My commercial CT shade friend told me a couple of days ago he has 800,000 seedlings in the green houses now. They will be going in the ground around the 26th.
Commercial Connecticut Shade
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Re: Big Bonner's Seedlings
I visited my commercial friend yesterday. He was starting planting and rain was forecast so he wanted to get as much planted as possible. I posted his volume earlier. He has 60 acres under cloth and will plant 10,000/acre. His is a five row planter. I envy his soil. It's a sandy loam without a stone bigger than my thumb.
Some of his greenhouses
Spraying fertilizer (20-10-20) inside one of them
Inside one of the big ones
Here's a few seedlings. Spacing -- seedlings 16" -- rows 32"
Lots more shaded field and this is just a drop in the bucket. Note the tiller. It is a standard double row spring tooth harrow with a neat rotary leveler at the rear.
I said that's a lot of acres and he said he was small. A farmer near Bradley Airport had 500 acres under cloth and would plant 5,000,000 seedlings this year. Surprisingly the demand for CT shade is substantially up.
I visited my commercial friend yesterday. He was starting planting and rain was forecast so he wanted to get as much planted as possible. I posted his volume earlier. He has 60 acres under cloth and will plant 10,000/acre. His is a five row planter. I envy his soil. It's a sandy loam without a stone bigger than my thumb.
Some of his greenhouses
Spraying fertilizer (20-10-20) inside one of them
Inside one of the big ones
Here's a few seedlings. Spacing -- seedlings 16" -- rows 32"
Lots more shaded field and this is just a drop in the bucket. Note the tiller. It is a standard double row spring tooth harrow with a neat rotary leveler at the rear.
I said that's a lot of acres and he said he was small. A farmer near Bradley Airport had 500 acres under cloth and would plant 5,000,000 seedlings this year. Surprisingly the demand for CT shade is substantially up.
skychaser
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Re: Big Bonner's Seedlings
Wow. So that's what a real tobacco farm looks like. lol That's amazing.
Wow. So that's what a real tobacco farm looks like. lol That's amazing.
Re: Big Bonner's Seedlings
I visit regularly in spite of it's being two hours each way. I am fascinated. i have agreed not to publish his name but it is fascinating to watch and listen. I'd love to describe it to anyone who wants to listen. Wouldn't a conference call be great?
Re: Big Bonner's Seedlings
Have you watched them put up the shade cloth?
Have you watched them put up the shade cloth?
Re: Big Bonner's Seedlings
John
No damn it I missed it. This year I hope to get pics of then taking it down and putting it up again next year. BTW he also takes the plastic off his green houses as soon as he is finished with them. He buys 4 year plastic and regularly gets 10 years because it is out of the UV for most of the year.
John
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jekylnz
Well-Known Member
Whats the stuff and microns of the shade cloth thet use John lee?? Im looking to cover ny C.T with some thing this year...should I grow CT Broad in shade to??I was gonna
The stuff is some kind of plastic. It is off white in color and looks and feels like really loose animal feed bags. In the old days I would have said burlap bag material but that no longer exists. The commercially used stuff is rated as 40% shade. It is rigged on wires supported by wooden posts about 3m off the ground.
Re: Big Bonner's Seedlings
I'd like to see the cloth go up. Do you know which goes up first, cloth or poles? I can see them mechanically dragging the cloth, but not with the poles in the way. The cloth at the edges has holes so it can be raised and lowered on the poles. Does each pole location have a hole in the cloth? Very interesting.
I'd like to see the cloth go up. Do you know which goes up first, cloth or poles? I can see them mechanically dragging the cloth, but not with the poles in the way. The cloth at the edges has holes so it can be raised and lowered on the poles. Does each pole location have a hole in the cloth? Very interesting.
The cloth is some kind of woven poly cheesecloth.
Someone sells a ton of it, but the key to finding it is using the actual name used in the industry. I'm coming up empty on searches for the commercial stuff.
Someone sells a ton of it, but the key to finding it is using the actual name used in the industry. I'm coming up empty on searches for the commercial stuff.
jekylnz
Well-Known Member
Thanks for the effort there don
BarG
Founding Member
Wow John, Thats some cool friends you got there! Heh Heh It takes me a 2 hour drive to visit most friends of mine.
I'll try and get that for you.
Re: Big Bonner's Seedlings
The poles and wire are up all the time, even for fields that are fallow or in cover crop this year. I'll ask how they install the cloth. All of the tractors have two bars running front to back (kinda like roll bars) to lift sagging wires and cloth over the drivers head. Remember they drive around under the nets all the time for spraying, cultivating and such. As you might expect all the equipment is low.
Re: Big Bonner's Seedlings
In response to yesterdays questions here is a direct quote from my contacts Email --
"The cloth is pinned to the wires using 6 inch wooden skewers. The men stand on wooden horses, pull the piece of cloth in front of them tight and fold it around the wire. Then they add the edge of the back piece to the wire and pin it with the skewers. Someone on another horse does the same in the next bent, trailing behind the first man. This year I had up to ten horses going across the field at once. Of course it is a lot easier when the wind isn't blowing, which is why we start that job at 6 AM and usually quit by noon, It takes about a week.
As for how we get it, it is imported from Spain rolled up on large bolts that are 17 feet wide (the cloth is folded in half) and have about 400 feet of cloth on them. They cost about $1,000 a bolt and that covers 3/10 of an acre. Luckily, they last about ten years."
Knucks, Don, I hope this answered your questions.
In response to yesterdays questions here is a direct quote from my contacts Email --
"The cloth is pinned to the wires using 6 inch wooden skewers. The men stand on wooden horses, pull the piece of cloth in front of them tight and fold it around the wire. Then they add the edge of the back piece to the wire and pin it with the skewers. Someone on another horse does the same in the next bent, trailing behind the first man. This year I had up to ten horses going across the field at once. Of course it is a lot easier when the wind isn't blowing, which is why we start that job at 6 AM and usually quit by noon, It takes about a week.
As for how we get it, it is imported from Spain rolled up on large bolts that are 17 feet wide (the cloth is folded in half) and have about 400 feet of cloth on them. They cost about $1,000 a bolt and that covers 3/10 of an acre. Luckily, they last about ten years."
Knucks, Don, I hope this answered your questions.
From US suppliers, there are many shapes, sizes and densities of shade cloth available for commercial growing applications. The lowest cost per linear foot is in bulk rolls, but these then to be quite long, so the price starts at several hundred dollars.
http://www.growerssupply.com/farm/supplies/cat1a;gs_shade_houses_shade_cloth.html
This link is for a 16' x 24' prefabricated 40% shade panel (~$150):
http://www.growerssupply.com/farm/s...bricated_shade_panels;4227d7a8_104519S40.html
Such a panel would be ideal for my 3' wide x 24' long bed against my house. The challenge, then, would be devising a suitable support structure to go in such a location.
Agribon is available in a 30% shade weight; 7' x 250' roll (~$113):
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-6843-agribon-ag-30-83-x-250.aspx
While the 30% shade would probably be just fine for wrapper, I would be concerned about the minimal wind penetration (wind-sail effect) of a tall swath of it. When Agribon is well anchored at multiple, closely spaced points, it seems to hold up well to 40+ mph winds. When sparsely anchored, the anchor points tend to rip out in high winds, though the fabric span seldom tears.
Bob
http://www.growerssupply.com/farm/supplies/cat1a;gs_shade_houses_shade_cloth.html
This link is for a 16' x 24' prefabricated 40% shade panel (~$150):
http://www.growerssupply.com/farm/s...bricated_shade_panels;4227d7a8_104519S40.html
Such a panel would be ideal for my 3' wide x 24' long bed against my house. The challenge, then, would be devising a suitable support structure to go in such a location.
Agribon is available in a 30% shade weight; 7' x 250' roll (~$113):
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-6843-agribon-ag-30-83-x-250.aspx
While the 30% shade would probably be just fine for wrapper, I would be concerned about the minimal wind penetration (wind-sail effect) of a tall swath of it. When Agribon is well anchored at multiple, closely spaced points, it seems to hold up well to 40+ mph winds. When sparsely anchored, the anchor points tend to rip out in high winds, though the fabric span seldom tears.
Bob
How long does the Agribon last?
Used as a floating row cover (that is, stuck down in the mud), the lightweight AG15 has lasted 3 years. It just gets really dirty that way, and needs to be draped over a clothes line, and hosed off at the end of the season. I would expect the heavier AG30 to last longer, but I don't really know.
Bob
Here is a link to a one-page chart (from Jonny's Select Seeds) of row cover material: sizes, prices, uses, light transmission.
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/Assets/Information/RowCoverComparison.pdf
It also includes a listing for Typar® Xavan™ T5131 Row Cover, which is 30% shade.
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/Assets/Information/RowCoverComparison.pdf
It also includes a listing for Typar® Xavan™ T5131 Row Cover, which is 30% shade.
BobJohnny's Select Seeds said:
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