Re: TB: floating row covers (was low bloom height this year)
iris@hort.net
  • Subject: Re: TB: floating row covers (was low bloom height this year)
  • From: L* M* <l*@lock-net.com>
  • Date: Sun, 02 Jun 2013 09:28:45 -0400
Yes. I used to use them all the time, covering long rows with them. They work extremely well for those 'early late freezes'. I have about 7 100 ft x 6 ft pieces of it, reusable for several years. Used to get them from the local CoOp, tobacco bed covers. I still cover a few things now and then, but it's more manual labor to do all in a rush as these fronts roar in for me to easily manage now.
Plus it seems like we used to have a lot more of those early late freezes - much milder winters now, so the change in temperature in March isn't as drastic as it used to be. As Betty says, the abrupt temperature changes seem to be hitting the last several years after the irises are farther along, not necessarily eliminating bloom, but seriously messing it up for breeding.
And once stalks are coming up, the covers don't work as well - even with a framework to keep them above the irises, there is a <lot> more air to keep 'warm' compared to earlier. Plus you don't want to mash the stalks, whereas with earlier late freezes, there's nothing to protect but foliage, so no problem with it being mashed close to the ground where it's warmer. I anchor the sides of the covers with boards and/or rocks. Garden hose looped back and forth across the row works well when it's windy.
I've been using the really light weight stuff, the kind that is mostly for insect protection and is rated for very little frost protection. A heavier type might work ok for a later freeze, trying to cover early stalks. I've used multiple layers of the lightweight stuff over a frame to cover things like beans and tomatoes - works well down into the low 20s with enough layers and a few soda bottles of water to hold some heat overnight. 

On 6/1/2013 11:55 PM, Phloid wrote:

Have you experimented with row covers?


Linda Mann east TN USA zone 7b

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