Friday, June 5, 2009

Row covers on plants


Row covers on plants
Originally uploaded by rarichard
I bought these floating row covers for the garden for whenever the plants need some extra heat. I was using my little 3x4 cold frame some nights to protect some plants, but this you just toss on over everything.

It's a woven fabric that is kind of papery but pretty tough. There are so lightweight that they just "float" on the plants and the plants just keep on growing up. They let through 90% or so of light.

The main purpose of these is to retain heat -- they protect down to 28 degrees Fahrenheit, in theory. I'm covering up the plants at night right now since we keep have these lows in the 40s. Once it starts getting warmer at night I'll leave them alone. Today I actually left them on all day. Under the row covers was usually 8 degrees or so warmer than outside the greenhouse. Right now at 9:30 pm it's only 4 degrees warmer that outside -- I kind of would have liked if it kept it warmer than that since I have both a greenhouse AND row covers. But I'll take what I can get.

3 comments:

  1. Nice blog Rachel!! I want some of this floating row cover. I learned about it in my gardening class and haven't found it at a nursery yet. I think I have to go to the feed and seed spot out near Sauvie to get it. Do you remember how much you paid roughly a yard?

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  2. It was 16 dollars for a ton of it (83"x50'). I got it at johnnyseeds.com -- I believe I bought this http://www.johnnyseeds.com/catalog/product.aspx?category=292&subcategory=622&item=9029

    I just need some easy way to stick it over the plants at night, it's a little awkward reaching over all the plants to put it on top...

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  3. Maybe you can weight the ends of it somehow? I love that it let's 90% of the sunlight in. I think we're far enough along at this point and warm enough that I don't need it but next year I think I'll use that instead of hooping up the veggies. The hoop would be great if I had irrigation but during the day everything dried out to the point of really stressing some of the plants more than was beneficial a few times. I think the row cover would be the best of both worlds -- keep the plants slightly warmer, protect from some critters, but breathe during the day when the sun is out...

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