I am looking for some sort of netting to cover my vegetables from frost or hail. I live in Calgary, Alberta Canada and both severely shorten our growing season. I want to use tent poles and something over top. Something that lets light and rain through but still protects plants. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what to put on that is cheap?
Covering vegetables
Reemay floating row cover, made of spun polyester, works well against mild frosts and light hail:
https://www.google.ca/search?q=remay&client=safari&rls=en&tbm=isch&imgil=tWeop1F7l-faXM%253A%253BAj8CwHp4qNfTUM%253Bhttp%25253A%25252F%25252Fwww.highmowingseeds.com%25252FThe-Joys-of-Remay.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=tWeop1F7l-faXM%253A%252CAj8CwHp4qNfTUM%252C_&usg=__PLekUribYHCxssEiXXn24q2Xui0%3D&biw=1257&bih=1203&ved=0ahUKEwjlmojF_NXLAhWmzoMKHaCVAR0QyjcIUA&ei=yxvyVqWJL6adjwSgq4boAQ#tbm=isch&q=reemay
It also works for protecting carrots against rust fly, yet another "feature" of vegetable gardening in Calgary.
Thank you for your suggestion, however is this not something that can be left on for the season, or just when you think you need it. I am looking for something that will let the sun and rain through, but protect from frost and hail. Something that I can leave up. I'm not sure if this even exists. Last year hail destroyed my tomatoes because I was not home to protect them.
Quote from collectorsgarden :
...however is this not something that can be left on for the season, or just when you think you need it.
Uhh, yes. Either. (It's kind of hard to answer the double negative... ;-) )
Yes, you can leave Reemay on for the season... (or you can use it temporarily, e.g. for the period that certain insect pests are active.) I have used it to grow vegetables and it works fine - that's why I suggested it. It's widely-used and cheap.
It allows sun through it (otherwise, it could not be used to grow plants) and it also allows rain through it (otherwise, ditto), though some supplemental watering is usually needed here and is most efficiently done by lifting the Reemay.
As I already said, it protects against light frost.
Nothing but a plexiglass shield will protect against large hail, but Reemay will provide some cushioning against light hail. You can drape it directly over the plants but if it is, in particular, supposed to protect against (light) hail, it would be best to drape it over some supports (i.e. metal garden fencing, hoops, or whatever) so that it's not lying directly on the plants. (You would also have to pin/weight down the edges of the Reemay sheets to prevent them being blown away.)
Anything more hail-resistant than this sort of spun fibre covering will not allow rain through it, and if it has to be truly hail-resistant, it's not going to be cheap (e.g. greenhouses... or some other sort of sturdy cover system, which frankly, I've never seen anyone use).
If it has to protect against hard frost, again you're heading into more complex systems - greenhouses, or things that are not as "low maintenance" as the Reemay cover. E.g. I have used 60% shade cloth outdoors in a week of -10 deg C spring nights and it worked great... but it is heavier fabric that doesn't emit enough light or water to be left on for more than a short period.
Thank you, I will have to try it. I have some old tent poles that maybe I could use as dome supports. I will just have to get creative.
The framework will have to be pretty stable and sturdy, given the high winds that usually come with hail storms around here.
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