Adding a plastic cover to your "greenhouse" will probably only make it hotter around the plants. If you want to add some shade cloth over the plants, that will help reduce the heat load, but also reduce the light the plants are receiving. For tomatoes, that will slow down their maturity. The mister idea is a good one. For your area, a very inexpensive timer should be able to control your mist system. If it is just hooked up to a garden hose, an in-line mechanical timer is about $15 from most any hardware store. If your mist system is on a separate irrigation line, then you would need a soleniod valve and a simple lawn sprinkler controller. A thermostatically controlled system would be more expensive and not necessary, since I am assuming the mid-summer temperatures during the day in your area are always higher than optimum for tomato production . For your area, a timer for on at 8 a.m. and off at 6 p.m. for the mist would probably do the job.

Thanks, Cues...

Unfortunately I didn't see your email until I came in from putting up the plastic.

I have the mister system and a garden hose timer in the car to install early morning before the 100 degree heat hits again. Thanks for hours of operation. That may work better than the hours I had planned on.

However if I don't put up the plastic, how will I keep the "cool" of the mister system in the proper area? Am a little worried it will make things too wet in there.

Anyone ever try this? Was it a success or a failure? Thanks. Connie

babalubird

Hi! I'm curious as to why you're not growing your plants outdoors where they to do best in summer (unless they're shade plants). It may be hot but nothing like in a greenhouse. What kind of roof does the aviary have? Is it solid or glass? If you keep those plants damp you will probably end up with fungal diseases.

If the mist is fine enough, there should not be any free water on the plants. The evaporative effect is instant and will continue as long as water is evaporating in the immediate area of the mist.A greenhouse would not keep in the cool, only heat. The misters sold for patios work on the same principle, without a cover. The better ones put out a very fine mist that never lands on people, just evaporating and cooling.

Well, win a few, lose a few!

Thanks everyone for your input. It's a matter of finding a happy medium in this unforgiving climate.

The aviary is completely made of 1x2 rabbit wire. For a few months, I've just had the plants in there w/no plastic. But we have had 97-100 degrees day after day. The fruit finally fell off a chocolate pepper plant I was greatly anticipating getting a pepper off of. My eggplants were very wilty during the day, sometimes pick up a little at night, sometimes not. One tomato plant too a nose dive--I was surprised it recovered.

I had a shade cloth just big enough to cover the top and was afraid even that would keep the veggies from fruiting with too little sun. It sure didn't make any difference on the temperature, wilting or other problems.

So that's when I decided to cover w/plastic and see if I could mist it to cool it that way. It took two trips to the hardware store and two different systems, but as far as conquering the temperature problem, I think I have. It's 98 degrees in the sun, 91 in the shade and 82 in the greenhouse now. Wahoo!!!!! I have found, I think, that I have to leave the two big doors open on the greenhouse or the heat does build up too bad.

I am worried about the moisture. I bought a 10 foot patio mister from Home Depot. Well, the aviary/greenhouse is only about 7 feet high which puts some plants pretty close to the mister heads and it seems some of the plants are getting way too much condensation. I'll cut the mister off about 6 p.m. or when the greenhouse is in the shade. Then I'll leave it off until 10:30 or 11 a.m. when the heat starts to build up again. Hopefully, our very dry breeze will give them some relief during those off-hours.

What do you all think? Do you think 7 hours of moisture during the hottest part of the day will still cause me trouble?

Connie

With a shade cloth on top and fans near misting system and open sides it should keep it cool and not wet. That is what my friend has on her screened in porch to keep large birds cool during the summer and grows plants in there as well.