A hoop tunnel can create instant shade to protect leafy greens and other cool-season vegetables from intense summer sun. Cover half hoops made of PVC pipe, stiff wire, or construction- or chicken-wire with shadecloth or light horticultural cloth to keep leafy crops from sun-burning. For tall crops such as tomatoes simply drape muslin, cheesecloth, or…
Crop Protection
Mulch: Hot Weather Vegetable Garden Protection
Mulch reduces evaporation from the soil surface, moderates soil temperature, and insulates roots from summer heat (and winter cold). Mulch suppresses weeds, reduces soil compaction, prevents erosion, and adds organic matter to the soil. Mulch is any material that protects the soil surface and allows air and water through. Organic mulches–mulches derived from plant materials–not…
Shade: Hot Weather Vegetable Garden Protection
Vegetable crops should be protected from temperatures much greater than 95°F (35°C). Most vegetables will be stressed when temperatures rise to 100°F and many will die in sustained temperatures greater than 110°F. Signs of heat stress in vegetables include wilting at the ends of new growth, blossom drop, leaf drop, and sunburn of leaves and…
Vegetable Seedling Protection
Protect vegetable seedlings planted in the garden from cool and cold nighttime temperatures. Protect warm-season seedlings such as tomatoes and peppers from temperatures below 55°F. Protect cool-season seedlings such as lettuce and cabbage from temperatures below 45°F. Cages and tunnels covered with plastic are quick ways to protect crops and extend the warmth needed for…
Row Covers, Floating Row Covers, Garden Blankets, and Shade Cloth
Row covers, floating row covers, garden blankets, and shade cloth are made from varying weights of synthetic materials and are used to protect plants. Heavyweight rows covers and garden blankets or quilts are used to protect plants from cold temperatures, chilling winds, and frosts–most often in late autumn, winter, and early spring. Lightweight floating rows…
Plastic Tunnels for Growing Vegetables
Plastic tunnels can be used to extend the vegetable growing season by 4 to 8 weeks in spring and fall. A plastic tunnel is easily made by draping plastic sheeting over a series of sturdy wire or plastic hoops to create an enclosed growing space. A plastic tunnel works much like a cold frame. The…
Making a Cold Frame
Boards, planks, bricks, concrete blocks, even bales of hay or mounded soil can be used to make a cold frame. Often a home-made cold frame is a simple four-sided wooden box with no bottom and a clear glass or plastic top. A cold frame can be permanent or portable. Cold frames can vary in size:…
Cold Frame Calendar
As the seasons progress there are several uses for a cold frame. • Start cool-temperature spring vegetable seeds and seedlings in late winter. • Start summer warm-temperature vegetable seeds and seedlings beginning in early- or mid-spring. • Start fall and winter crops under shade cover (replace the frame’s glass or plastic sash with framed shade…
Cold Frame: Extend Your Vegetable Garden Season
A cold frame is a bottomless box with a clear or translucent top. It is set on the ground or over a planting bed to capture solar energy and heat the air, soil, and plants inside. A cold frame can extend the growing season by one to several months. Cold frames can be made of…
Extending the Season: how to get more time out of your garden
Use cloches and cold frames to extend the growing season, either in spring or autumn. When freezing temperatures are expected, most vegetable garden crops will benefit from protection. The simplest crop protection–a light blanket or overturned cardboard box–will protect plants by 1° or 2°F. A plastic or glass cloche, plastic tunnel, or simple cold frame…