Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

market-farming - Row covers or not

market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Market Farming

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: pam AT twinoaks.org
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: Row covers or not
  • Date: Sat, 26 Oct 2002 19:31:39 -0400


We're in zone 6a, in central Virginia. We use
rowcovers in winter for cold protection, and in
spring likewise, also to keep flea beetles off
eggplants. Usually when we transplant our fall
brassicas, we cover them for a few weeks to
keep fleabetles and Harlequin bugs off. It's
August then, and hot. I've thought for some
time that the plants do fine, and guessed that if
the temperature under the covers was hotter
than outside, that didn't seem to matter as
much as the benefits of wind and soil-drying
protection,(as well as the bug protection). This
year we had to pull the covers off earlier
because cabbage worms were under the
covers. I think our wasps usually deal with the
caterpillars, but they couldn't get the beasties
under the covers! Luckily this summer wasn't a
big one for Harlequin bugs or flea beetles!
However, even though I agree that plants
don't seem to suffer from too much heat under
covers, I can't stand the thought of dealing with
rowcovers all year! (We have about 2 acres of
veg).
Pam Dawling, Twin Oaks Community,
Louisa, Virginia





Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page