Basics of High Tunnel Production

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Basics of High Tunnel Production

• Terrance T. Nennich
• Extension Professor
• Vegetable and Small Fruit Production
• University of Minnesota Extension Service
• nenni001_at_umn.edu

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High Tunnel Research Sites in Minnesota
Experiment Stations
Grower Cooperators
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What are High Tunnels

• High tunnels are not a poor persons greenhouse
• High tunnels are a separate intense technology
  which allows crops to be grown up to three zones
  earlier and later and eliminate considerable
  risk.

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What are High Tunnels?

• Structures that resemble some greenhouses - in
  appearances only
• Use no artificial heat (except for emergencies)
• Use no artificial ventilation such as fans, tubes
  or forced air
• Plants are grown in the ground.
• Many shapes and sizes

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What Can be Grown in High Tunnels in Zones 2 and
3.

• Any crop that can normally be grown in the area
• Most crops in zones 4 through 5.
• Some in zone 6 and be on.

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Winter Tour February 27, 2004
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Advantages of High Tunnels

• 4-8 weeks earlier production in the spring
• 2-5 weeks later possible production in the fall
• Grow crops not usually grown in the area
• Very high yield per plant
• Crop mix
• Very cost effective
• Usually no pesticides needed
• Organic production

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Advantages of High Tunnels

• Natural disease control
• Insect control
• Control water
• Guarantee a crop
• Reduce cull fruit.

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Advantages of High Tunnels

• Natural disease control
• Insect control
• Control water
• Guarantee a crop
• Reduce cull fruit.

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Concerns of High Tunnels

• Cost involved
• Education
• Planning
• Management
• Time

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Key Components of high Tunnels

• Good well drained raised soil
• Roll Up sides
• 6 mil UV treated plastic
• Can be built from many materials

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Why High Tunnels Work

• Lets review the principles of plant growth
• Time
• Heat
• Light
• Stress

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Time

• All plants need time to advance in growth and
  mature
• How much growth that occurs in a given length of
  time depends on how ideal the environmental
  growth factors are.
• In northern climates heat is the one factor that
  we need to be concerned about.
• Seed catalogs use maximum conditions in deciding
  growing days.

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Heat

• Plants are classified by there ideal heat
  requirements.
• Tomatoes , peppers, 80-90 degrees
• Cucumber , melons , 85-95 degrees
• Heat is measured in growing degree days
• Duration of Temperature is Critical

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Growing Degree Units

• Normal figure used for warm season crops is 50
  low and 86 high
• Growing degree Units
• (high for day low for the day) 50 Divided
  by 2
• (86) (50)

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Growing Degree Days units for Tomatoes

• Early to mid-season tomatoes will require 1400 to
  1600 GDD to the first ripe fruit.
• Late season varieties will require 2000 to 2200
  GDD

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Growing degree day samples

• Low of 40, high of 60 5 GDD
• Low of 40, high of 50 0 GDD
• Low of 50, high of 70 10 GDD
• Low of 60, high of 86 23 GDD

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Growing Degree ComparisonInside and Outside
Tunnel 2004

• Inside Tunnel
• March 281 GDU
• April 435 GDU
• May 502 GDU
• June 570 GDU
• July 624 GDU
• Aug 544 GDU
• Sept 570 GDU
• Oct 303 GDU

• Outside Tunnel
• March 5 GDU
• April 99 GDU
• May 183 GDU
• June 366 GDU
• July 505 GDU
• Aug 374 GDU
• Sept 396 GDU
• Oct 101 GDU

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Growing Degree Days units for Tomatoes

• Early to mid-season tomatoes will require 1400 to
  1600 GDD to the first ripe fruit.
• Late season varieties will require 2000 to 2200
  GDD

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High Tunnel Planting DatesNorthern Minnesota

• Onions , radishes, lettuce Mar 25-Apr 7
• Cabbage, broccoli ect Apr 7-15
• Tomatoes, peppers May 1-10

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Different Locations in the state

• March 31
• Bemidji Minnesota high 45 Low 20
• Austin Minnesota high 47 Low 28

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• January 2006

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Production Data

• Tomatoes first harvest in tunnel July 18
• First harvest outside Aug.11
• Yield 10-25 per plant
• Cucumbers first harvest June 16
• Yield per plant 30-35 pounds

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Common Mistakes Beginning Growers Make

• Tunnels get to hot gt130
• Dont shut roll up sides early enough in the
  evening-loose growing degree units
• 5 GDU a day for a month 5-8 day
• Weed Control inside and out
• Monitor the water uptake
• Punning and trellising

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Tunnel Direction

• Narrow end against prevailing high winds
• The outside air direction has little to do with
  the cooling of the tunnel
• Recommend tunnel construction for 100 MPH winds

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Yield Potential Nutrient Needs

• Yields in a high tunnel can be 3 to 4 times the
  yield obtained in the field
• Higher yields will required more nutrients, but
  knowing how much to apply is a challenge
• Lack of nutrients deficiencies
• Excessive nutrients salt build up
• Both situations affect yield and quality

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Cucumber Results

• Cucumbers
• All the fruit from all 26 cucumber plants
  were weighed and evaluated for quality. All data
  is in pounds per plant.
• Sweet Success
• First Harvest June 21
• Total Yield/Plant 65.12
• Culls 8.0
• MKT/sq/ft 9,52
• Total sq/ft 10.85
• Total Yield Acre 472,628 or 236 tons.

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Soil Nutrient Research

• Sweet Success Cucumbers
• 0-6 inch soil depth
• N P K
• Before Season 335 330 1050
• After Harvest 12 175 256

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Soil Nutrient Research

• Sweet Success Cucumbers
• 6-12 inch soil depth
• N P K
• Before Season 100 150 580
• After Harvest 7 69 320

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Tomato Results

• Variety First harvest Total yield
  Culls Marketable sq/ft Total sq/ft
• Cobra June 28
  37.0 4.0 3.89
  4.63
• Sunshine June 24 16.5 5.1
  1.90 2.75
• Mt. Spring July 11
  18.5 4.2 2.38
  3.08

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Soil Nutrient Research

• Cobra Tomatoes
• 6-12 inch soil depth
• N
  P K
• Before Season 100 150 580
• After Harvest 8 80 320

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Soil Nutrient Research

• Cobra Tomatoes
• 12-24 inch soil depth
• N P K
• Before Season 18 60 275
• After Harvest 8 55 260

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Soil Nutrient Research

• Cobra Tomatoes
• 0-6 inch soil depth
• N P K
• Before Season 335 330 1050
• After Harvest 11 215 235
  

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Berry quality
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High Tunnel Roof Vent
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High Tunnel Manual on the Web

• www.extension.umn.edu
• Click on garden
• See Whats new on the Web
• Or go direct www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/ho
  rticulture/M1218.html

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Local High Tunnel List Serve

• Be sure to sign up for the Minnesota/North Dakota
  List Serve.
• Talk to local producers, be informed of upcoming
  events.

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Minnesota High Tunnel Web Site

• http//hightunnels.cfans.umn.edu/

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Upcoming Research

• Plant density studies
• Fertility studies
• Variety Studies
• Irrigation Studies
• Raspberries, Perennial crops , Overwintering

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Seminars on High Tunnels

• Getting Started with High Tunnels
• Crops and Yields
• Marketing
• Soil Fertility/Nutrient Use
• Irrigation
• High Tunnel design
• Organic Production
• Fruit Production

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QUESTIONS

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