Managing a high tunnel for maximum crop production is challenging as you must utilize all available space by rotating crops in and out and keeping track of planting schedules. The document provides planting schedules and crop rotations for cool and warm season crops throughout the year to maximize production from a high tunnel. Record keeping of plantings, harvests, and temperatures is important for effective high tunnel management.

1. Managing your high tunnel for Maximum production! Au Naturel Farm Paul and Alison Wiediger

2. In our opinion, managing your high tunnel for maximum production is the greatest challenge. You want to utilize as much space as possible, rotating crops in and out, and you always have to be aware of what crop needs to go where, when!

3. Corn Summer Fruits Melons & Cucumbers Squash Beans & Peas Perennials Salad Greens Leafy cooking greens Onions, Celery Garlic Cole Crops Root Crops Potatoes 30 vegetables tomatoes leeks okra peppers specialty melons cucumbers zucchini Summer squash snap beans roma beans rhubarb asparagus honeydew sweet corn baby corn lettuce endive baby spring mix spinach kale Swiss chard mustard tomatillos sweet storage cauliflower broccoli Chinese cabbage carrots beets turnips radishes fingerling WARM SEASON COOL SEASON celery Courtesy: L. Jett WVU

4. OK, it’s late winter and your high tunnel looks like this. Which is good

5. Opening day at Farmers Market if you’re going to have this…

6. And this in early spring.

7. But now, you need this…

8. If you’re going to have … And this…

9. This

10. And this during the late spring and early summer

11. Multiple crops… Multiple seasons… Multiple years… Multiple high tunnels… Multiple headaches!

12. Radishes & Turnips 9/1 Radishes & Turnips 9/15 Radishes & Turnips 10/1 Spinach – half bed, 8 rows wide 9/1 Spinach – half bed, 8 rows wide 9/15 Russian Kale (24 ‘), Winterbor Kale (24 ‘), Collards (24’), Swiss Chard (18’) Seeded in greenhouse 8/1 and transplanted on 9/1 90 Lettuce seeded 8/1 in greenhouse transplanted 9/1 90 Lettuce seeded 8/15 in greenhouse, transplanted 9/15 90 Lettuce seeded 9/1 in greenhouse, transplanted 10/1 90 Lettuce seeded 9/15 in greenhouse, transplanted 10/15 Carrots seed 4 rows ¼ bed each Napoli & Bolero 9/1 Carrots seed 4 rows ¼ bed each Napoli & Bolero 10/1 High tunnel – Ready to plant in September

13. Pak Choi, Tatsoi, Chinese cabbage 3/1 Pak Choi, Tatsoi, Chinese cabbage 3/15 Pak Choi, Tatsoi, Chinese cabbage 4/1 50 Tomatoes seeded 1/1 in greenhouse, transplanted 3/8 90 Lettuce seeded 2/8 in greenhouse transplanted 3/15 50 Tomatoes seeded 1/1 in greenhouse, transplanted 3/8 90 Lettuce seeded 2/8 in greenhouse, transplanted 3/15 Cherry Belle Radishes 3/15 Cherry Belle Radishes 3/21 High tunnel – Ready to plant in early March 90 Lettuce seeded 2/1 in greenhouse, transplanted 3/8 90 Lettuce seeded 2/1 in greenhouse, transplanted 3/8 90 Lettuce seeded 2/15 in greenhouse transplanted 3/21 90 Lettuce seeded 2/15 in greenhouse transplanted 3/21 50 Tomatoes seeded 1/1 in greenhouse, transplanted 3/8 French Breakfast Radishes 3/21

14. Main Crops We Grow Fall Winter Spring Mesclun (a few seedings) Mesclun (a few seedings) Mesclun ( seed once a week!) Lettuce (8 – 12 varieties) Lettuce (8 – 12 varieties) Lettuce (Jericho, + once every 10days ) Spinach Spinach Spinach Kale Kale Kale Collards Collards Collards Swiss Chard Swiss Chard Swiss Chard Carrots (2 – 3 varieties) Carrots (2 – 3 varieties) Carrots (2 – 3 varieties) Turnips (multiple plantings) Turnips (multiple plantings) Turnips (multiple plantings) Radishes (multiple plantings) Radishes (multiple plantings) Radishes (multiple plantings) Arugula Arugula Arugula Onions (for spring) Onions (still in) Onions (about to come out) Chinese Cabbage, Pak Choi, tatsoi Chinese Cabbage, Pak Choi,Tatsoi Chinese Cabbage, Pak Choi, tatsoi Cucumbers Cucumbers Potatoes Tomatoes (lots!!) Flowers (lots!) Peppers The challenge becomes one of still growing greens for early Spring sales (for us, this means March into early May), while making room for lots of tomatoes, flowers and weekly seedings of mesclun.

15. Making use of space!

16. Intercropping lettuce with tomatoes is 39% more efficient than growing each crop individually.

17. Winter, Summer, year-round – management is the key.

18. Additional Resources books

20. growing for market

21. Site Planning, Construction, & Structure Management Warm Season Vegetables & Melons Cool Season Vegetables Cut Flowers Small Fruits Soil & Fertility Management Marketing & Economics Grower Innovations Growers Using High Tunnels websites

25. Good record keeping can assist you in managing your high tunnels

26. Some Important Records: Outside Temperature – min and max High Tunnel Temperature – min and max Seed and plant purchases Seeding/transplant/harvest planning We have developed a spreadsheet for our crop records that is helping to make us better managers both in the high tunnels and in our outside production. Although it takes considerable time to enter the data and keep it updated, it becomes more valuable each year in helping us make decisions. ANF Crop Record Template ANF Crop Records 2009

29. Items load out Unit back in Unit sold Vegetables Kale - Russian Kale - Curly Swiss Chard Collards Pak Choi Tatsoi Chinese Cabbage Broccoli Carrots Radishes Salad Turnips Green Leaf Lettuce Red Leaf lettuce Green Romaine Red Romaine Buttercrunch Red Cross Green Oak Red Oak 18 Bunches 24 Bunches 15 Bunches 12 Bunches 24 Heads 12 Heads 8 Heads 46 Heads 65 Bunches 36 Bunches 24 Bunches 12 Heads 8 Heads 24 Heads 12 Heads 24 Heads 18 Heads 12 Heads 12 Heads 3 6 9 2 Sold out 3 2 Sold out 11 AM Sold out 9:40 Sold out Sold out 2 1 Sold out 10 AM 3 Sold out Sold out Sold out 4 15 18 6 10 24 9 6 46 65 36 24 10 7 24 9 24 18 12 8

30. The Organic Farmers Business Handbook By Richard Wiswall Building A Sustainable Business A guide to developing a business plan for farms and rural businesses By Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture