floating row cover - an organic gardening tool that improves plant growth & excludes pests - part 2;...

7/26/2019 Floating Row Cover - An Organic Gardening Tool that Improves Plant Growth & Excludes Pests - Part 2; Gardening

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Floa ng row cover (FRC) is a white, light-weight, non-woven fabric made from spun-bonded polyester orpolypropylene. It has a gauze-like appearance and

resembles interfacing material used in sewing. Vegetablefarmers and gardeners drape it over and enclose plants-- individuals, rows, or groups -- and secure it to theground with sod pins, boards, bricks, sand bags, rocks, orsoil. The cover oats directly on top of the crop. Thegrowing plants push the cover up, if you give it enoughslack. Alterna vely, you can erect simple frames tosupport FRC above your plants. Air, sunlight, and watercan penetrate the material.

Why use it?

1. Frost protec on in the spring and fall due toincreased temperature under the cover.

2. More rapid plant establishment and growth in thespring and fall due to increased temperature andhumidity under the cover.

3. Creates a shield around your plants keepinginsects, rabbits, deer, birds, and groundhogs fromfeeding on your plants.

4. Rela vely inexpensive at 2.5 to 4 cents/sq. . Canbe re-used two to three years.

What kind of row cover should I buy?Floa ng row cover is available in many widths, lengths,and weights:

Light-weight FRCs (around .5 oz./sq. yard) aremarketed as insect barriers, have 90%-95% lighttransmi ance, 2 -6F. of frost protec on, and canbe le on many crops (e.g., beets, snap beans,salad greens) from seeding to harvest.

Heavy-weight FRCs (1.5-2.2 oz./sq. yd.) are usually

Floating Row Cover: An organic gardeningtool that improves plant growth and excludes pests

GE 0042014

For more information on this and other topics visit the University of Maryland Extension website at www.extension.umd.edu

Closeup of light and heavy weight oa ng row covers

Clo seup of oa ng row cover

used to extend the growing season in spring andfall, allow 50%-70% light transmi ance, and 4 -10 F. of frost protec on.

FRC can be purchased through mail order seed andgarden supply companies and at some local gardencenters. Some brand names are Remay and Agribon.
http://extension.umd.edu/http://extension.umd.edu/growithttp://extension.umd.edu/


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Conduc ng an internet search on oa ng row coverwill yield many suppliers. FRC can be most easily cut tosize using sharp scissors.

How do I use it?

FRC can be draped directly over plants and heldto the ground with rocks, boards, bricks, or sodpins. Leave enough slack in the row cover so thatgrowing plants can push it up. This works well forsingle rows of plants (e.g., broccoli) or wide rowsor beds (e.g., le uce, spinach, Asian greens).

Build a re-usable frame from wood, pvc pipe, #9wire, or other available materials to support FRC.This works well for single rows of tomato, pepper,and eggplant.

Below is a brief guide for using FRC with speci cvegetable crops:

Group 1- tomato, pepper, eggplant.

These upright plants require some type of frame toraise the cover above the plants (see Two Frames forSuppor ng FRC below). Cover these warm-season

crops as soon as they are transplanted. Remove thecover when plants begin to ower. You could also simplydrape the row cover directly over the plants withoutany frame. Just leave enough slack for the plants to

grow up and remove the cover when its me to cageor stake your tomato plants. FRC will speed the growthof these plants and protect from damaging ea beetles,cutworms, Colorado potato beetle, and aphids in thespring.

Large quan es come on a bolt; cut to size with scissors. Smallquan es can some mes be found in retail stores

Fall greens under FRC

Nice low tunnel at a Kent Co. school garden protec ng springcrops

Pepper and eggplant ge ng a fast, protected start under FRC


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Group 2- summer and winter squash, cucumber,pumpkin, watermelon, muskmelon/cantaloupe,lima bean

Cover these warm-season crops as soon as they areplanted or transplanted. FRC must be removed oncethey start to ower because these plants requireinsects to pollinate owers and produce fruits. Somegardeners remove the covers from 8am-noon each daywhen owering begins and bees are ac ve, and placethe covers back on a er noon. FRC will speed growthand protect plants from cucumber beetle, squash bug,squash vine borer, squash beetle, and aphids

Group 3- le uce, spinach, arugula, radish,carrot, Asian greens, radish, broccoli, cabbage,

cauli ower, snap beanLeave FRC on these cool-season crops March-May andmid-September-Thanksgiving. FRC can be used oversalad greens from plan ng through harvest. Checktemperatures under the covers if these crops aregrowing from mid-June-August. FRC signi cantly speedsthe growth and increases the produc vity of thesecrops. It also excludes bunnies, cabbageworm, aphids,harlequin bug, and Mexican bean beetle.

Protec ng eggplant under a frame

The owers and fruits of bean, tomato, andpepper will abort to some degree when day metemperatures top 90 F. because temperaturesunder the cover may be 5-15 higher. Reducingthe air movement needed for pollina on mayalso contribute to reduced fruit set. Diseaseproblems may be worse under FRC le inplace through the summer months because ofincreased humidity and reduced air movement.Remove FRC from these crops when they start to

ower.

Group 4- mustard, kale, collard, Swiss chard, beet,potato, pole bean

Cover these crops as soon as they are planted ortransplanted. FRC gets these crops o to a strong startand protects against frost and various insects. FRC canbecome di cult to use when these crops get tall. Also,many of these crops grow through the ho est part ofthe growing season and it may be necessary to removethe covers by mid-June to prevent heat build-up anddisease problems.

Mature le uce pushing up FRC

Le uce over-wintering under FRC

Spring greens under FRC


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Group 5- strawberry

FRC must be removed once plants start to owerbecause strawberry requires insects to pollinate owersand produce fruits. Covering plants in late fall throughbloom me will help protect crowns from damagingwinter wealth and hasten growth in the spring.

Maintenance- water, weed, and harvest

Weeds grow faster under FRC. Be prepared to pull FRCback to hand-pull or hoe out weeds. Or lay down anorganic mulch (e.g., sec ons of newspaper covered withlast falls shredded leaves) before installing FRC. Youcan water your plants through FRC if its laid directly onthe crop. If using a frame to support FRC, it s be er toli it to water around plants or use drip irriga on or asoaker hose. Simply li the cover back to harvest andreplace the cover to con nue protec ng your plants. Tore-use FRC next year store it indoors in plas c bags orcontainers. Mice will nest in stored FRC if le in a shed,

barn, or garage.

Disadvantages of FRC

Pest insects can become trapped under FRC,especially aphid, white y, mites, and thrips. Peststhat overwinter in the soil near host plants couldemerge the following spring under the cover(e.g., root maggots, ea beetle , Colorado potatobeetle).

Can abrade and injure stems and foliage duringwindy weather.

Di cult to use on tall plants.

Temperature under FRC can increase drama cally(5-15F.) above outside temperature.

Must be removed from members of the squashfamily when plants ower.

Two tall frames for suppor ng FRC

For a plan ng bed: 2 wide x 18 long (42 to top of hoops)

Drive the rebar 10-12 into the ground,leaving about 14above ground

Sliding the pvc downover the rebar

1: PVC low tunnel

Hammer ten, 2 . long pieces of 3/8 in. rebar, 10 inchesinto the ground along each side of the plan ng row. The ve sets of rebar are there to support ve pvcbows. To give the rst and last plants a li le extra roomadd one foot to each end of the low tunnel. This gives a5- . space between the 1st and 2nd bows and the 4th


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Have a home pest or garden question?

Call the Home and Garden InformationCenter

1-800-342-2507

extension.umd.edu/hgic

extension.umd.edu/growit

Author: Jon Traunfeld, Univerisity of Maryland Extension Specialist, Home and GardenInformation Center

This publication is a series of publications of the University of Maryland Extension and The Home and Garden Information Center. For more information on relatedpublications and programs, http://extension.umd.edu/hgic. Please visit http://extension.umd.edu/ to nd out more about Extension programs in Maryland.Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, University of Maryland, College Park, and local governments. Cheng-i Wei, Director of University of Maryland Exten-sion. The University of Maryland is equal opportunity. The Universitys policies, programs, and activities are in conformance with pertinent Federal and State laws and regulations on nondiscrimination regarding race, color, religion, age, national origin, gender,sexual orientation, marital or parental status, or disability. Inquiries regarding compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Title IX of the Educational Amendments; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; and the Americans WithDisabilities Act of 1990; or related legal requirements should be directed to the Director of Human Resources Management, Office of the Dean, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Symons Hall, College Park, MD 20742.

For more information on this and other topics visit the University of Maryland Extension website at www.extension.umd.edu

and 5th bows, and 4- . spacing between the 2nd and3rd, and 3rd and 4th bows. Cut ten, 10 . long pieces of1/2 in. pvc water pipe into 8 . long pieces and insertthem over the rebar to make ve bows.

Connect the bows at the top with stretchy clotheslineand along each side with some nylon twine. Drive onestake next to each tomato or pepper plant for supportand cover the tops with duct tape to prevent tearing ofthe row cover. The stakes should be no more than 40 in.above ground level. Cut and drape a piece of 22 . longX 10 . wide row cover over the frame, and secure it tothe ground with sod pins.

2: A-frame

For a raised bed: 3 wide x 8 long x 4 high

support for the FRC. Cut a 12 x 10 piece of FRC anddrape it over the top wire and pull the excess fabricaround to close o the ends. The top of the wire is 4 .from the ground so you can drive plant support stakesnext to each plant directly below the FRC. Secure theFRC with sod pins or boards.

You can alter dimensions and construc on techniquesto suit your situa on. Cut costs by reusing and recyclingmaterials around your home. The useful life of pvc pipeand rebar is at least 10 years. Row covers will need to bereplaced every 2 -3 years. We will update this fact sheetperiodically with new informa on. Send us photos anddescrip ons of your FRC techniques and experiences [email protected].

References:

Row Covers for Vegetable Gardens, Washington State U .

Row Covers for Tomatoes, Iowa State U .

Row Covers, Kentucky State U. Season Extension Techniques for Market Gardeners,ATTRA

Drive a 6 . metal fence post 2 into the ground at eitherend of the raised bed and connect the posts with apiece of wire. (We used 17 gauge electric fence wire.)

Fasten pieces of wire from the top of each post to thecorners of the raised bed to create the A and provide
http://extension.umd.edu/hgichttp://extension.umd.edu/growithttp://county.wsu.edu/king/gardening/mg/factsheets/Fact%20Sheets/Row%20Covers%20for%20Vegetable%20Gardens.pdfhttp://www.public.iastate.edu/~taber/Extension/tomatoes/Row%20covers%20for%20tomatoes.pdfhttp://organic.kysu.edu/Row%20covers.pdfhttps://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=366https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=366https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=366https://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/summaries/summary.php?pub=366http://organic.kysu.edu/Row%20covers.pdfhttp://www.public.iastate.edu/~taber/Extension/tomatoes/Row%20covers%20for%20tomatoes.pdfhttp://county.wsu.edu/king/gardening/mg/factsheets/Fact%20Sheets/Row%20Covers%20for%20Vegetable%20Gardens.pdfhttp://extension.umd.edu/growithttp://extension.umd.edu/hgic

floating row cover - an organic gardening tool that improves plant growth & excludes pests - part 2;...

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