Row cover
In agriculture and gardening, row cover is any transparent or semi-transparent, flexible material, like fabric or plastic sheeting, used as a protective covering to shield plants, usually vegetables, primarily from the undesirable effects of cold and wind, and also from insect damage.[1]
Contents
Material
Commercially available row cover is usually a lightweight synthetic, such as clear plastic (polyethylene) or spunbonded polyester. It is placed directly above rows of crops on a supporting framework—often, on wire hoops to form a low tunnel—and usually left in place for several weeks until crops are well-established.[1]
Floating row cover is extremely lightweight row cover fabric that can be placed directly over plants, without need for a supporting framework, instead being simply anchored to the ground against wind.[1]
Another form of light weight row cover is made from High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) and is a knitted fabric. It is strong and the manufacturer claims a life of 8 years. It is designed with a low shading effect (16%) and allows natural air flow and rain and water penetration. It also protects from light frosts, strong winds and hail. It is used on low tunnels. It comes in a variety of widths and lengths.[citation needed]
A protective tunnel formed with row cover is sometimes called a cloche,[2] although a cloche, or bell jar, commonly refers to a distinct type of protective covering, made of glass or plastic, usually placed over individual plants. No longer in general use, a type of cloche employed in Europe involved panes of glass attached with wire to form continuous tunnels to protect rows of crops.[3]
See also
References
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- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. Article marked reviewed by publisher in 2012.
- ↑ There is some usage of the term cloche to include row cover tunnels, or other season extension covering (as in this somewhat ambiguous Rodale gardening encyclopedia definition)
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
