Hi,

We're coming up on some really hot weather in our area and will probably be looking at 90-100+ degree weather for the next several months. I've been thinking of ways to keep the maters a bit cooler (shade cloth, etc.), and I was just now wondering if misters might be an option. Here's a link to what I was thinking about:

http://www.mrdrip.com/oceanbreeze.htm

I've got 32' of back-to-back tomato rows in 5' wide raised beds (2 rows per bed - each 16' long). There's about a 2-1/2-3' spacing between each row. I'm doing a Florida weave system using EMT conduit and I'm going to prune (or let flop back down) the plants at about the 7' level because that's about as far as I can reach.

Looking at the $25 system in the above link, I think I could run this suspended from 10' tall EMT conduit poles(secured in a larger diameter EMT "collar" pounded into the ground) so that the misting system would be about 3' above the plants. I could run the tubing between (and above) the back-to-back rows and it would probably fan out to cover both rows.

Suposedly the misting system reduces air temps by 20 degrees.

So... does this sound like a reasonable way to beat the heat, or would it create too much humidity? (We have a dry climate to begin with).

IF it worked, it seems like they'd get the benefit of all the sun, but not all the heat (unlike shade cloth), plus it would be a whole lot cheaper and easier than putting shade cloth over everything.

Comments??

Anne