Row covers and season extension — print version.
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SUS Farms · Utah Gardening
Row covers and season extension
season · intermediate · ~5 min read
A floating row cover (Reemay, Agribon) is a thin spun-bonded fabric that adds 4–6°F at night, lets light and water through, and blocks insects. In Utah, where shoulder-season frost is the limiting factor, row cover is the single highest-impact season-extension tool per dollar.
Three weights, three uses
Light (0.5 oz/sq yd) is purely insect exclusion — flea beetles on eggplant, cabbage moth on brassicas. Medium (0.9 oz) gets you 4°F of frost protection. Heavy (1.5 oz) gets 6–8°F but blocks ~30% of light, so use only during cold snaps.
How to deploy
Drape directly on the crop or hold up with low hoops. Edges need to seal — bury with soil, weight with sand bags, or pin with landscape staples. A loose edge negates the benefit.
When to pull it
For frost protection: pull at sunrise so plants don't cook. For insect exclusion on flowering crops (squash, cucumbers, eggplant): pull at first flower so pollinators can get in.
Reusability
Quality row cover lasts 3–4 seasons if rolled and stored dry. Buy by the 250-foot roll for the best price; 7 feet wide covers a single 4-foot bed with edge to bury.