Knowra Season extension Season extension Season extension uses structures or growing practices to lengthen the period when crops can be grown or harvested beyond the usual outdoor growing season.
Row cover : A lightweight fabric laid over crops to reduce heat loss, wind exposure, and insect damage. Floating covers trap warmth around plants without requiring a permanent structure.
Winter gardening : The cultivation of crops for harvest during winter, often using cold-tolerant varieties and protective structures. It applies season-extension methods to sustain production through the coldest months.
Greenhouse : A structure with transparent or translucent walls and roof for growing plants in a controlled environment. Unlike many season-extension structures, greenhouses may use active heating and greater environmental control.
Market gardening : Small-scale commercial production of vegetables and other crops for local markets. Longer harvest windows can help small farms supply customers beyond the main outdoor season.
Low tunnel : A small hoop-supported covering that shelters crop rows with plastic or fabric. Its enclosed air space protects crops from frost and cold winds.
Protected cultivation : Crop production under structures that modify growing conditions, including greenhouses, tunnels, and shade houses. Season extension is one aim of this broader approach to controlling crop environments.
Heated greenhouse : A greenhouse equipped with heating systems to maintain temperatures suitable for plant growth. Heating can extend production further than passive protection, but requires energy.
Farm profitability : The financial return a farm earns after accounting for production costs and revenue. Extra harvests can raise revenue, while structures and labor add costs.
High tunnel : An unheated greenhouse-like structure with a plastic-covered frame, used to grow crops in soil. Its larger sheltered space supports crops through colder shoulder seasons.
Transplanting : Moving young plants grown in a nursery or protected space into their growing site. Protected starts can give heat-loving crops a head start before outdoor conditions suit them.
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