Sami Grover
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From building a DIY greenhouse to constructing a movable cold frame, the idea of extending your growing season by providing tender crops with extra warmth and frost protection is an attractive one. But sometimes even these simple solutions are overkill—semi-hardy plants like lettuce can gain an awful lot from a single layer of floating row cover.
Sometimes referred to as a frost blanket, floating row cover is usually constructed from an ultra-thin layer of spunbonded polyester. (Not the greenest material out there, I'll admit). It lets light through, it's permeable to rain, and it's breathable, and yet it provides a degree of protection from frost, and a slightly warmer micro-climate for plants to thrive. It is usually simply layed over a crop, with pegs in the corner to hold it down, but you can also lay it over a frame if you are concerned about weighing plants down.
According to gardening.com, floating row cover will offer 2-4 degrees of frost protection in the spring and a bit more in the fall, because the soil is warmer. On unexpectedly cold nights, you can always double-up your layers for a little added protection.
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The cost is negligable—I purchased two sheets of 4ft x 10ft row cover this spring for around $7 each, and with due care they should last me a number of growing seasons. And having laid it down in mid October, I can say my lettuce is thriving under the cover (pictured), compared to another planting nearby that hasn't been protected. And if you don't want to buy synthetic products, old blankets protect from frost too.
Now I just need to find the time to build the cold frame I've been planning.
Related Links
Build a Greenhouse Without Going Broke
Should You Buy a Greenhouse?
Build a Movable Cold Frame
Salivating over sustainable eats? Learn how to make your own with help from Emeril Lagasse in Planet Green TV's organic cooking show, Emeril Green.
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