Row covers help gardening enthusiasts protect their growing fruit, vegetables, or flowers by providing superior protection from harsh weather conditions, insects, and pests. Cultivating a flourishing garden is a fulfilling experience.
However, keeping your plants protected against damaging snow, hail, frost, extreme heat, wind, devouring insects and pests can be challenging. Row covers, sometimes called “floating plant covers or garden covers”, act as protective plant safeguards while also allowing essential light, moisture, and air to reach your vegetables, fruit, shrubs, bushes, or citrus trees so that your plants will grow up strong and healthy.
Highly versatile, you can use row covers to extend the growing season from late spring to early fall or even into early winter. Once you have fed your plants with the right plant food, a row cover will keep your budding beauties safe right up to harvest time.
The 8 Best Row Covers
- Agfabric Floating Row Cover (Our Top Pick)
- SUNPRO Plant Cover
- Easy Gardener Plant Protection Blanket
- Gardaner Plant Cover
- Valibe Plant Cover
- Tierra Garden Micromesh Tunnel Garden Cloche
- Kasbon Plant Cover
- Dalen Gardeneer Harvest-Guard Floating Garden Cover
Our Top Pick for the Best Row Cover
Our top pick for the best row cover is the Agfabric Floating Row Cover.
Whether you own a vegetable farm, an urban garden, or a suburban garden, the Agfabric row cover provides complete protection for your plants from seeding right through to harvest. The strong but lightweight floating fabric effectively shields your plants from harsh weather and voracious pests and insects.
Safe and happy under the protective blanket, your plants will flourish and you will be rewarded with a rich harvest.
Check the price on AmazonHow to Choose the Best Row Cover for Your Garden
Types of Row Covers
There are 2 types of row covers: floating row covers and row tunnels which are sometimes called a garden cloche.
– Floating Row Covers
Floating row covers are made from lightweight and soft breathable fabric that is designed to be draped directly over plants or even your lawn. These types of row covers are ideal for newly planted seeds, seedlings, low-level vegetables, and small to medium-sized plants such as tomato plants, shrubs, bushes, or citrus trees.
There are so many ways to use a floating row cover. You can drape a floating row cover over a plant bed, secure it to a seedling box with garden stakes, or wrap it around a tomato plant and use clothing pegs so that the plant is fully enclosed. If you are a newbie gardener and have never used a floating row cover before, learn how to install it with this helpful video.
– Tunnel Row Covers
Tunnel row covers are perfect for commercial growers, home and urban gardeners, and hobbyists as you can use them to cover an entire row of seedling or mature plants such as vegetables.
These types of row covers, such as the Tierra Garden Micromesh Tunnel Garden Cloche, have galvanized metal full or half-sized hoops that hold the cover-up over your plants so they have room to grow inside the safe protective environment. The only downside to tunnel row covers is that they may not be suitable for tall plants.
Size
The size of a row cover is usually measured in feet or meters. Small to medium-sized 10 × 12-feet row covers are ideal for a small collection of plants or a single plant. Larger covers such as the SUNPRO 10 x 30-feet Plant Cover are a great choice for a row of plants on a farm, a large section of your garden, or your patio. You can cut the cover down into smaller pieces to fit a lot of individual plants.
Material
Row covers are primarily made of lightweight and breathable polypropylene or micromesh but some covers are made out of thicker material.
– Lightweight Row Covers
Lightweight row covers are perfect for seedlings and newly planted tomatoes, peppers, or strawberry plants. These types of covers are designed for spring and summer temperatures.
As well as providing good protection from light frost, insects, and pests, the fabric allows your plants to breathe and to receive the right amount of light and moisture. Lightweight row covers can blow off your plants in high winds but you easily secure them with garden stakes or heavy rocks. You also have to be careful with lightweight covers as they can rip easily on sharp thorns.
– Medium-weight Row Covers
Medium-weight row covers, such as the Easy Gardener Plant Protection Blanket, are designed for harsher weather and provide very good protection from pests and insects during spring, fall, and early winter. For excellent frost protection, medium-weight row covers can protect plants from frost up to 4-8°F.
For warm-season crop growth, medium-weight covers can raise temperatures to keep your plants cozy without any overheating, which is also ideal for extending the growing season for seedlings.
Thicker row covers can cause mold or rot to set in if you leave them on your plants for too long and your plants may not receive the adequate light or moisture they need. Whatever type of row cover you choose, always check on the packaging as to what level of frost protection it can provide.
8 Best Row Covers – Reviews
1. Agfabric Floating Row Cover
The multifunctional Agfabric Floating Row Cover is perfect for seed germination and frost protection for established plants.
Highly functional, you can use the row cover for vegetables such as tomatoes, pumpkin, strawberry rows, fruit trees, shrubs, flowers, and even newly-sown grass on your lawn.
The high-quality spun polypropylene reusable lightweight and breathable fabric is UV stabilized to protect your delicate plants from the harsh sun while allowing air and moisture to reach your plants.
For great protection for early spring, fall, and summer seasons, the cover provides up to 28°F frost protection and 85% light transmission. By controlling the light, heat, wind, moisture, and pest, your plants will produce a better harvest and earlier crop yields.
In windy weather, the row cover blanket can also be used for pollination control and provides good protection from damaging winds.
The row cover is easy to install. You can use the entire row blanket to provide good coverage for a group of plants or cut it into different sizes to suit individual plants.
Agfabric offers row covers in a variety of sizes. You can also choose from green, dark green, white, dark blue, or tan.
Pros
- Premium quality
- Great value for money
- Multi-application
- High-quality spun lightweight polypropylene fabric
- Reusable
- UV protection
- Allows air and moisture to reach your plants
- Provides up to 28°F frost protection
- 85% light transmission
- Designed for spring, fall, and early winter
- Ideal for seedlings, vegetables, fruit, flowers, shrubs, and newly sown grass
- Good coverage
- Good anti-freezing properties
- Protect plants from snow, hail, frost, insects, and birds
- Traps heat and moisture to produce bigger, better, and earlier crop yields
- Good wind protection
- Can also be used for pollination control
- Controls the light, heat, and moisture
- Easy to use
- Can be cut into smaller pieces
- Available in different thicknesses
- Available in a variety of sizes and colors
Cons
- Can develop holes easily
- Needs to be secured properly as the material is a bit fragile
- Some of the heavier fabrics do not allow enough light
2. SUNPRO Plant Cover
Give your plants their best chance at life with the SUNPRO Plant Cover.
This large 10 x 30-feet rectangle row cover offers you a lot of coverage versatility for seed germination in spring and summer and seedling growth in winter. Incredibly versatile, it can be draped over a fruit tree, bushes, used as a plant tunnel, or you can easily cut it into smaller pieces for individual plants.
Whether it is protecting your plants from frost, sleet, snow, or a chilly wind, or keeping your plants away from insects and other pests, the reusable plant cover is made from thick non-woven polypropylene fabric which is durable, breathable, and eco-friendly. The breathable and lightweight plant cover also protects your plants from sun damage while allowing air and moisture to reach your plants.
For increased frost protection against extreme frost, spread extra layers of the fabric over your plants. SUNPRO offers a refund or replacement guarantee on the plant cover.
Pros
- High quality
- Great value for money
- Generous coverage
- Ideal for spring, summer, and early winter
- Thick non-woven polypropylene fabric
- Durable and breathable
- UV protection
- Effective against frost, sleet, snow, and chilly wind
- Traps heat and moisture to speed germination and plant growth
- Protects against insects and other pests
- Allows air and moisture to reach the plants
- Can be spread over plants or used as a tunnel
- Easy to cut into small pieces
- Reusable
- Refund or replacement guarantee
Cons
- Extra layers of fabric need to be used for effective frost protection
- Can rip easily on tomato cages
- Not ideal for extremely hot conditions
3. Easy Gardener Plant Protection Blanket
If you have small to medium-sized shrubs, bushes, or potted plants, the Easy Gardener Plant Protection Blanket will safeguard your plants from harsh weather and devouring pests.
The row cover blanket is made from recyclable, reusable, durable fabric and provides good coverage for plants that are 4-feet in height and 36-inches wide. As it provides 6-8°F of frost protection, the cover is ideal for late fall and early spring frosts. The medium-weight 1mm thick plant blanket protects your plants against salt, wind, rain, and animals but its porous material also allows adequate light, air, and moisture to reach your plants.
You can use the cover safely as it is still lightweight enough not to crush flowers, leaves, or your harvest. When the sun’s rays beat down on your precious plants, they will be safe as the cover is UV-treated to ensure that it will last for many seasons.
Easy to install and remove, the blanket gives you lots of versatility. It can be used for an entire garden bed, or you can cut the material to suit small potted plants, or sew more than one blanket row cover together to cover a group of tomato plants or newly planted citrus trees.
Easy Gardener offers the row cover blanket in a 1-pack or a 2-pack.
Pros
- High quality
- Great value for money
- Good price
- Durable and long-lasting
- Medium weight
- Good thickness
- Reusable, recyclable
- Washable
- UV-treated
- Provides 6-8°F of frost protection
- Ideal for late fall and early spring frosts
- Can be used for shading from the hot sun
- Prevents damage from salt, wind, rain, and pests
- Porus material allows air, moisture, and light to reach plants
- Good coverage for small to medium-sized plants
- Can be sewn together with another cover or cut into smaller pieces
- Easy to install and remove
- Washable
- Available in a 1 or 2-pack
Cons
- Not thick enough for winter
- Not big enough for larger plants
4. Gardaner Plant Cover
Whether you need to screen out crawling insects or protect your plants from frost, the Gardaner Plant Cover provides effective plant protection and covers up to 20-square-feet of landscaping
The non-woven microfiber fabric is very durable and works extremely well at defending your fruit, vegetables, fruit trees, and other plants against birds, insects, and other types of pests.
During the colder months, the plant cover also protects against frost, sleet, snow, hail, and wind. In extra frosty conditions, you will need to use extra layers to keep plants safe.
The lightweight and soft cover allow plants to breathe while also capturing heat and its anti-UV protection keeps plants safe so they will not overheat in the sun. Your seeds and plants will receive adequate hydration from the rain or irrigation, but you will have to remove the cover to water the plants.
This row cover can blow off in the wind, but once you add your garden stakes or plastic clips, the cover will stay secured over your plants during high winds. This versatile cover can also be easily cut to fit seedling boxes.
If you do not want the cover to lay on top of newly planted seedlings, you can lay it over metal hoops so that the fabric does not touch the delicate foliage.
Pros
- Very good quality
- Very good value for money
- Ideal for spring, early summer, and early winter
- Non-woven microfiber fabric is very durable
- Lightweight and soft
- Provides good protection from heat
- Works extremely well at defending plants against birds, insects, and other types of pests
- Allows rain and irrigation to hydrate plants
- Anti-UV protection
- Effective protection against frost, sleet, snow, hail, and wind
- Easy to cut into smaller pieces
Cons
- Can blow off in the wind
- Cover needs to be taken off for watering
- Can rip easily
- Double layers are required for extra frosty weather
- Not ideal for extreme winter conditions or harsh sun
- Hoops and stakes are not included
5. Valibe Plant Cover
The Valibe Plant Cover is an excellent choice for home gardeners, hobbyists, and commercial growers.
Highly durable, the long-lasting 0.74-ounce non-woven polypropylene cover can withstand windy conditions and protect against the intensity of the sun. You can use the cover in early summer, and winter as it provides good protection from cold, wind, and harsh sunlight.
The cover allows essential nutrients of air, light, and water to reach your plants. You can use the cover for seed germination or extend the growing season. Even though the cover is made from thicker material, it is lightweight enough not to crush delicate leaves, flowers, or vegetables.
Pros
- Great quality
- Excellent value for money
- Perfect for commercial growers, home gardeners, and hobbyists
- Designed as a general use row or seed-bed cover
- Ideal for early planting or to extend the growing season
- Strong polypropylene material
- Lightweight
- Protects plants from birds, insects, and other pests
- Provides good protection against light frost
- Good wind protection
- Allows air, light, and water to reach plants
- Can be used in early summer, and winter
- Great for early planting and helps to extend the growing season
Cons
- Not designed for harsh winters or very hot summer sun
- Little pricey
6. Tierra Garden Micromesh Tunnel Garden Cloche
The Tierra Garden Micromesh Tunnel Garden Cloche is a fantastic plant-protecting tool for home and commercial gardeners.
Made from high-density 0.6mm thick, 3-meter long (118-inches long x 24-inches wide x 18-inches high) ultra-fine mesh polyethylene, the row cover forms an ultimate barrier against birds, animals, insects, frost, and wind. The fabric is breathable and UV-stabilized, so it provides your plants with shade and moisture. When you need to ventilate your plants or check on their progress, the row cover has drawstring ends that give you easy access to your plants.
The rust-proof, galvanized steel hoops go easily into the ground and create a secure tunnel that keeps your plants in a safe environment while ensuring that their delicate foliage is not damaged.
Amazingly easy to set up, the tunnel row covers have a smart one-piece accordion-style design that opens easily and folds neatly away after use. You can tailor the cover to suit your needs; set the steel hoops along the entire length of the fabric or only use it for particular sections in your garden.
As well as the micromesh design, the row cover tunnel also comes in normal polyethylene, fleece, and netting. You can also choose from 2 sizes: standard size and giant size.
Pros
- High quality
- Great value for money
- Good price
- Highly versatile
- High-density 0.6mm ultra-fine mesh polyethylene
- Durable
- Ultra-fine mesh forms an ultimate barrier against insects, birds, animals, and frost
- Good wind resistance
- Breathable fabric allows air to pass through easily
- Green tint provides shade and retains moisture
- UV stabilized
- Smart foldup 1-piece accordion design
- Easy to install rust-proof, galvanized steel hoops create a sturdy and secure tunnel
- Highly versatile hoop design
- Easy to access drawstring ends
- Four types of material
- Standard and giant sizes available
Cons
- Not ideal for harsh winter or summer conditions
- Metal hoops are not very high
- Fleece material may not allow enough sun or water to get through
- Micromesh can tear on larger branches
7. Kasbon Plant Cover
Instead of using harsh pesticides to control insect damage, the Kasbon Plant Cover provides ideal coverage for fruit trees, raised bed vegetables, seedlings, and potted flowers.
Made from strong and durable non-woven polypropylene fabric, the Kasbon plant cover provides effective protection from frost, snow, hail, wind, low winter temperatures, harsh UV light, insects, pests, and birds.
Extremely versatile, the Kasbon plant cover can be used in multiple ways. Drape the 8 x 26-feet cover over individual plants and stabilize it with rocks. Spread it over a raised garden bed and secure it to the ground with the included 6 garden stakes. Create a fully enclosed grow tunnel with garden hoops (not included) and secure the ends with plastic ties. Cut the cover into various sizes to protect potted plants and herbs.
Your plants will receive the life-giving nutrients they crave as the breathable mesh allows light, moisture, and ventilation to filter through to your grateful plants. When you need to water or ventilate your plants, the sides of the cover can be lifted for easy access, and it is reusable.
Pros
- High quality
- Great value for money
- Very good price
- Perfect organic solution to insect control
- Strong, durable, and non-woven polypropylene fabric
- Provides effective protection from frost, snow, hail, wind, low winter temperatures, harsh UV-sunlight, insects, pests, and birds
- Lightweight and breathable
- Extremely versatile
- Can be used to cover individual plants, spread over a raised garden bed, as a grow tunnel, and cut into various sizes
- Comes with 6 garden stakes
- Sides can be lifted up for easy access
- Reusable
Cons
- Hoops are not included
- Extra layers are required for long term frost
8. Dalen Gardeneer Harvest-Guard Floating Garden Cover
Whether you want to protect germinating seeds, mature plants, or freshly planted grass seeds in your yard from frost, insects, and birds, the dual-purpose Dalen Gardeneer Harvest-Guard Floating Garden Cover provides complete garden protection.
The floating lightweight spun polypropylene fabric provides fantastic protection for your garden without damaging your delicate plants. It insulates your plants from frost, damaging winds, and devouring insects and birds.
Designed to improve germination by 100% the cover traps the right amount of light, heat, and moisture, so your plants will produce bigger better, and earlier crop yields. You can also use the row cover to extend the growing season.
Incredibly versatile, the 5 x 25-feet garden cover can be used for vegetable gardens, strawberry rows, sloped areas, difficult-to-seed areas, and even newly sown grass on your lawn. When the wild winds blow, you will need to use garden stakes or heavy rocks to keep the cover securely attached to the ground.
The Harvest-Guard row cover is easy to use. Just unfold it and cut the cloth to suit your gardening needs.
Dalen offers the floating row cover in a 1 or 2-pack. The row cover is covered by a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Pros
- High quality
- Great value for money
- Highly versatile
- Strong and durable spun polypropylene fabric
- Breathable fabric traps heat, light, and moisture to produce bigger, better, and earlier crop yields
- Protects against frost, insects, and birds
- Lightweight fabric floats over crops
- Perfect for both frost protection and seed germination
- Easier to use than straw
- Ideal for vegetable gardens, strawberry rows, sloped areas, difficult-to-seed areas, and newly-sown grass
- Can be used to extend the growing season
- Easy to use
- Available in a 1 or 2-pack
- 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- Thin material is not very windproof
- Not ideal for heavy rain or frost
Our Top Pick for the Best Row Cover
Our top pick for the best row cover is the Agfabric Floating Row Cover.
Whether you own a vegetable farm, an urban garden, or a suburban garden, the Agfabric row cover provides complete protection for your plants from seeding right through to harvest. The strong but lightweight floating fabric effectively shields your plants from harsh weather and voracious pests and insects.
Safe and happy under the protective blanket, your plants will flourish and you will be rewarded with a rich harvest.
Check the price on Amazon
