Re: Forcing Lettuce in the Winter
Pat,
There are many types of floating row covers. Normally, you hear about
"Reemay" which is a heavier weight type used in late fall and early spring
for frost protection. I've used "AgroFabric" which comes in many different
weights. The heavier weights compare to Reemay but I wouldn't use them in
the summertime. I found my carrots became very leafy under the heavier
weights and produced smaller roots.
AgroFabric has lighter weight versions that don't collect heat during the
summer so I prefer to leave those on my carrots, beets, chard, and
brassicas. The only problem is sometimes you can only get the fabric in
narrow widths (about 5 ft wide) and once the broccoli starts getting big,
the fabric can't be anchored into the ground anymore.
Arzeena
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----- Original Message -----
From: pdanielak <pdanielak@bluecrab.org>
To: <veggie-list@eskimo.com>
Sent: Thursday, January 27, 2000 7:02 AM
Subject: Re: Forcing Lettuce in the Winter
> I certainly can't add anything to the detailed descriptions of floating
row
> covers, but some questions about their use have come up while reading your
> posts.
>
> I am new to row covers, and I have used my floating row covers only at
> night in the cold weather to raise the temperature a bit and keep away the
> frost. This has worked very well. I have only "anchored" them on windy
> nights.
> It hasn't occured to me to leave them on during the day, especially in the
> summer.
>
> -Can they be left over plants on hot summer days to filter the sun? Will
> they not have the effect of raising the temperature even more?
> -How do you manage to anchor them so securely on all sides to keep
crawling
> insects out?
>
> I'd like to hear more about how to use my row covers.
>
> For the first time I have also invested in a few Wall O'Waters and will be
> trying them out for the first time this spring.
>
> Thanks also to Patrick for the advice about Coleman's book and cold
frames.
> We were so excited about having fresh, sweet lettuce from the garden for
> Christmas Eve dinner. I'm sure we will want to get a cold frame going for
> next winter.
>
> Pat
> Zone 7, Delmarva
>
>
> At 02:59 PM 1/26/2000 -0600, you wrote:
> >Dear Dr. John,
> >
> >Floating row covers consist of sheets or rolls of spun-woven fabric which
> >you can put right over your planting beds like sheets, without any
supports,
> >just "laying there" on top of your plants as they grow. As your plants
get
> >bigger, the row covers just "float" on top (hence the name), though
you've
> >got them anchored securely at the bottom, at dirt level, all around.
> >
> >There are all different thicknesses and densities of row covers,
depending
> >on whether you are using them to raise the temperature underneath
> >(greenhouse effect) or to shade your plants in midsummer (actually
achieving
> >lower temps) but what all floating row covers have in common is:
> >
> >(1) they are permeable by light and water
> >
> >(2) they are NOT permeable by flying or crawling insects (assuming you
have
> >them well-anchord at the edges)
> >
> >(3) therefore they do a great job of protecting your plants from bugs and
> >the many bacteral, viral, and fungal diseases which are spread by
insects.
> >
> >(4) BTW, if you have plants that need to be insect-pollinated, you have
to
> >pull back the row covers at blossoming time ---at which point your plants
> >also become vulnerable to invasion by pests, but hopefully bu taht time
they
> >are big and mature enough that the bad bugs will do minimla damage.
> >
> >All in all, a good way to protect from insects and disease, with no
> >chemicals whatsoever.
> >
> >And a good way to raise the temp and thus extend your growing season in
> >early Spring and late Fall; OR partially shade your garden in midsummer,
> >protecting from sunscald--- depending on what kind of row cover you get.
> >
> >Cordially,
> >
> >Julianne
> >
> >
> >
>
>
