Why use horticulture fleece?
For those of you not familiar with the term ‘horticulture fleece’, it is actually a fabric used for the protection of plants from varying climatic conditions or more precisely, temperature variations. These thin and unwoven polypropylene fabric is said to act as a floating mulch and the mainly provides benefits like frost protection and temperature control.
If you are a farmer with some crop prone to frost or with a dependency on temperature, horticulture fleece could be a necessity. Especially in areas with extreme variations in temperatures, horticulture fleece serves as a life saver for farmers and crop land owners.
This fabric which acts as a blanket around the crops they are dedicated for selectively admits sunlight, rain and air into it. Further, it effectively keeps out frost and extreme conditions of temperature. Thus in short, horticulture fleece is a specially made fabric that protects crops and plant species against frost and low temperatures while not obstructing any other facilities or plant necessities.
Methods of use
Horticulture fleece is generally available in varying sizes to accommodate the different uses and varying crop nature. After purchasing a proper sized fleece for your crop land, it is laid across and over the plant filed or seed bed. The form of laying the fleece in which it covers the rows is known as row covers. The fleece is held in place by using pins, pegs or some weight at necessary points, generally one at each corner would suffice. Once installed, you would notice the horticulture fleece getting a little bigger or stretching a little. But do not worry as it is not due to lack of quality or anything. It allows the plants enclosed within it to grow and develop. There are also specialized fleece available in the market specifically for taller plants. This would mostly be shaped in a tent like structure in order to accommodate the heights of these taller plants. When used specifically for frost protection, these are covered or wrapped around target delicate plants. This would protect them from getting frozen and also obstructs cold winds from ruining the crop. They may also sometimes be put to use as bird netting or an insect barrier depending on the problem concerned.
Detailed study of the features of horticulture fleece
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Light admission: When using horticulture fleece, we are actually covering the plants with a layer of fabric. Thus it should be ensured that the fleece does not obstruct the very essential ingredient for plant growth, sunlight. Horticulture fleece are therefore designed to provide at least a 75% light admission. For instance, a 17gsm fleece blocks only 25 % sunlight while providing the protection it is intended for.
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Available widths or sizes: Horticulture fleece is generally available in different standard sizes for catering to different purposes. 17gsm size is available as a 1.6 m wide fleece, while 22 gsm can be bought at widths 3.2, 6 or 10m. Larger sizes of 50 gsm are available in 1.6m wide.
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Crop protection: mainly intended for crop protection, horticulture fleece definitely serves the purpose well. They provide protection against frost and low temperature winds by maintaining a stable environmental condition inside it. It also acts as a barrier protecting the crops from different specimens ranging from birds to small insects. The fleece can also be used for scrog netting as well as for taller plants.
Air and moisture admitted: The horticulture fleece allows air and moisture to seep in and so is their design. While admitting air and sunlight it effectively protects the plants from frost. So how do they do it? Horticulture fleece takes heat from the earth or ground it encloses and utilizes this to maintain a microclimate inside it. Thus, frost and extreme climates outside its periphery cannot affect the crop it is protecting.
UV stabilization: The fleece fabric is designed with effective stabilization for ultra violet rays. This improves the plant growth conditions while increasing the durability of the fleece itself.
Strength and rigidity: The fleece is generally very strong and is not something that can be torn with a decent stress.
Conclusion
Horticulture fleece is thus an important product for farmers and cropland owners, especially in localities of extreme climatic conditions. They are also very economical when several of its benefits is taken into consideration.