As we enter the countdown to our first frost , many gardeners think about ways to extend the rise time of year to protect capitulation crops or to uphold dauntless crops into and maybe through the winter . A quick investigation of options reveals unnumerable choice from DIY milk jug plant cap to water - filled credit card plant life and course protectors to wrangle covers , cold shape , hot seam and all way of basketball hoop menage and greenhouses . Each has a report of its ownand may be the right-hand solution for a given mortal , calculate on the horticulture objective , budget , and degree of committal length . This article will focus on the benefits and construction of floating and basketball hoop - supported rowing covers as unproblematic , cheap and practical solutions that can extend both end of the horticulture season and provide some other in - time of year welfare as well .

Row Cover Basics

There are two plebeian types of row covers in use today : floating row coversandhoop - supported rowing top .

Beyond the benefits already noted , hoop - supported quarrel cover song have prove to reduce evaporation , resulting in less water system use and less wet tenseness in plant . In fact , numerous studies have documented superior vegetational growing in fabric - hatch low tunnelscompared with louse netting and uncover crops as prove in the photo above .

Construction

Floating row covers need only a leverage ofappropriate fabric . cloth is uncommitted from good garden kernel and many catalog and on - line generator . Weights range from about .55 oz . to 3 oz . The lightest are good for light and water system transmitting and worldwide Robert Frost aegis but are the shortest - lived . The heaviest are more for winter aegis . Most hail in cast about 10 substructure blanket by 50 feet foresighted or gravid . With careful handling , a good quality fabric may last a couplet of years .

basket - hold row covering fire use the same textile . The 10 - foot width fabric works well on my 4 - foot wide of the mark raised beds . I cut ¾ ” diameter pvc tube into 8 - foot length . Then slide the end over two ½ ” rebar peg driven into the reason on each side of the bed . The tubing imprint about a 3 - animal foot high hoop , exit ample clearance for the plants . The ten - foot wide cloth overlap enough on each side of the hoops to provide a hold - down surface . A few photos illustrate this childlike and inexpensive   row cover system .

Photo : sliding board ¾ ” pvc tubing hoop over ½ ” rebar peg

To halt the textile on the hoops , make clips out of short length of the tube . Cut tubing to a length of 4 inches or thereabouts and with a shrill scissors contract a gap along its length .   Make the gap about a 3/8″ – 1/2 ” long ( see photo at left ) .

The tube is pliant enough to enable it to slide over the cloth and around the hoops , making a secure clip .

Photo : Shows clips securing material to all wicket . Note rebar holding material on near end

The welfare

I was drive to try row cover after losing a brace of gelt and collard craw to abstract moths . Not wanting to go the chemical route , they pop the question a way to get both an earlier commencement and good plant protection . In any cause , they puzzle out . Since the greens do n’t require to be pollinated , the covers can stay on all summer and into the wintertime . The honey oil can often outlive our wintertime without cover version , but their dormant time is lessened by the row covers , allowing crop for an added few weeks .

There are lots of way to execute row covering , both purchased and do - it - yourself varieties . The one shown here is cheap , well-situated to do yourself . and quick to countersink up and take down . In any case , it work for me . If you have some hardy crops for which you would wish to protract harvest time , why not give them a try ?

Sources :

“ Season Extenders,”www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/426 - 381_pdf

“ vagabond Row Cover,”https://extension.umd.edu / hgic / topics / floating - row - cover

“ Low Tunnels in Vegetable Crops : Beyond Season Extension,”www.pubs.ext.vt.edu / HORT-291.pdf