Cochrane is known for its extreme weather fluctuations, short growing season, bountiful wildlife and drought conditions. All of these factors can be frustrating for local gardeners. The use of covers to protect your plants can reduce these limiting factors a great deal. Covers can range from simple frost cloth, framed fabric low tunnels, cold frames on raised beds, high tunnels or greenhouses. It all depends on the level of protection you are willing to invest in. When used properly, all types will help you grow more food by providing protection from the elements and pests. Let's explore some of the reasons why below.
Season extension is one of the most important reasons to consider growing under cover in Cochrane. Covering over vegetable plants can allow you to extend growing season significantly. Depending on the level of protection you choose to take with your covering, plants can be started weeks to months earlier. A few degrees difference in warmer temps can dramatically speed up the growth of young plants at the beginning of the season. Simple floating row covers or low tunnel fabric frames can provide from 2-6 degrees Celsius in frost protection depending on the weight of the fabric. Cold frames, high tunnels and greenhouses provide even more.
The same degree of season extension can occur in the fall as well. If we look at the historic weather data for Cochrane, there tends to be at least one or two short hard frosts and/or snowfalls during September that kill our vegetable gardens. For the rest of the month, typically day temperatures range in the high teens to low twenties Celsius. These temperatures are fine to support healthy garden growth. If your plants are protected from the erratic extreme temperatures for a few days by coverings, you can continue to extend your season. The season extension can range from a week or two with simple covers and low tunnels to over a month in high tunnel or greenhouse scenarios.
Protection from insect and animal pests is another good reason to consider garden covers. When managed correctly, particularly at the start of the season when plants are tender and more vulnerable, garden covers can be very effective in reducing the impact of all sorts of pest insects on vegetables. Aphid, cutworm, flea beetle and cabbage moth infestations can all be reduced with coverings. They also assist in protecting from the larger critters like deer and rabbits that enjoy munching on our gardens. With that in mind, it’s also important to remove covers periodically to allow access to beneficial pollinators for those plants that require their help in producing food.
Low tunnel with indeterminate tomatoes trained along twine and dried potatoe leaves which are surving as mulch.
Garden coverings are also a great way to combat Cochrane’s precipitation patterns. June tends to be the only month with enough rain to support a garden at an average of up to 12 cm. The remainder of the season’s rainfall is not enough to support a garden without additional watering. Garden covers can assist with this issue by aiding in the retention of moisture. Even a simple floating row cover can increase garden bed moisture dramatically by reducing the drying factors of our prairie winds. When paired with a timed drip irrigation system, covers can greatly reduce both water usage and the work required to maintain a vegetable garden. On top of that, covers also protect gardens from devastating hail. Fabric covers provide moderate protection from hail damage while sturdy polycarbonate cold frames and greenhouses eliminate it completely.
Cultivate Cochrane has had a great deal of experience and success in working with various garden covers. We are here to help you succeed too. Keep an eye out for future articles detailing different types and ways of using garden covers. You can also send questions to info@cultivatecochrane.com. Check out our schedule so you can visit us at one of our public appearances and purchase a handy fabric low tunnel kit. Our helpful staff or volunteers love talking about gardening with our visitors.
We really look forward to growing together with you!