If you look forward to perfect peppers but are disappointed when they get sunburn, there aren’t as many as you thought, or they aren’t as big as you’d like, chances are that you have sunlight to blame. High solar intensity and temperatures work against getting the most of our pepper crops.
Research on shading peppers is casting light on the benefits of cooling things off a bit on leaves and the root zone. Heat stress reduces plant’s ability to photosynthesize and cool itself efficiently, which in turn limits root development. Increasingly higher temperatures in summer limits root growth and damages fruit.
Colorado’s research into solving this problem is led by Dr.
Mike Bartolo, Senior Research Scientist and manager of the Arkansas Valley Research Center in Rocky Ford. He’s been
researching the development of chili peppers since 1992.
Bartolo’s research into preventing sunscald on the fruit of
peppers led him to using 30-percent Shade barrier over peppers |
Globally, researchers concerned with the effects climate
change could have on crop production are exploring ways to buffer hotter
temperatures. Growing under shade cloth
has garnered interest, and researchers are working to find the type of shade
cloth that gives the most benefit.
University of Georgia has shown that the color of the shade netting
doesn’t make much difference; however, leaf surface temperature remained higher
under white shade cloth.
In our gardens, peppers covered with shade cloth or floating
row covers are also in much better shape.
Popping a tent of 30-percent cloth over your crop might help get things
growing again, Bartolo said. “As long as
the stem is ok and not injured by sunscald, things should get moving again once
things cool down or you shade the plant.”
A bit of shade is helpful to other plants as well, such as
basil or tomatoes during fruit production.
Mulching also helps keep the plant cool since it protects roots from
water loss and soil cracking.
Shade cloth is available at garden centers in various
lengths. It’s a durable fabric that can
be used for several years. When covering
your plants, remember that this is to be suspended above them, unlike floating
row covers that can sit right on the plants.
Create a frame for holding the shade barrier two to four feet above the
plants, taking care that it’s secure for wind.
Floating row covers provide about 15 to 19-percent shade,
which might not be enough at this time to break the grip of heat. Early in the season it would help for root
development, so keep it handy for next year.
Thank you for providing 'science' information in addition to all the other great horticultural news!
ReplyDeleteI noticed long ago that basil grew better in shade in Colorado summers so always plant them beneath large indeterminate tomatoes. It would be interesting to know that shade effects on the squash families and cucumbers, too.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the timely information!