Life Sciences Commons^™

Pb962-Producing Cantaloupes In Tennessee, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Commercial Horticulture

Cantaloupes are a warm-season crop that requires 70 to 90 days, depending upon the variety, from seeding to marketable fruit. Their consumption has increased by 11 percent since 1958. Almost all of the increase in consumption can be credited to the installation of salad bars in fast-food restaurants.

Cantaloupes are very sensitive to cool temperatures. If they are exposed to cool temperatures (50 degrees or less) for short periods of time during the growing period, growth will be severely stunted. Plants will continue to survive, but their growth rate and fruit set rate per plant decreases.

About 700 acres of …

Pb737- Commercial Tomato Production, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Commercial Horticulture

Commercial tomato production requires a high level of management, large labor and capital inputs and close attention to detail. Tomato production is subject to the variations that occur in weather, which may result in severe crop damage and losses. Labor requirements for production, harvesting, grading, packaging and transporting are very intense. Prices can change daily when growers are dealing on the fresh market. Gross returns to top level growers range from $1,500 to $10,000 per acre. If you plan to enter the tomato business, be sure to first study these aspects thoroughly.

Three distinct production areas exist in Tennessee. In …

Pb1617-Irrigation Water Quality For Greenhouse Production, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Commercial Horticulture

This publication is one of three in a series that covers the basics of developing a nutritional program for producing container-grown plants in greenhouses. A complete nutrition program encompasses the fertilizers, media and water used. The first publication, Plant Nutrition and Fertilizers for Greenhouse Production (PB 1616), develops background information about plant nutrition and discusses the important characteristics of fertilizers used in greenhouse production. This publication examines the effect of water quality on a greenhouse nutritional program. The third publication, Growing Media for Greenhouse Production (PB 1618), describes the important physical and chemical properties of growing media, media testing procedures …

Pb1616-Plant Nutrition And Fertilizers For Greenhouse Production, The University Of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

Commercial Horticulture

This publication is one of three in a series that covers the basics of developing a nutritional program for producing container-grown plants in greenhouses. A complete nutrition program encompasses the fertilizers, media and water used. The first section in Plant Nutrition and Fertilizers for Greenhouse Production develops background information about plant nutrition that growers need to understand before discussing which fertilizers to use. The second section covers the range of fertilizers that growers can choose from.

The second publication in the series, Irrigation Water Quality for Greenhouse Production (PB 1617), examines the effect of water quality on a greenhouse nutritional …