Row Covers

[ducks4you]

I'd like some advice about purchasing row covers. As you might know, I had given up growing any squash until I planted and grew 10 zucchinis last July and had no squash bugs or vine borers bc their season had passed. I'm ready to go with row covers and start cucumbers again, zucchinis, pumpkins, acorn squash and hubbard squash, which I grew successfully a good decade ago. But, I don't know where to shop. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[majorcatfish]

@ducks4you heres a link to johnnys seeds think this might be what your looking for

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-8418-a...=80483139&zmas=1&zmac=1&zmap=9065.0&gclid=CI2

or
http://www.johnnyseeds.com/p-5455-agribon-ag-15-insect-barrier-118-x-50.aspx

it's a start......

 

[ducks4you]

Sounds good. Do I buy pvc pipe measure to put about 6 inches in the ground both sides and then make 1/2 circles? How many and how far apart should I do this?

 

[thistlebloom]

Instead of burying your pvc in the ground (tricky to keep it from springing out) buy short lengths of rebar, or cut them, to pound into the ground for your pipes to slide over. I think I used 12" pieces, but if your soil is very soft you may want longer ones.

 

[majorcatfish]

guess it depends how much money you wish to put into
for the hoops in the raised beds all i use is 12ga galvanized wire that they use for floating ceilings it comes in 12' lengths it's very easy to bend and you can use it over and over. used last year in whole lengths to cover the corn sprouts with bird netting...
as for spacing maybe every 3 feet. as for the anchors they sell t-stakes as well,

 

[journey11]

I use the Agribon netting from Johnny's too. If you take care of it, you can get a couple of seasons out of it. I use metal conduit pipes for my hoops. They bend easily and hold their shape, then push them down over 18" rebar pounded 2/3rds of the way into the dirt. Then use stones, boards or sandbags to hold the netting in place.

 

[so lucky]

I didn't use the rebar, just pushed the PVC into the ground about a foot, making an arc. Bought the agribon-19 from Johnny's.

 

[thistlebloom]

I didn't use the rebar, just pushed the PVC into the ground about a foot, making an arc. Bought the agribon-19 from Johnny's.

My pvc wanted to pop out of the soil, but it's pretty rocky...had to use the rebar to keep the pipes in place.

 

[ducks4you]

These are GREAT suggestions! I am definitely gonna try row covers this year bc I Really miss growing cucumbers. Last year's very late zucchinis produced very well for me, just a 2 month season. Then I missed two which got huge. I ended up giving them to my hens and they ate them down to a paper thin skin, so SOMEBODY enjoyed them...and we enjoyed the eggs, too.
I like the rebar idea bc I have collected them from around the property, so I may already own most of the ones that I need.
I am a little bit confused as to how to use the row covers. Do I peel them back to water and then put them back? Should I secure the to the ground with bricks or 2 x 4's? How do they get those ROTTEN squash bugs and vine borers off of the plants? HELP!!!! Frustrated, bc I don't understand and I certainly don't want to invest in them and STILL get bugs.