I use tulle, which is cheap and easily found at any fabric store. It lets a lot of light in and keeps out the insects. The holes between the threads is still a little large but if you do two layers you should keep little insects away too.

I usually just drape it over my plants and weight it down with rocks but I'm sure someone here can suggest something more sophisticated.

I buy medium weight covers in 5 foot and 10 foot widths. They are reusable many times (sometimes I'll use a clothespin to close a hole), work for both insect exclusion and frost protection (sometimes I double them), and I lay them directly over the plants--no hoops. Deer and rabbits don't get into them, but then I don't have them in my garden much during the growing season. (I have one wire about 3 feet high that I bait when I see sign in the yard).

Row covers are handier than a pocket on a shirt and I wonder how I ever gardened without them.

I'm going to use the Agribon AG19 from Johnny's Seeds. The price is right - $55 including shipping for 83" x 250' roll. Frost protection to 28 degrees, 85% light transmission.

When I was younger, we used Reemay to cover tobacco seedlings. It generally lasted 2-3 years (~3 months exposure per year but part of that was laying on the ground until the plants were large enough to hold it up).

Mike

Thanks for sharing, guys! (Gals, of course are covered under 'guys' in my personal speak!)This is all good stuff!

Laceyvail, I'm curious, when you say a wire that you bait, are you talking about an electric fence? Because that's on our agenda too, and I wonder what you mean when you say you bait it. I'll also have to check out my Johnny's catalog again, I forgot to when I was looking at prices earlier.

I hope some of the hoop users/makers chime in too! :)

I use the Agrigon AG-19 from Veseys. This year I am ordering the 12' x 50' for my 4' x 20' beds. A few points to consider:

1. You get what you pay for. If you want more than one season, durability (look at the AG-30 or their reinforced covers).

2. You can fashion any type of support or simply lay the material over the beds. If using drip irrigation, put it in place before transplanting or seeding so the emitters can be used for spacing. (Mine are 9" or 18" spacing; or single line with emitter for larger plants or vines.)

3. Small holes can be patched.

4. Put the cover in place when you seed or transplant. A cursory cultivation of the beds may detect any overwintered larvae.

5. The best protection is offered when the edges are buried at least an inch. I use old pipe (metal or plastic) or lathing.

6. If prone to or expecting high winds you can net them down.

7. Recover and clean the material after harvest. I use a front-load machine on gentle cycle. Fold and store for next year.

8. Prime coverage is the brassicas. No moths, no worms.

9. Juvenile transplants like peppers, tomatoes, vines or even greens enjoy the insulation early in the season. Particularly the vines until established with runners taking off.

10. Pick a cloudy day, after noon to lift covers for weeding. A good layer of straw mulch can reduce the weeds and hold moisture.

11. Hand pollination for seed selected heirloom plants that you isolate with covers.

12. On very warm days you may wish to open the ends for ventilation. Remember to close after supper.

Good luck.

ps - Google Agribon for local sources.

Sunnibel, yes, I meant to say "electric wire." I bait it with peanut butter smeared on a small piece of heavy tin foil and attached to the fence with a clothespin.

Check out Morgan County Seeds for some of the best prices.

I bought a 83 by 1,000 foot roll for $109 plus $19 shipping.

As far as storage, I crochet it together. Here is a picture of electric cords done this way.

It is a real easy way to store them. When I am ready to use them again. I give one end to someone to hold and then just walk down the row and it just pulls out to unwind.

Jay

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:118527}}

Jay,

Great prices at Morgan County! I can get the 30wt for the same cost as the 19 at Johnny Seeds.

The old crochet method - that's how we did tobacco canvas. Bring back memories!

Mike

Woot! Information trove! Thanks, all! Jay, I saw in another somewhat similar thread about your conduit bender, do you have any thoughts on if the stuff could be bent to have longer "legs" to make the hoops taller? I mean rather than bending a shorter section to make a perfect half-circle you would bend a longer section to make more like a croquet wicket. Actually, since many seem to drape the fabric right on the plants, I am wondering what the benefit of hoops is.

And I really do thank all of you, all this info is going to pull together to help make my dream of supplying our restaurant with local, possibly organic (certainly as close as I can manage), produce happen!

Cheers!

Sunni

what is the use of row covers anyway? I have them but use them little. If I want warmth, I quickly put up a hoophouse, if I want insect defense I prefer tulle, which is lighter. There must be some particular applications where you want both. What are those?

glib,

In my case, to have nearly 1000 square feet of garden area covered so transplanted seedlings can survive in sub-freezing temps. Gives me a week or two head start on getting toms available to Farmers Markets. Some to them have 300-400 visitors per week. If I can sell each of them a pound of juicy, ripe tomatoes, I can make a bit of money.

Mike

I use row cover to keep down wind damage without having to put up a hoop house. It doesn't really get cold enough down here to bother with plastic. Also mites ride the wind and cause damage to plants. Tulle won't keep them out but even the insect cloth will. There's a place for most of the common garden tools but use is a personal preference or climate dependent.

Man, if I had known row covers would help with mites, I would have had them at the old house! I did not see much sign of them here this summer, so maybe that's one I won't have to worry about.

Glib, I think I'm using the term "row cover" more generally than you; your tulle and hoop house probably would both come under my idea of "row cover". I have never yet put any sort of barrier over my veggie plants, but it has become clear that I must. Especially if I wish to work in a larger scale, to help cut down on work (like constantly picking off looper and eggs from cabbage).

I think maybe in the spring a floating row cover might be a good idea, maybe a little extra heat, but also to help keep the birds from destroying tender seedlings.

just thought i could add that an easy way to repair tears and or holes in your row cover is with a office stapler.....a needle and thread just is too time consuming and i just don't have enough cloths pegs. I salvaged a coil of very heavy wire that was intended for along the bottom or top of chainlink fence, it is almost 3/8 of an inch thick and is almost spring steel cut about 6 feet long it has made great hoops.

I wouldn't use a stapler as wind or pulling could pull the staple out and it could fall into a cabbage and get eaten. I'd use a hot glue gun instead. Buying more cloths pins is probably cheaper than stomach surgery.

yes i suppose an used office stapple could pull out of both sides of the fabric and fall in a cabbage, gee never though of that risk...what if someone injested a glob of used hotglue,,,always something to consider and improve on.....by the time my cabbage are heading up the fabric is off.... the garden i am tending is about five acres, the size makes for some logistic problems,(long extension cord),, seldom is worth mending the row covers, only use it for frost protection, and getting an early start with some crops, as it is pretty hard to get it bug proof in my experience. Also keeps the birds from pulling up those early corn plantings.

I carry fabric to the outlet and apply by scrubbing, not blobbing, so you'd have to gnaw the fabric to get a feed of glue. Ymmv.

Anyway clothes pins are cheap, 3 to 4 bucks for 50 and you can probably find them for less if you look. Or maybe a staple would pass without catching, who knows?

You could also use any permanent glue that does not require electricity to apply and hold it shut with a clothes pin till it dries. Liquid Nails is tough, cheap, comes in different sizes and does not require an extention cord to apply. Don't eat it though. It may be harmful if swallowed.