Winter Planting -Row & Pot Cover Advantages
A great way to extend and support our winter crops is with row covers on in ground or raised bed and pot covers on large pots, these can stay in place all winter long and you can pull them back to harvest from underneath some cool crop varieties.
Advantages:
Provides warmth to plants, trapping heat underneath the cover, right where plants need it, increasing resilience & growth.
frost protection down to 20°F to -6 to -10 C depending on cover thickness and material.
Increases humidity near plants.
Protects from heavy frosts, snows & high winds.
Excludes pests from eating winter harvest.
Still allows rain and irrigation through to the soil.
Protects from sun scald or intense sunlight.
Can be draped directly over a bed known as ‘floating row cover’ for low-growing crops like lettuces or spinach.
Can also be draped over hoops like a low tunnel for taller crops like kale, chard, or brussel sprouts, broccoli etc.
For pot covers can be fabric or use containers from house with ventilation holes or halves of old bottles etc.
Row covers or ‘plant blankets’ are primarily made of lightweight and breathable garden fabric or mesh but some covers are made out of thicker material. They can be use on your vegetables, fruits, shrubs, bushes, or citrus trees etc. Anything you are wanting further protection from elements for.
*NOTE—make sure as seen here, if using covers that they are secured from the wind and held down with weight. Avoid using anything that pierces the fabric like pins etc as it can rip the fabric easily in elements.
