Wholesale Row Covers
Pro Fabric Supply offers a wide selection of professional-grade row cover fabric which is designed to provide plants with frost protection in both residential and commercial growing applications. The material can be installed as a floating row cover suspened over the plants or as a front protection blanket placed directly on the trees or plants to be protected.
Row Cover Fabric - An Overview
Wholesale Row Covers Covering Plants
Row Covers - Key Points
Row Covers are made from synthetic fabrics to cover various weather sensitive crops and plantings. These covers are used:
• To enhance plant growth during the spring and fall seasons by increasing the temperature and humidity.
• To extend the growing season by offering 2-8°F of frost protection.Row Covers will prevent large and small animals from gaining access, especially insects.
Row covers are the perfect choice for organic pest control.
Row Cover Basics
Row covers are white lightweight, non-woven fabrics made from spun-bonded polyester or polypropylene. They look like gauze and are similar to the interfacing material used in sewing.
The fabric allows sunlight, water, and air to penetrate through.
The product is relatively inexpensive and can be easily cut to size using sharp scissors. Also, these covers can be used for 2 or 3 years. Row covers are available in many different widths, lengths, and weights or thicknesses.
At 0.45 oz./sq. yard, they are lightweight and referred to as “insect barriers”. They offer 90 to 95% light transmittance, along with 2 ºF frost protection, and can be left on crops from seed to harvest. Many plants include beets, salad greens, and snap beans.
At 0.5.10 oz/sq yard, they are medium-weight with 70 to 85% light transmittance and 4 to 6 ºF frost protection. This is the perfect product for spring and fall crops as well as for overwintering crops.
At 1.5 to 2.2 oz/sq.yard, they are a heavy-weight fabric offering 30 to 50% light transmittance and 8 ºF frost protection for overwintering crops.
Note: Before you plant consider using a garden liner to prevent weeds we have multiple roll sizes available.
How To Use Row Covers
Simply drape the covers over plants whether individually, in rows, in groups, or in an entire bed. Then secure the cover to the ground with sod pins, boards, bricks, sandbags, rocks, or soil.
The covers can be laid directly on the crops. The growing plants will push the cover upward if you provide enough slack.
Also, you can erect some simple frames using wood, PVC pipes, #9 wire, or other available material to support the row cover above the plants. This is recommended when using medium-weight and heavy-weight row covers.
You can choose to purchase or make plastic snap clamps and clips to secure the covers to a PVC pipe frame.
You can increase the temperature under the covers, and reduce cold damage to overwintering crops by providing frost protection in the spring and even more protection in the fall.
Plants Growing Under Frost Blanket
You can have an increase in plant establishment and growth in the spring and fall with higher temperatures in the soil and air along with added humidity under the cover.
Row covers can also reduce the time between flowering and harvest while increasing harvest per unit area.
These covers will create a great shield around your plants while keeping insects, mites, rabbits, deer, and birds from feeding on the plants. Some unwelcomed insects include squash vine borers, squash bugs, cucumber beetles, flea beetles, Colorado potato beetles, harlequin bugs, Mexican bean beetles, and aphids. The covers must be installed over plants as quickly as possible after planting to fight against these pests.
How To Manage The Covers & Plants
As soon as possible, cover your spring transplants and emerging seedlings to increase plant establishment and protect them from pests, damaging winds, and severe rainfall.
Keep in mind, weeds will grow faster under row covers so you need to pull back the covers to hand pull or cut weeds. You can lay down organic mulch such as grass clippings or shredded leaves from last fall before covering up the plant.
Rainfall will pass through the covers but it's still a good idea to pull back the covers if hand-watering. This will also give you the opportunity to inspect the plants for any signs of plant issues.
Consider using a drip irrigation system or soaker hose under the covers to water the plants easily and effectively.
Some crops, like spring leafy greens and green beans, can have the covers left alone until harvest.Keep in mind, mice like to nest in stored row covers which will ruin them for the following season. Store the row covers in tightly sealed rigid containers placed in a shed or garage or even a heavy-duty plastic trash bag suspended from the ceiling. Indoor storage is the safest choice.
Note: Using a white ground cover fabric will allow a clean planting area. With planting stripes the fabric is UV resistant and will not rot or mildew.
Frost Blankets Being Installed in Field
Some Disadvantages of Using Row Covers
Insects can get trapped under the covers and will overwinter in the soil near host plants. They can surface the following spring under the covers including root maggots, flea beetles, and Colorado potato beetles.
Temperatures under the row covers will increase 5-15°F above the temperature outside causing heat stress. Flowers and fruits or beans, tomatoes, and peppers may drop when daytime temperatures top 90°F. Monitoring plants growing under these covers in summer to find symptoms of heat stress. Plants that need protection from insects in the summer can be covered with insect netting.
Diseases could be encouraged during the summer months due to the increase in humidity and reduction of air movement.
Stems and foliage can be injured during windy weather:
Other Disadvantages Include -
Difficult to use on tall plants
Can rip and tear during severe storms and when in contact with rocks, stakes, wires, and other objects. UV radiation will degrade the fibers.
Row Covers last approximately 1 to 3 years depending on the weight, use, and weather conditions.
