Practice

Row Cover

Also known as: floating row cover, Reemay, spunbond fabric

A lightweight spun-bond polyester or polypropylene fabric laid directly on plants or over hoops to provide frost protection, insect exclusion, and wind shelter. The cheapest, simplest, most versatile season-extension tool. Provides 2–4°F of frost protection at lightweight grades, 6–10°F at heavyweight grades. Excludes most flying-insect pests when fully sealed at the edges. The first season-extension purchase most home gardeners make.

Floating row cover is the most useful $30 you can spend on a garden. The fabric is light enough to lay directly on growing plants (they push it up as they grow), porous to rain and air, and translucent to most light. It provides multiple benefits at once.

What it does

Frost protection — 2–4°F at lightweight (0.5 oz/sq yd), 6–10°F at heavyweight (1.5–2.0 oz/sq yd)
Insect exclusion — when sealed at edges, excludes flea beetles, cabbage moths, cucumber beetles, squash bugs, leafminers, carrot rust flies
Wind protection — substantial; many tender plants suffer more from wind than from cold
Bird and small-animal exclusion — keeps birds off newly seeded beds; deters some browsing
Shade and heat-stress reduction — lightweight covers also reduce 10–20% of solar load

Grades

Lightweight (Reemay 0.5 oz) — summer insect exclusion, light shade, minimal frost protection
Medium (Agribon AG-19, ~0.55 oz) — the workhorse; insect exclusion plus light frost protection
Heavyweight (Agribon AG-30, ~0.9 oz) — significant frost protection, less light transmission
Extra-heavy (Agribon AG-50+) — substantial frost protection (~10°F), much less light; for winter use under low tunnels

Most home gardeners want one mid-weight cover for general use, with a heavier piece for fall and spring frost defense.

Use patterns

Direct on plants — for crops that don’t mind contact (brassicas, lettuce, root crops). Push the cover up as they grow.
Over hoops as low tunnel — for taller crops (tomatoes, peppers, beans) and for season-extension structures.
Edges sealed with soil, rocks, or pins — non-negotiable for insect exclusion; recommended for frost protection.

When to remove

Pollinator-dependent crops (cucumbers, squash, melons): remove or open at flowering, otherwise no fruit set. Or use hand pollination under cover.
Self-pollinating crops (tomatoes, peppers, beans, brassicas, root crops): can stay covered through the season if desired.
Hot weather: lighter covers usually fine; heavier covers can cause heat stress in summer.

Life of the fabric

A row cover handled carefully (folded rather than balled, stored dry, kept out of UV when not in use) lasts 3–5 seasons. Mistakes shorten this; the fabric is durable but not indestructible.

Sources

Eliot Coleman, Four-Season Harvest — original row-cover protocols
Reemay/Agribon product technical data — fabric weights and thermal properties

Rooted in life.

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