Row covers are a matter of choice for gardeners. Some love
them. Others hate them. If larger and more earlier yields
of veggies is a goal then row covers are an excellent
choice.
Row covers come in a wide variety of materials and can be
used as tunnels supported by hoops or as floating covers
which just lie gently on the growing plants.
The lightweight covers are used for keeping insect pests
away from your plants while the heavier ones are used for
frost protection in both the spring and fall.
Whether used with hoops or free floating the edges of the
covers need to be weighted down to prevent them from blowing
away in the wind and to prevent insect pests from getting
under the covers. Weigh the edges down with rocks, bricks,
or anything handy. A row of soil placed on top of the edges
is an excellent and simple method.
Although studies show that most plants do best with hooped
covers there are three plants that require hoops. Tomatoes,
peppers and squash grow large and fast. These plants do
best with hooped covers because the constant rubbing of the
cover on the plants can damage the growing points and break
the large leaves.
Added benefits of using row covers include:
Earlier and larger yields. Plants produce 1 to 3 weeks
earlier than without row covers.
Frost protection of 4 to 7 degrees. Especially in the fall
when the soil is much warmer than it is in the spring. Just
one layer of row cover gives the added protection of moving
the garden by one USDA growing zone.
Pest protection as long as the edges remain weighted down or
buried.
Moisture Retention. The soil doesn’t dry out as fast under
the row covers as the temperature isn’t as high as without
the cover, and water under the row cover condenses and
returns to the plants and soil.
Wind damage. Plants under row covers suffer less from high
winds.
For more information on gardening with row covers visit:
http://www.apluswriting.net/garden/rowcover.htm
Copyright: 2006 Marilyn Pokorney
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