Fleece - what to do with it?

[Caro]

Okay, it may seem very obvious to all you gurus (croppers, zen masters, slight underlings) out there, but is there a trick to fleecing your veg? I saw on another thread where someone said a bean had suffered as it "must have been too close to the fleece" Isn't that the point?

I've also got newspapers, I thought I might cover my potato sacks with. Anything I should know?

And finally, i have miniscule just germinated turnip and swede - should i fleece them too?

Thanks all

[oliveoyl]

No tricks... either wrap up or drape over. Don't know what the post you read quite meant.

Potatoes... I'd only cover the foliage if a light frost is predicted, if severe then wrap up sides and underneath if you can.

Swedes and turnips are hardy, but to be on the safe side as they are still small, it wouldn't hurt to cover them or put them somewhere sheltered.

[Caro]

OliveOyl,

Thank you so much for your reply. I think everyone else is too busy having fun on the "emergency - vegetables to grow when society comes crashing down and you have to be self sufficient" thread

I'd never thought about the sides of the potatoes. Looking out the window, I think we had a damp night, so no frost. But I'll remember your tips for next time. Probably tonight!

PS witht he fleece, do you tend to use single layer or fold it up to thicken it?

Thanks again

[womble]

That was my post, sorry I never got round to answering you.

Tbh, I'm certainly far from an expert in fleecing, you don't get that many opportunities to do it each year, although this year I'm learning alot.

When something goes wrong, you guess what happened. I guessed that the one french bean in the bed that died, was because it was touching the net curtain, which was under the fleece, I think it was touching both tbh.
-4, so it was cold.

I've had it before, where I've used net curtain on potatoes and draped it over the top, they have been badly frosted like that.

Apparently the fleece needs a layer of air underneath it to help keep the heat in. I've also used a sheet of cardboard and that has gaps all round it, but still seems to work OK.

I suspect there are better guides and more knowledgeable people around

[womble]

Looking out the window, I think we had a damp night, so no frost.

Too late, you need to be looking much earlier, I suspect you did have a frost. Get a min max thermometer to help you learn what the temp has been.

[oliveoyl]

It would depend on what the plants were re: layers... stuff like beans, sweetcorn, squash, that hate the cold, so I'd give them as many layers as I could if a frost was forecast.

Ah, know what you mean now Womble... not enough protection basically. Fleece has air built in, but the thinnest ones are only suitable protection for temperatures just around zero, when minus temps are forecast you need a few layers or thicker fleece.

[Caro]

Too late, you need to be looking much earlier, I suspect you did have a frost. Get a min max thermometer to help you learn what the temp has been.

Hi Womble, thanks for the reply. It's okay though, I covered everything up last night as there was a risk of frost. It's just this morning when I went out to uncover everything the fleece was wet and we must have had rain through the night.

Good point about the thermometer - I have a min/max one that I keep in the greenhouse, but of course that's a few degrees warmer, I guess, than outside. But I have been looking for an indoor/outdoor thermometer, so I'll make sure it records min & max when I do get round to it.

From everyone's comments, I'll try to layer up the fleece/newspapers as much as I can.

Thanks again, everyone.

[womble]

It was very wet here though as well and we didn't have any rain, just a heavy dew.

[tweety]

Hi,

this is a very interesting post... especially as I was wondering this morning about the correct use of fleece...
I left my runner beans and french beans in the plastic greenhouse for the 1st time yesterday. and eventhough the temp forecast was not that bad, I tought I'd make them cosy for their 1st night out ! I put 3 layers of fleece on top of them and the support canes. I don't know if this was too much, but they looked fine this morning.
I was planning on doing this for a few days, then a few days with 2 layers, then a few days with 1 layers, a few days with nothing and then planted outside. does this sound OK (this will provably be june by the time they;re planted outside) ?

thanks

ps : my 6 years old commented yesterdays after I put the fleece "the beans are camping in their tent ! I wish I could go camping too.."
how many layers do you wrap around kids ? I suppose they're light frost hardy !