Dec 3, 2013
Note from High Tunnel Listening Session for Frederick, Montgomery and Howard Counties
Chuck Schuster- moderator
3 major categories we will look at today:
1. Structures
2. Crops
3. Management –pests, nutrient management. Stay away from zoning since each area has
different rules.
1. STRUCTURES
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Contact list of installed high tunnels of people that could be contacted to learn what people have
already put in
List of different technologies being used –i.e. double layer plastic, etc.
List of suppliers, package costs, setup/location
Orientation of high tunnels
Things on property that could affect where to put one such as wind, sunlight movement, slope,
drainage
End walls, what type of material to use?
Season extension without power? Currently no heat or electricity
What kind of heater to use? (tried propane, but gassed out plants)
Equipment to use in high tunnels (tractors, etc)
How wide should doors be to get equipment in?
Size including height of structure in terms of how they hold heat
Cooling
Relationship to size and cooling
Sizing tunnel to fit crops and utilize rows. What size is good for how many rows?
Rules for size constraints
How to utilize space? Example, Amish are planting in other direction and entering through side
walls
Straight side walls vs arch
Low cost, low tech solutions and tricks
Short videos of these things
Moveable structures to break disease cycle for instance
Weight limits along sides of structure to add things like hanging pots, mushroom bags, etc.
High tunnel set up to capture and reuse rain water
Plastic covering materials to use and different materials available
Low tech material to use in tunnel
Low tunnel inside of high tunnel
Removable systems
Opportunities to see how to put one up. Example, Frostburg class, paid $25 to help them put it up
Pipe, size, bracing, etc. needed to put a tunnel together
What gauge pipe works regards to wt load, bracing
Spacing of multiple high tunnels and considerations such as wind, rain snow
Air flow in tunnel
2. CROPS
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Raised beds vs plants directly in soil
Support for plants, rock beds etc
Temperature constraints
Spacing
Size constraints
Soil and amendments to keep productivity high
Regional crop planting dates and cultivars
Plant varieties that work best and are high quality in terms of flavor and texture
Heirloom tomatoes that can take high temperature?
Flowers in high tunnels
Ornamentals
Specialty crops, ethnic markets
Alternative crops –herbs, ginger, essential oils, etc.
What plants are most financially productive?
Plants from seeds (seed mats) and transplanting
Rotation
Pest and disease pressure
Methods of supporting crops -cages, strings, clips for tomatoes, what you can attach to cross bars,
etc.
List of what people in area are growing in their tunnels?
Different growing methods
Containers things to grow crops in, baskets, buckets, raised beds, gutters?
Tricks for summer production (Rob)
Pollination (not a big concern)
No one seemed to be growing strawberries
Crop schedule management
Cover crops and appropriate cover crops – (someone said they are trying Rye for the first time)
Cover crop cost share? Combine acreage of crops in and out of tunnel
Timing of cover crops (Dicot radish for example early date)
Intercropping and trying to utilize dollar per sq. ft. Getting the most out of every inch
Labor time management to keep high tunnel running smoothly
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3. Management
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IPM, (integrated pest Management)
Pest management and what can be used in a tunnel vs. out
Delivery methods for pesticides
Soil management
⋅ Drainage and how to deal with soil that does not want to drain
⋅ Optimum soil moisture and temperature for controlling insects and disease cycles
⋅ Soil amendments
⋅ Nutrient management
⋅ Moisture management
Soil health down the road. Letting soil rest
Air flow
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Wildlife management
How do things differ inside tunnel vs. outside?
Veg handbook, (UME) most of the recommendations are for outside, not in a high tunnel, in the
book. (Chuck, book is already at the printers this year. Good idea for next year to share with
people putting crop recommendations together).
Things you can do to alleviate salt and fertility increases. Example, large radishes like dicot can take
up to 150-300lbs of nitrogen out of your soil per acres. Nitrogen in soil is not regulated yet, but it
may become an issue in the future.
Fertility management program
Tillage methods and no till
Cost of input vs. output of different vegetables and crops. Cost vs. potential returns. Partial
budget - not talking about heating and water costs
Market
Irrigation systems, injectors
Haygrove tunnels, 3 season structures
Overall management, 1 tunnel vs multiple tunnels through cost sharing
Crop mix and what to grow in low and high tunnels
Mid Atlantic fruit and vegetable conventions –Hersey Park
Fruit trees and beneficial insects (note: not much interest in fruit trees at listening session)
Rob –USDA Compass