Suntex

04/02/2026

Due to rising oil prices, there will be increases in raw material and shipping costs.

02/10/2026

Covering up before a frost, freeze, or cold front, please note:

1. Radiation Frost forms on clear, calm nights with absent cloud cover. Many believe a full moon heightens frost risk, but the severity is driven by clear skies, which allow surface heat to radiate into space.
2. Advective freezes occur when frigid air masses surge into a region, displacing warm air and bringing freezing, windy conditions. This freeze can devastate plants.
3. Act promptly—modern weather forecasts provide at least 3 days' warning before temperatures drop.
4. Prepare Covertan at least 2 days in advance to retain ground heat and provide protection. Avoid last-minute covering—covering just before sunset may not shield plants, especially in windy advective freezes.
5. Select thicker Covertan, like CP 30 or 40 gsm (0.9 oz. or 1.2 oz), for optimal cold protection, especially during advective freezes. Leave covers on during the day or for as long as needed; act without delay. This is a key purpose for Growers using Covertan. 2 layers of Covertan 19 provide improved cold protection.
6. Remember: support hoops or suspended ropes that lift Covertan off the plants enhance cold protection. Note that some county ordinances may prohibit the use of sprinklers for frost or freeze protection, especially for strawberry growers (e.g., Plant City, FL; N CA). Even in well-established crops, the upper canopy of leaves can effectively protect the growing heart.
7. To ensure proper cold protection, acquire Covertan Crop Covers well before cold fronts or frosts. Early action is the best safeguard for your crops.
8. 3 nights of temps below 28F in FL in early Feb 2026 wiped out $1.5 billion in FL crops. In FL, Rain Flo, PA, provided 3.5 truckloads of Covertan to a SW Farm Operation, covering 400 acres of Zucchini and Bell Peppers. An estimated 150 acres of harvest-ready Zucchini were saved, or $3.75 million+ of revenue to this Grower Operation. All uncovered crops perished, including harvest-ready sweet corn, trellis cucumbers, tomatillos, aquash, and bell peppers.
9. We highly recommend that your Farm Operation invests in Covertan Crop covers. If you do not use these rolls, they can be stored for years, protected from the Sun.

01/27/2026

An important note about Covertan Crop Covers for Frost/Cold Protection:

Covering up before a frost, freeze, or cold front, please note:

1. Be aware that Radiation Frost occurs on a clear, calm night with little to no cloud cover. Some folks suggest a full moon increases frost risk, but the severity is actually driven by the absence of cloud cover, which allows surface heat to escape directly into space.
2. Advective frost occurs when strong, cold air masses move into a region, replacing warmer air and bringing freezing temperatures, often accompanied by wind.
3. Act immediately—improved weather forecasting gives at least 3 days’ warning before low temperatures hit.
4. Prepare Covertan at least 2 days early to build ground heat for cold protection. Do not wait until the last minute—covering right before sunset is rarely effective.
5. Choose thicker Covertan, like CP 30 or 40 gsm (.9 oz. or 1.2 oz), for the best cold protection—especially in advective cold air events. Leave it on during the day, or for weeks for continued protection; do not delay. This is a primary function for Growers using Covertan.
6. Keep in mind: support hoops or suspended ropes that keep the Covertan off the plants help provide cold protection. Local county ordinances may restrict growers from using water sprinklers for cold/frost/freeze protection, especially for Strawberry growers, i.e., Plant City, N CA.
7. To ensure you have adequate cold protection, please stock up on Covertan Crop Covers well before any expected cold fronts or frosts. Acting early is the best way to protect your crops.

01/21/2026

At Suntex, we use Vonage for our landline, but we receive too many spam calls, mostly from callers who say nothing. When we need to focus on work, we place a Do Not Disturb on our 1.941.706.0008 line. Dial my Cell at 1.941.270.0707 for a prompt reply.

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01/06/2026

Greenhouse Wind/Snow Load Ratings.

Extreme weather can wipe out a greenhouse investment within hours. Understanding wind and snow load ratings is vital to ensuring your greenhouse can withstand severe weather. When purchasing a new greenhouse, it is crucial to ask the supplier, "What is the certified wind load rating for this exact model?" This ensures that you have a clear understanding of the greenhouse's ability to endure weather challenges reliably.

Please note:

* Suntex Mainstay Greenhouses are available in four wind load ratings:
* 75 mph, 95 mph, 115 mph, and 135 mph.
* Greenhouses rated for 155 mph winds are available, but they are more expensive and require five-layer polycarbonate panels or impact glass secured on heavy-duty frames.

The minimum cost to build a greenhouse is approximately $5.00 per square foot. For example, a 2,880-square-foot structure would start at roughly $14,400. Costs increase when you hire a licensed, insured general contractor, especially if a building permit is required. If you obtain greenhouse insurance, you must also comply with the insurer’s terms and conditions for approval.

After construction, investing in plant cultivation typically adds another $5.00 per square foot. This cost may be higher depending on equipment such as fans, hydronics, heaters, evaporative coolers, seeds, transplants, benches, and air intake shutters.

In total, you may invest at least $10 per square foot to build and equip your greenhouse. However, severe weather events can still present a considerable risk to your investment.

Check with Suntex for options based on your budget; we recommend our 95 mph or 115 mph wind-load-rated greenhouse to secure your investment.

12/22/2025

Reviewing our 1.888.Suntex. 1 free phone number; as of 31 Dec 2025, this service is canceled. In the 90s and 2000s, this number was easy for our clients to use. Over the past year, only spam callers dial 1.888.Suntex.1; our regular clients and vendors dial +1.941.706.0008.

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11/17/2025

We are looking for ways to reduce the number of spam calls on our office lines. Some with caller IDs of companies we know, like Toyota of Bradenton, which do not belong to the Spam Caller.

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10/02/2025

To protect your accounts, especially bank accounts, from cybercriminals, it's essential to combine strong password practices with additional security measures such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) and constant vigilance against phishing attempts. Regularly updating your software and securing your network are also crucial steps.
Please ensure that the best Wi-Fi security and firewalls are installed on your computer network with the latest updates.

**Manage Your Account Access**

1. **Create Strong, Unique Passwords**: Use a different password for each account to prevent criminals from gaining access to all your accounts if one password is compromised. A strong password should be at least 15 characters long and include a mix of letters, numbers, and special characters.
2. **Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)**: Activate MFA for all accounts that offer it, especially for sensitive accounts such as banking, email, and social media. MFA adds an extra layer of security by requiring an additional verification step, like a code sent to your phone or generated by an authenticator app. Then this makes it significantly more difficult for criminals to gain access, even if they have your password.
3. **When processing ACH payments, it is essential to verify the account information, which includes the account number, routing number, account holder's name, and account type. First, ensure that you confirm ownership of the account. If you notice a bank name and account number that do not match those on the invoice from your verified recipient, contact your trusted recipient by phone to confirm that all information is accurate. Do not send ACH funds to a bank not listed on the invoice.
4.** When your recipient switches banks, it's essential to confirm over the phone that they have a new account. Refer to point 3 above for detailed information, and initiate trial deposits of less than $1.00. For example, send an ACH wire transfer of $0.85 to your verified recipient and ask them to confirm the exact amount of the microdeposit.
5. ** Knowledge-based authentication (KBA) involves confirming with the recipient to answer questions about their financial history or personal information that only the legitimate owner would know
6. **If you contact your website and email hosting server, and share your passwords with them to fix an issue, after matters get sorted out, change your Login ID and passwords immediately. Keep your encrypted passwords in a secure, well-protected file. In early 2025, we received an email and a phone call from a collections group in Iowa, requesting $325 to bury a fiber optic cable outside our premises. Frontier Communications completed the job free of charge in 2024. Former employees, such as those from India or the Philippines, who have had access to your account may be involved in these scams, fraudulent requests, or cybercrime activity.

09/23/2025

Five containers of Covertan Crop Covers are destined for Rain Flo Irrigation, East Earl, PA, and prepare a crate of Grower supplies for you. Order soon, fair pricing is in place.

09/05/2025

We have a new website hosting service for suntexcp.com. We are currently in the process of securing our website. Additionally, please email me at [email protected]. If you use [email protected] or [email protected], please update to [email protected] until we configure our email servers. Our old hosting company, which we've used since 1997, is closing, so we had to switch to Network Solutions. [email protected] works well. We appreciate your patience until we migrate everything over.

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07/15/2025

Since 1997, French and German-made Covertan Crop Covers have been an American Favorite, providing reliable protection for efficient USA-grown produce. With a 10% tariff rate implemented, that is acceptable. However, if 20, 30, or 35% tariffs are applied, then it will likely cause frustration with our growers.
The 30% tariff on European goods threatened by the US Government would, if implemented, be a game-changer for Europe, wiping out whole chunks of transatlantic commerce and forcing a rethink of its export-led economic model.

European ministers meeting in Brussels on Monday expressed confidence that they can bring the US Government back from the brink before the August 1 deadline and reach a deal that would maintain the integrity of the $1.7 trillion two-way trading relationship.

However, the unpredictable nature of the USA's leaders' attitude towards the European Union—one day labeling it friendly and the next accusing it of being designed to undermine the United States—keeps the 30% tariff threat very much alive for now.

To make it fair, and for all of us to win, with 17,000 tariff codes, some should be 0 %, like Covertan, and others should be 10 % like cars and machinery; and perhaps over 30 % for pharmaceuticals, and expensive brand household goods, like clothing, bags, purses, and perfumes. A pair of Levi jeans in the US is around $40; however, in the EU, they are $98.

"It will be nearly impossible to continue trading as we have in the past in our transatlantic relationship," said EU trade chief Maros Sefcovic, before meeting with ministers and officials from the 27 EU capitals to provide them with an update.

02/26/2025

The price at the gas pumps is slightly down; however, our Greenhouse member frames made from Gatorshield Tubing pricing will rise in March and is expected to increase again in April. $150/ton increase for our in-line galvanized tube for all shipments on or after March 1st. We will update our cost and pricing for product shipments after this date.

Please get in touch with our inside sales for any updates to pricing.

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