we love/hate row cover!!!

This little piece (or not so little piece) of fabric, I believe, is a major key to successful organic gardening. Plants are transplanted from the greenhouse into the garden and then this "row cover" is placed on top until the plant produces a flower. In the case of plants that don't  flower (as in root crops or lettuce) the row cover is left on until harvest. 

I must admit, it is difficult for me to cover these beautiful new transplants,,,I would like to admire my work for at least a day before putting them under cover, "but it is for their own good", Holly assures me as we hide our hard work. We have essentially created a little greenhouse under that fabric. The soil stays moist, the tender plants are protected from the harsh sun and pests (including deer), and the plants grow twice as fast as they would if they were exposed to the elements! And once the flowering plants are uncovered, they are stronger and hardier and can withstand heat, pests and disease.

Hoops keep the row cover off of the plants and bags of rocks around the edge keep it from flying away. The rock bags also make it easy to remove the cover for weeding, watering, harvesting, etc.

Having said all that, we definitely have a love/hate relationship with this row cover. It would be so much easier to do without, of course. It rips easily and does take time to cover and uncover for harvest (especially when you are harvesting lettuce 4 days a week). It can become quite heavy when damp, crushing the plants in the process of covering/uncovering. In the larger fields (60 x 100 ft) it is quite cumbersome and takes two people to maneuver. But it is a necessary part of the job and the results are amazing!

We love/hate row cover!