Rockabye, Baby

The sun was warm but the wind was chill.
You know how it is with an April day
When the sun is out and the wind is still,
You´re one month on in the middle of May.
But if you so much as dare to speak,
A cloud comes over the sunlit arch,
A wind comes off a frozen peak,
And you´re two months back in the middle of March. 

---Robert Frost

Which reminds me.....

of a really good way to protect your

tender garden plants and flowers from FROST (get it?):

 Row cover!

You can bet your bottom dollar that frost will threaten us in the northcountry

AFTER

we've put out our flowers, herbs, and vegetables.

Local gardening wisdom says you are safe from frost after

the first full moon of June.  OMG this year the first full moon

in June is on the 24th.

We use row cover at Gracie's Plant Works in the early spring not only for the tender crops,

but also for nursery stock when frost threatens.

Sure, they're perennials, but if they are in flower and get nipped,

they will not produce fruit that year.

You can read about blueberries and the various reasons
why they don't produce fruit  HERE

You can use 'floating row cover' as illustrated below, but it must be removed as soon as the threat of cold has passed.  After a heavy frost, the morning sun will thaw the frost on the row cover, which then becomes heavy and wet.  This is a cost-effective way to protect crops

if you are able to remove and dry the row covers in the morning.

We also like these gro-tunnels from DeWitt that 

protect crops from frost and are lower maintenance than row cover.

 With a grow tunnel, hoops keep the fabric off the plants so as to not damage

tender new growth, so it is less important to remove it (for example, if you have to leave

in the morning before the sun warms things up enough).

Light weight row cover is also a great way to protect your crops from insect infestation.

For brassicas (cabbage, brussels sprouts, kale) you can pin or weight the fabric down

and keep those cabbage butterflies at bay.

Obviously, you'll need to secure the row cover to the ground.  This photo is

illustrating the plant below the row cover and the butterfly being foiled again.

Just remember:  if your crop requires pollination, you'll need to leave the ends open to allow pollinators access to the flowers and close them up at night. 

Row covers come in various weights, and air circulation, water,

and sunlight get to the plants because this fabric is permeable.

The heaviest row cover can protect plants by as much as 8 degrees. 

This is NOT row cover.  A tiny, plastic covered frame will fry these 

tomato plants in an afternoon if not opened up/removed.

Other uses include

Keeping birds off of your ripening strawberries.  

Just remember to allow pollination so there are berries to pick.

Because leafy greens don't depend on pollinators, row covers can be left on

if the row cover is held in place.

For lettuce and leaf crops, you can use a row cover as a sun shade, too.

 

Row covers will last many seasons. 

You can use row covers to protect from a spring frost 

AND

to extend the growing season in the fall.

Row covers: one of the easiest ways to guarantee a good night's sleep.

Come in to Gracie's Plant Works this spring and say 'Rockabye Baby' to get

10% off all DeWitt row cover and gro tunnels.