Watch Those Temperatures
Chuck Bornt, Team Leader, Extension Vegetable Specialist
Eastern New York Commercial Horticulture
Just another reminder that even though we haven't reached really concerning temperatures yet, temperatures in high tunnels, crops under rowcovers or especially those under clear plastic hoops (such as sweet corn) can get very hot on these gorgeous bright sunny days! For sweet corn, the larger the plant under that plastic the greater the risk of injury is. If it gets too hot under that plastic, consider piercing the plastic with a pitchfork or setting up and running the irrigation to cool the soil and plastic. If it looks like we are in for a long warm stretch, you might consider slitting the plastic and removing it altogether. The one benefit of using floating rowcovers on sweet corn compared to plastic is you don't have to worry about it getting too hot as the rowcovers naturally breathe and are cooler. The following information is from Dr. Steve Reiners of Cornell University Department of Horticultural Sciences and can be used as a guide to know when to remove covers before it's too late!
"Most of the published temperature guidelines list maximum temperatures at which either vegetative growth becomes limited or reproductive capabilities are threatened, i.e. flowers or fruit fall off. Temperatures at which vegetable plants may die varies and depends not only on the vegetable type but also on other factors such as whether irrigation is being provided or for how long the high temperature occurs. Also, a transplant will be under much greater stress than a plant that is direct seeded.
The following table lists temperatures at which severe stress will occur, possibly death, especially if soil moisture is low. These temperatures refer only to potential crop death. Temperatures 15 to 20F lower than those listed in the table will result in the loss of flowers and fruit and will negate the positive effects of early warming under row covers."
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Upcoming Events
ENY Orchard Soil Health and Beneficial Fungi Meeting
August 15, 2024 : ENY Orchard Soil Health and Beneficial Fungi Meeting
Peru, NY
Join the members of CCE ENYCHP and the Cornell Soil Health Program for a field meeting on the basics of soil health, the potential benefits of mycorrhizal fungi, and an update on the current project status of our SARE grant on orchard mycorrhizal products.
This meeting is intended for farmworkers, young and beginning orchardists, and experienced orchard managers wanting to learn about the basics of soil health and mycorrhizal fungi within the orchard.
North Point Community Farm Twilight Meeting
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August 19, 2024 : North Point Community Farm Twilight Meeting
Plattsburgh, NY
North Point Community Farm Twilight Meeting
Monday, August 19th 4-7 pm (rain or shine)
2172 Military Turnpike, Plattsburgh, NY 12901
$10 per farm
Join us for a tour of North Point Community Farm, a diversified vegetable, berry, and flower operation in the North Country. Farmers Marisa and Mike will give us an overview of their decision-making as they expand their business, increasing their high tunnel production, investing in new tillage equipment, and transforming an old dairy barn into an efficient wash-pack shed with food safety in mind. We'll end the evening with local food refreshments and an opportunity to network with growers from NY and VT.
DEC credits: 1.5 credits in categories 1A, 10, 23
Late Summer Orchard Meeting
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August 21, 2024
Fonda, NY
Join us for our last get together of the summer before we're in the thick of harvest. At this meeting, we will tour Sand Flats Orchard with manager Mitch Hoffman, and we will then discuss late season pest management tasks with our experts from the HVRL and Cornell AgriTech.
DEC Credits: 1.5 credits in categories 1A, 10, and 22.