Don't Forget to Protect those Tender Transplants with Screen

And believe me, your tender transplants need protection–from all kinds of harmful factors! I garden in Central Florida where spring begins in February and the heat quickly follows–except for this month. Forty degrees in Florida in March? Are you kidding?

Last week was rough, but we made it through and are looking forward to a fabulous spring. However, without protection from days with too much sun and heat interspersed with chilly days, my protection system took on even more importance. How do I save my plants?

I cover them with screen. Since my tomatoes will eventually need support, I use a pup tent system to keep them covered. For my smaller plants that won’t grow as tall, I opt for a hoop style of screen support. Both methods work for the “hardening off” phase, that time when transplants move from the patio or greenhouse to the great outdoors and require a gentle transition. Because they’re not accustomed to the direct sunlight, you need to gradually introduce them to the intense heat.

This system also helps with bug protection. Bugs love warm weather and open spaces, and I have both. Screen minimizes both!

You can purchase screen material in rolls from your local hardware store–maybe even cut sheets–and the rest is self-explanatory. Simply measure the length of your bed to be covered, cut the fabric and cover your plants. In my garden, their are three posts that run the length of my tomato row, with twine pulled taut between them. This provides the support my plants will eventually need while providing an easy support for my screen pup tent.

Next, I stabilize my pup tent with anchor pins. These poke through the screen material quite easily and keep the screen in place and away from my plants. Caution: Heavy spring winds can rip the anchor pins from the soil, so check frequently and stabilize as necessary. We had a big windstorm last week and some of my babies were battered. Not good!