On Feb 28, 7:46 pm, desertgardener
wrote:
Of the different brands available, different weave and different
materials, what works best? Minimal shade, maximal ventilation, yet
keep the buggers out. Ideally reusable.

Hints about deployment? How tightly do the edges have to be sealed?
I'd like to just have a couple of rocks holding down the corners.

I use row covers when starting seeds in the spring. Keeps out birds
and bugs until the plants get established. I haven't tried using it
all summer but I think you'd run into several problems.
If you get light enough material so it won't get too hot under there,
it will tear easily. Unless you've got squash and cukes that don't
need pollination, your pollinators won't be able to get under there
either, and you won't get any fruit. It's hard to get fabric big
enough to cover a mature plant; I don't know what types you plan on,
but covering a mature zucchini or a sprawling cuke vine would be
tricky. The zucchini types I grow tend to have rather prickly stems
and leaf edges which would get caught on the very lightweight fabric.
I also find it very annoying not to be able to see what's going on
under there without uncovering the whole thing, then recovering
it...lot of work. You may not find it a bother.
That said, they provide great protection against critters. If you
want to try it, Peaceful Valley Farm Supply sells a big variety of
weights and sizes. I haven't done any cost comparison this year but
last time I bought it they were far and away the best price. Search
their site for Agribon.
If there's any wind in your area at all you'll need more than just a
couple rocks. It is pretty windy where I live and I have to weight the
stuff down with a brick about every two feet of row. I buy rolls about
6' wide for a 4' wide bed, and cut it off so there's about 18-24
inches of extra fabric at each end. Even with all those bricks we
once had a little-bitty dirt devil that ripped the fabric from under
the bricks and took off with it.
I have also found that very soft seedlings can be rubbed off if the
fabric is moving, as it does when the breeze comes up. I now hold it
up over my pepper seedlings, but I haven't had trouble with peas,
beans, corn, or greens.

Cyndihttp://www.gardenlist.com

Thanks. Very good advice. Yes, I was dreading having to do hand-
pollination, and having to pull the thing off whenever I wanted to
inspect or water (no drip system) and I actually had not considered
that these plants are indeed spiny enough that they would probably
snag on the fabric. Although I don't like pesticides much, I might
just spot-spray, or perhaps even paint, the large stems with Sevin or
maybe some pyrethrin. As long as I keep that stuff away from the
flowers (such that the pollinators don't croak, and the stuff isn't
all over the fruit) I guess it should be OK.

Wow, the source you pointed to is sure a major outlet for the Agribon
sheets which, it seems, is the definitive material here. Now I know
what to ask for! It even comes in different weights, which I had never
realized. I gather that the heavy stuff is for frost protection, while
the lighter weight stuff is for pest management.