Growing & Temperatures In Hoop House - Questions!

[happychick]

This is our very first spring growing plants with our new 16' x 24' hoop house and grow lights. Plants are doing well under the grow lights, and we have started seeds in the hoop house. Being new at this, how hot it too hot in a hoop house for seeds & plants? What's a good temp. in a hoop house to stick close around?

Also, I was thinking of growing my carrots, onions, tomatos, etc. in the hoop house all year round. Can you grow ANYTHING in a hoop house in the middle of summer? We have roll up sides for ventilation...Right now it's 60 degrees outside in the middle of the day, 25 at night. The temperature gauge said it was 110 inside the hoop house today (though it didn't feel that warm...).
Just want to have a good first year, I would really appreciate any advice from those who have done this before!

[honeyrobber]

My greenhouse experience is with nursery stock not soft tissue(bedding plants). But Ideal day time temp is 90 F. The reason is so the house holds heat to get it through the night. Plant grown increases until about 85F(summer type) but depends on the plant. Growth does not slow until it get over 100F as long as the humidity is kept high. If the plants are transpiring to much moisture it slows grow. Our cutting house in July would commonly get to 130F with the exaust fan running. We had to trap the moisture and only could vent so much. When your nights get warmer you can start opening the door for most of the day. Your goal for fast growth is keeping the house between 70 and 90 24/7. Added heat is not as much of a stressor as letting the plants get chilled below 60F. Hope this is what you were looking for. I took plant and soil science in college. Now if you are starting cabbage and other "cold" weather crops in the greenhouse try to keep the low around 50 and high around 70 as these get planted outside sooner and need to be ready for cooler temps.

[idigbeets]

You can pretty much grow anything in a hoop house...

However, it depends on how much you want to manage temperatures. E.g. I wouldn't plant a lot of lettuce, mustards, arugula, etc after early spring as the temps will just force them to bolt. Things like peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, onions, garlic etc.. do well.

[happychick]

Thank you both VERY much - you helped answer my questions! I REALLY appreciate it!

[ronbre]

need to vent at about 70 or 80 degrees or you'll kill your plants

[Callieslamb]

Yes, I'd vent at 80 degrees. One problem I had last year is that my tomatoes inside were still growing when it was time to put the cool weather crops in. They need such different temperatures that I wasn't sure what to do. I finally pulled the tomatoes up. I had tomatoes, melons and peppers inside all summer last year with the sides up and the doors open.

I just planted lettuce, peas, spinach, radishes and beets - but I might be too late - it's really warm out now. With the warmer winter, I probably should have put those things out in February. I covered my crops with the heavy remay through the winter and everything survived. With a colder winter, I'm sure they wouldn't have done so well. I'll take what I can get. Until last week, we had lettuce, onions, spinach, and chinese cabbages from the green house.

[Raven12]

I'm jealous. When ya'll are having one of those days remember that there is a chick out there drooling over your hoop houses.