels. However now we see that theory squashed seeing massive AGs grown well South and North! Same as melons for many, many years always in the south, but now 200 pounders being grown much further north! Good luck everyone through this season as the usual curve balls are thrown at us. Yes Garwolf growing anything ain't for cissys!

6/21/2024 5:15:40 PM

Nova Scotia

Oh sorry I meant "latitudes" regarding "parallels" to be more specific. lol

6/21/2024 5:18:24 PM

Syracuse, NY

Y'all, it is 'sissies'.
Do yourself a favor and do NOT check the spelling, lol!
eg

[Last edit: 06/22/24 12:10:48 AM]

6/22/2024 12:09:57 AM

Hadley Ny

Garwolf some plants are less tolerable to heat and sun scorch than others. Root mass might not be your problem if all 4 plants were grown the same.

6/22/2024 7:51:33 AM