Floating Row Covers: Plant Protection

Row covers on raised beds
Row covers offer protection to newly seeded raised beds

Floating row covers are manufactured from light-weight spun poly cloth and are laid loosely over crops. A floating row duvet will offer protection to crops from frost harm to twenty-eight°F.

Row covers transmit as much as 85 p.c of to be had daylight and are permeable to air and water. Daylight and climate will weaken the fibers in spun poly row covers, so that they will have to get replaced each and every 12 months if they’re used each in the beginning and finish of the season.

Beneath a poly row duvet the temperature will probably be about 10 levels hotter than the outdoor at night time and about 5 levels hotter all through the day.

There are a number of product names for row duvet subject matter together with Reemay, which is spun bonded polyester; Agryl, which is spun bonded polypropylene; and Argonet, which is a mesh of polypropylene and nylon.

Row cover draped over a frame
Row duvet draped over hoops to give protection to younger crops in spring.

Table of Contents

Advantages of Row Covers

  • Row covers will pace the expansion of younger crops early within the season. They don’t heat the soil however they strengthen the rising atmosphere for seedlings. Your harvest will have to come 1 to two weeks previous.
  • Sluggish evaporation of moisture from the soil. Give protection to crops from harsh daylight.
  • Give protection to crops from robust wind and heavy rain.
  • Stay pests off of crops.
  • Give protection to overdue season vegetation from frost, extending the season. (Row covers can contact plant leaves and not using a harm, however row covers will have to now not lie without delay on fruit corresponding to tomatoes or peppers—the material will transmit the outdoor chilly to the fruit tissue inflicting harm.)
Row covers on bed
Masking subject matter unfold at the flooring protects the shoots from frosts

Putting in Row Covers

  • Lower the material to the period and width of the world you need to give protection to. The material is definitely reduce with lawn scissors.
  • Drape the material loosely over the crops or rows of crops; early within the season the material will go with the flow up as crops develop. Past due within the season you’ll be able to drape cloth over wood or PVC frames to stay the material from touching culmination.
  • Stay the material in position through retaining down edges with U-shaped lawn staples or through weighing down the material with stones, bricks, forums, or soil.

Additionally of pastime:

Plastic Tunnels for Rising Greens

Creating a Chilly Body

Learn how to Get ready a Wintry weather Vegetable Lawn

(Make sure you see extra guidelines, click on right here for Season Extension articles.)

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