Season Extension
Season extension is ability to extend the growing season, including growing crops year round, by using a variety of strategies and materials. Some of these strategies include cold hardy crop selection & careful crop planning, utilizing low and high tunnels, and mulching.
Season Extension Basics
A Guide to Season Extension for Illinois Specialty Crop Growers – An in-depth review of season extension principles, including multiple farm case studies
Build It Up East Tennessee’s handout for Fall Gardening and Soil Health – Includes tips on crop planning, row covers & low tunnels, soil health, and cover crops
Build It Up East Tennessee Fall & Winter Basic Growing Guide – Includes information on planning for fall & winter, site selection & soil preparation, light, timing, fertility, fall harvest, winter to spring harvest, and season extension methods
University of Kentucky Extension Season Extension Tools and Techniques – Marketing, tools and techniques, transplants, windbreaks, mulches, shade, irrigation, and economic considerations
North Carolina State University – Season Extension: Introduction and Basic Principles – Includes advantages, disadvantages, crop selection, and fabrics & structures for season extension
ATTRA Publication – Season Extension Techniques for Market Gardeners – Includes cultural practices, plasticulture (mulches, low tunnels, high tunnels), and the economics of season extension
Johnny’s – Winter Harvest Planting Chart
High Tunnels
Grow Appalachia’s High Tunnel Manual: Includes site selection, orientation, soil health, site preparation, ventilation, high tunnel coverings, access, water sourcing & irrigation, and tools & equipment
UK Center for Crop Diversification (CCD) – High Tunnel Overview
Capital RC&D High Tunnel Page: Includes webinars, a mailing list, a resource list, PDFs and newsletters, a Facebook page, a Video Library, financial assistance options, high tunnel vendors, and high tunnel FAQ’s
UK CCD High Tunnel Resources, including high tunnel planting calendars
Kansas State High Tunnel Video Series – Includes designs, what to plant, management considerations and resources
Video: Growing All Seasons – High Tunnel Assistance with NRCS with related resource guides & instructions at the bottom
Playlist from Iowa State Extension – How to Build a High Tunnel
Grow Appalachia’s video series: High Tunnel Construction – An Instructional Guides – step-by-step videos for setting up Grow Appalachia’s 15 foot wide gothic high tunnels
University of Vermont Extension – A Guide to Preparing High Tunnels for Extreme Weather
Grow Appalachia’s High Tunnel Winterization & Maintenance workshop (video)
High Tunnel Drip Irrigation Designs – A PDF that illustrates two designs for drip irrigation in 15 ft wide and 30 ft wide high tunnels
Grow Appalachia’s Drip Irrigation Introduction video series
Grow Appalachia’s High Tunnels
Learn more about Grow Appalachia’s gothic and movable high tunnels, and request a quote!
Low Tunnels
Build It Up East Tennessee: Low Tunnels and Season Extension – Includes materials needed, construction, use, insect control, troubleshooting, and other considerations
West Virginia University Extension: Low Tunnels for Beginners – includes construction/materials, row covers, early spring use, and variety selection
Virginia Tech: Low Tunnels in Vegetable Crops: Beyond Season Extension – Including types of cover, microenvironment conditions, production, use efficiency, pests and diseases, and instillation
