question for NW greenhouse/hoophouse growers (or anywhere with cool/wet fall weather)

[Humanrob]

Do y'all find that in the fall when the rain starts, condensation forms under your plastic and if the buds are touching the plastic, its a bad thing?

I have two structures, and one has wooden rafters and 6mil plastic over it. On that one, I anticipate that the plants (or at least one for sure) will reach the plastic before they finish. One thing I was thinking about is attaching chicken wire to the bottom of the rafters, to try and create a gap between the plants and the plastic. (either that, or I could attach another layer of plastic below the rafters?)

Would this be useful/important/recommended for cold wet fall weather? If I'm going to do it, I'll need to do it soon, one plant is about 18" from contact, and I'll run out of room to do the installation before long.

As always, thanks in advance for the help

 

[Cuttdogg7]

Use topping and bending techniques to keep the plant the right size for the structure that you are growing it in.

 

[Humanrob]

Use topping and bending techniques to keep the plant the right size for the structure that you are growing it in.

Thanks for the suggestion, its good advice, but window of opportunity for training them has passed.

This was my first outdoor, and the bottom line is that I built the structure too small -- its 5 feet wide, 10 feet long, and about 6 feet tall. The plants are filling up the space so completely that within a a few weeks I'll only be able to reach the sides of the plants that face the ends that open. While I can still get around the inside edges a little and access most of the space, I have the opportunity to create the barrier I mentioned, if that would be a benefit in the coming weeks/months.

So while I still have some access, I'm trying to figure out if (a) there is a real need to do something, and (b) if so what would be a good approach to fixing the problem. I will do a lot of things differently next year, but this is what I've got to work with this year.

 

[tannersmokin247]

Pics?

 

[Cuttdogg7]

Thanks for the suggestion, its good advice, but window of opportunity for training them has passed.

This was my first outdoor, and the bottom line is that I built the structure too small -- its 5 feet wide, 10 feet long, and about 6 feet tall. The plants are filling up the space so completely that within a a few weeks I'll only be able to reach the sides of the plants that face the ends that open. While I can still get around the inside edges a little and access most of the space, I have the opportunity to create the barrier I mentioned, if that would be a benefit in the coming weeks/months.

So while I still have some access, I'm trying to figure out if (a) there is a real need to do something, and (b) if so what would be a good approach to fixing the problem. I will do a lot of things differently next year, but this is what I've got to work with this year.

pictures would help understand your situation. My advice would be to cut the plastic away and allow the plants to just grow in the open outdoors, if you allow the plant to grow into the structure sides it will bunch up, and there will be no circulation and you will more than likely have some very major issues with your plants if that happens.

 

[Humanrob]

...if you allow the plant to grow into the structure sides it will bunch up, and there will be no circulation and you will more than likely have some very major issues with your plants if that happens.

Thanks, that answers my question.