Floating Row Covers

We garden year round, much to the surprise of many of our farmers market customers. Many people assume we grow in greenhouses, but this is not the case. Instead, we use floating row covers.
Floating row covers protect the garden from frost, wind, bugs and birds. They allow us to garden year-round and increase yields without the use of chemical fertilizers or pesticides.
What is this miracle product? It is a light-weight, spun-bonded polypropylene fabric that is water-permeable. The term “floating” refers to the fact that it can be laid directly over the plants, as opposed to heavier plastic row covers that are placed on frames. However, we have found better success stretching the covers over wire hoops placed in the soil. The fabric is anchored along the sides of the bed and at each end with rocks. During the winter, a double layer of fabric has protected our crops from freezing down to 5º F.
The covers capture heat, allowing us to plant earlier and harvest later. They conserve water by reducing evaporation. Because they allow 85% light transmittance, they do provide some relief from our harsh summer sun.
The fabric also offers protection from most birds (quail have crawled beneath our covers for an early spring pea feast) and insects. We do have problems with aphid infestations beneath the fabric, and we gather ladybug larvae from exposed plants and transplant them to the infested crops to control the aphids. In addition, crops that require insect pollination must be uncovered once they grow beyond the seedling stage.
We use Agribon+ AG-19 floating row cover. It is available from Johnny’s Selected Seeds (Johnnyseeds.com or 800-854-2580) and Peaceful Valley Farm and Garden Supply (GrowOrganic.com or 888-784-1722). Both companies offer a variety of widths and lengths.