Issues experienced when growing a garden.
Growing a garden could be very challenging in virtually every part of the world. There is always the problem of the dry season, when there is no rain to water the plants in your garden. Furthermore, there is the problem of animals such as insects, squirrels and birds attacking your garden. The prevalence of these challenges has made it vital for steps to be taken to take care of the menace. An effective invention for taking care of some of these challenges is the use of floating row covers.
What is a floating row cover?
A floating row cover is a synthetic woven material that is sun-bonded and light weight that can be used to cover plants so that it is difficult for pests to find their way into the garden and attack plants. You don’t need to be scared about how your plants will get sunlight and water as the floating row cover put these factors into consideration. The cover has the ability to allow water and light to penetrate and reach the plants, even while it is covering the plant. The cover is available in different width sizes of 5 to 6 feet as well as different height. It is also very durable as you could use it for several planting seasons if you do not handle them carelessly.
How to use the floating row cover
Using the floating row cover is very easy. All you have to do is to spread the material to cover all the plants. You can subsequently use anchors to hold them down to the soil so that the edges are secured. Once you do this, it will be difficult for any pest to attack and destroy your farm. The light weight of the over makes it such that as the plants start to grow, the plant will be able to effortlessly lift up the cover, thereby not affecting the growth of the plants. The best time to use the cover is when you are just starting to plant. This is the period when the plants are most vulnerable to attacks and will find it difficult to survive if they are. Some crops that you could use this cover on include parsnips, turnips, carrots, beets, Chinese cabbage, peas, cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, spinach, lettuce, and radishes.
There are however instances where you might have to remove the cover after some period of time. This is especially so if the plants require pollination from insects for the production of fruit. With the cover on, the insects will also not be able to gain access and this might negatively affect your garden. The cover is able to act as an agricultural fleece, insect barrier, and woven netting.
Other tips you should follow to overcome garden challenges
Water: If you stay in an area where rain only falls for a short period of time, then there will be the need to make an extra arrangement for water. You might work towards using a soaker hose or drip irrigation to water your plants. A sprinkler will also come in handy as well. Fortunately, you can use the sprinkler directly on the floating row cover, since it is possible for water to pass through it.
Soil: Your garden will not thrive well if you do not plant on the right soil type. You should avoid clay soils or sandy soils as they are not very great with plants. It is, therefore, best when you look for loam soil, which actually is an intermediate mixture of clay, silt, and sand. They have enough nutrients and other factors that encourage the growth of plants.
Smart spacing: The way you space your plants is also important if you desire to get maximum yield. The quantity of harvest you should expect is not based on the number of seedlings you plant. Once you plant more than the optimum quantity for your garden, your harvest will start to diminish. This is because the competition for resources will reduce how much yield each of the plants will be able to give, thereby affecting the overall harvest.
Cultivation: It is important that you cultivate your land every year before planting. This is because it is possible for some insects to hide beneath the soil until the next planting season. Cultivation will, however, help to reduce the quantity of insects that could attack your plants once you plant.
