Plant covers are those types of gardening things that are non-essential but quickly become essential.
By that, I mean, once you start using them, you see how beneficial they are, and you can’t imagine not using them. Plant covers are a pretty general term that encompasses many different types.
There’s everything from covers that resemble blankets to glass cloches.
For larger plants, many people use a fabric or burlap cloth to protect their plant or garden. One useful thing about using these fabric-type clothes for your garden is that they can be used for winter and summer if needed.
There are places where the sun can become too strong and become a detriment. These clothes can act as shading for your garden. In Australia during the summer, we get plenty of sun, and it’s quite radiant.
For some plants, they can’t take that kind of heat and need shading.
These clothes can provide that shade over an expanded area, such as a raised bed garden.
They can be a challenge when it gets windy and starts to blow around everywhere. If there’s a lot of humidity and moisture where you are, they can grow mold if you’re not careful.
We recommend plastic garden cloches as a form of plant cover.
They’re effective and inexpensive ways to create a greenhouse-like environment for your plant. Like plant clothes, they can be used for pretty much all seasons, depending on where you live.
One advantage they have over cloth is that they don’t touch the plant, which prevents damage and creates air insulation during colder weather. During the summer, they’re the most effective tool for retaining moisture. They actually trap moisture escaping from the soil.
Glass cloches are the grandparents of plant covers. They’ve been around forever. Glass cloches and plastic cloches are similar yet quite different. The designs have a similar shape, and the purposes are usually the same.
Glass cloches, however, have not really changed since their beginning. They have a knob handle at the top; they’re heavy and sturdy, and they cost a lot. They work, but they’re less convenient because, unlike our cloches, they don’t have vents for air circulation. This means proping them up is the only way your plant can breathe.
Because they’re glass, they can obviously break. These are garden covers you don’t want to break, considering they’re some out there for over $50.
There are lots of creative ways to cover or protect your plants. Some may work better for you than others, depending on your zone and plants, but give it a shot.
You’ll see that your garden will start earlier, end later, and maybe even go all year if you do it right.
