High tunnels are plastic-covered, solar greenhouses that can be used for early-season cucurbit production. High tunnels are low-cost, passive, solar greenhouses that use no fossil fuels for heating or venting (Figure 1). High tunnels can provide many benefits to horticulture crop producers:
- High tunnels are used to lengthen the growing season of crops.
- High tunnels protect the growing crop from environmental stress such as drought, driving rain, wind and temperature extremes.
- High tunnels protect crops from insect and disease invasion.
- High tunnels are well suited for producing heirloom and specialty vegetables that require a specific growing environment.
- High tunnels permit intensive for crop production on a small area of land.
Many warm-season (frost-sensitive) vegetable crops can be grown in a high tunnel. Cucurbits are a large, diverse group of warm-season plants in the Cucurbitaceae family. Cucurbits include many popular vegetables such as cucumber, gourd, cantaloupe (muskmelon), squash, pumpkin and watermelon and are an important dietary source of fiber, minerals, beta-carotene and vitamin C.
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