A light weight fabric cover like Agribon AG-15 is ideal.

Jon

Any 'floating' row cover will work. It's lightweight enough to sit directly on the plants/seedlings without problems and is effective in keeping flying insects (those whose larvae cause the bulk of the problems) at bay. It is sold under various names - remay, harvest cloth, plain ole row cover:-) It is just a very fine but tightly woven fabric, often with some plastic or synthetic fibres in it to give it durability and some ability at heat retention also. Should be available at any nursery/garden center and most home improvement stores.

You could buy the spun polyester fabric that is made into floating row covers or you could buy some material used for drapery shears, this would not be as long lasting, and use that. What floating row covers need to do is keep insects out while allowing light in.

Thanks! There are so many fabrics out there...maybe it's not really so important which one as opposed to just getting it done, eh? I keep seeing Reemay in the gardening books, seeing the row cover without a name in the big box stores (I think that's "plain ole row cover"), and then seeing a broad variety on the vendor sites. Jon (or anyone else): can you tell me a little bit of the difference between Agribon AG-15 and Reemay?

maybe it's not really so important which one as opposed to just getting it done, eh?

Well, I doubt spun polypro or any other petrochemical is strictly organic, or maybe we make exceptions sometimes.

Wrt types: just purchase a lightweight spun row cover. The differences are marginal.

Dan

Reemay is for protection. It only has about 75% light transmission. Agribon AG-15 is for insect control. It has 90% light transmission.

The stuff I find in my local stores is thicker than Reemay. It's for maximum cold protection and I'm pretty sure it only gets about 60-65% light transmission.

I ordered my insect cloth from Johnny's Seeds.

I am wondering if you had any luck with the row cover last year. I am still a fairly new gardener and have had such a hard time with pests and my broccoli, that this year I tried a row cover. I made wire hoops over the plants and laid the row cover on top. I made sure the edges were secure as well. However, I went to check on the little plants today and sure enough..they have the big holes in them. Any ideas hat am I doing wrong?

When the row covers were placed can make all the difference since they need to be in place before the insects arrive. In addition to the commercial spun polyester (think plastic) fabrics you could use muslin or the fabric sheer draperies are made of, or even fiberglass window screen. These may be a less expensive option.

Any ideas hat am I doing wrong?

Hard to say with the sparse info provided. Likely flapping in the wind.

Dan

I'm using AG-15 on my tomato seedlings this year, as they are out, without my usual protection (light mesh fence around garden, basil, marigolds, etc., planted around them). However, it't not that secure- held up with wire coat hangers made into square "hoops" and all the edges aren't secured down. After reading Dan's post, yeah, there's some "flapping in the wind." Am I wasting my time?
Don't have the convential garden with long rows.....

I have used the AG-15 for many years. It has lasted longer than any other product tried.

Check out the pics of my strand wire hoops and covers in the photo gallery... search in junk or great vegetables from OrganicDan.

Plants under cover really do well. Even under cover you need to mulch or weed.

Sem16, if you see only holes on your broccolies in day time, possible you have slugs. Row covers will not help if you have slugs in your beds.
Try to check your plants in evening using flashlights or place beer in tuna cans for night to catch slugs if they are there. You can spray plants with diatomaceous earth or surround with crushed egg shells.

I have used old shears that i found in salvation army store to cover beets and cabbages against flying insects, but at first i had to fight slugs.
This winter i put a lot of used coffee grounds on veggie beds and think that they killed slugs.