More Covering Plants Against The Cold
Posted: Wed Jan 17, 2024 7:22 am
So... we have this arctic blast coming through. Forecast: "Frigid temperatures expected early this morning with actual lows between 20-24° and wind chills between 0°-18°. "
Yesterday Pickles and I covered what counted; two carrot rows, the younger turnip row, the garlic and scallions, daikon radishes. Pulled a couple small cabbages that were ready and some carrots before they were covered.
I was rethinking the covering on short plants as with a plastic covered tunnel it would probably be as cold inside it as it would be outside of it. Maybe make small tunnels of welded wire we use for short pea fencing. I've done this before with short lengths here and there and put the cover over them, not under.
Since the rolls are 18' long (as are the beds) I would kinda bend them into a half circle, lay row cover right on the plants and then cover that with the wire "tunnel" to hold it in place. I was thinking that the rumpled row cover would have air pockets that might insulate a bit better than just laying a folded strip over them. Bricks on top to hold the whole thing in place since we're to have wind. If you look closely you can see Lester at the very top, supervising. Again, an exercise in making it up as you go along.
It's time to buy a new roll of this stuff. What I'm using is about 20 years old at least but still in OK shape and the six rolls of pea fence are kept in the shed but having been used over time for this and that project, they're all that's left of the original roll.
We used the newly created "pup tent" design for the garlic, employing old folded bed sheets and a stretch of baling twine. It will have to do. The last time I left the garlic uncovered at 20 degrees it got really burned and set back a bit. Better to be safe than sorry.
So we're ready, I guess. It will warm for a few days and then more cold comes in so we'll just leave everything in place through the weekend.
Yesterday Pickles and I covered what counted; two carrot rows, the younger turnip row, the garlic and scallions, daikon radishes. Pulled a couple small cabbages that were ready and some carrots before they were covered.
I was rethinking the covering on short plants as with a plastic covered tunnel it would probably be as cold inside it as it would be outside of it. Maybe make small tunnels of welded wire we use for short pea fencing. I've done this before with short lengths here and there and put the cover over them, not under.
Since the rolls are 18' long (as are the beds) I would kinda bend them into a half circle, lay row cover right on the plants and then cover that with the wire "tunnel" to hold it in place. I was thinking that the rumpled row cover would have air pockets that might insulate a bit better than just laying a folded strip over them. Bricks on top to hold the whole thing in place since we're to have wind. If you look closely you can see Lester at the very top, supervising. Again, an exercise in making it up as you go along.
It's time to buy a new roll of this stuff. What I'm using is about 20 years old at least but still in OK shape and the six rolls of pea fence are kept in the shed but having been used over time for this and that project, they're all that's left of the original roll.
We used the newly created "pup tent" design for the garlic, employing old folded bed sheets and a stretch of baling twine. It will have to do. The last time I left the garlic uncovered at 20 degrees it got really burned and set back a bit. Better to be safe than sorry.
So we're ready, I guess. It will warm for a few days and then more cold comes in so we'll just leave everything in place through the weekend.