Plantation improvement through Garden Fabric

Garden Fabric- A tool of safe orchards growing

Garden Fabric, (often referred as landscape fabric or yard textile) is the barrier in plants’ beds that restrains plants and other crops to cross this boundary and reach the underground mud. This fabric is placed as a coating on the upper ground soil earlier than fertilizing the plants and adding fine soil to their roots. It also prevents the dirt and mud splashes to enter the buds and roots of the plants. The walking passages near fresh grown crops also pollute them and garden fabric minimizes the negative effects of such contamination. 

Fabric protection is preferred over the use of plastic sheets, due to the following positive points:

• It is more durable and easy to handle.
• Effective in maintaining the temperature of soil. 
• Do not create obstacles for air and water flow.
• Enhanced safeguarding of agricultural products from pollen and other infections.

Types of Garden Fabric

Various types of garden fabric is been used for crop protection and to enhance their growth. Some of these types are discussed here;

• Landscape Fabric

The quality of this landscape fabric is high and it is long lasting. It is widely used in professional horticulture, outdoor gardens, greenhouses and plants’ nurseries. Landscape fabric is mostly used above ground, but for the purpose of soil steadiness, it is sometimes also used underground. This type of fabric can be cut easily by cutter or scissors. So the size of fabric can be altered as per the requirements of garden or plant rows.  

• Agricultural Fabric

This fabric is applied on large rows of plants or weeds. Different types of agricultural fabrics are used for different purposes. Some are weed hampering, frost safety, plant loss control, issues related to water drainage, stabilization of ground soil, insect prevention. Apart from these basic uses, agricultural fabric is also used for furnishing purpose of orchards. 

• Drainage or Filtration Fabric

This type of fabric is made up of polypropylene. Its uses are for soil stabilization and water filtration while passing through the buds of plants. Filtration fabric lets water pass through the roots of crops and plants but keeps the soil separated and stabilized. It is also used for immense drainage issues such as blanket drain. This fabric is also applied at pathways and highways for drain control.

• Water Preamble Fabric

A fabric applied to safeguard the above and underground soil surfaces and to protect any damage caused by gardeners, children or the passerby in case of applying excessive water to the plants.    

• Summer-Weight Fabric

This fabric is very light in weight. It does not prevent heat as much as many other sort of garden fabrics. This is why once it is applied on the plants; it is good for all seasons during a year. This is also used as bird net and aids to the protection of crops from damages caused by birds. Rain water can pass through this net easily. This sort of fabric has the ability to pass 85% of the sunlight to plants. 

• Garden-Quilt Fabric

The garden-quilt fabric is made up of polypropylene fibers. It is comparatively thicker than other garden fabrics. It blocks 40% of the sunlight and transmits only 60% to the plants. It has the ability of frost protection below 24 degrees Fahrenheit temperature. This fabric is also used as bird net and it is mostly applied in the reaping season of crops. 

• Shade-Net Fabric

The overheating effect of sun beams can badly damage plants. This special fabric is made up of ultra-violet rays prevention ability. It brings down the adverse effects of sun beams up to 50 percent.   

Application of garden fabric in spring or crops reaping season

Garden fabric is often applied when the crops are ready to be cultivated, or the plants are in fruits reaping season. Farmers or gardeners can directly apply this fiber either to the ground soil surface or it is wrapped as a cover or flower support net over the buds and rows. The stretching of fabric material is not required in case it is applied over or under the soil. This allows easy growth and expansion of the crops. The fabric is pushed upward when the plants are upsized. On the other hand when it is applied over the hoops, or particularly used as flower support net, the fabric is stretched tight and clipped on the sides. The temperature of this netting is observed particularly when seasons change. If damages of plants are seen due to overheating effects, the fabric may be removed at once. Light weight fabric may be used for insect prevention near cultivation season. 

Most of the times, garden fabric can be used for two seasons. Also there are few types of fabric that can be used more than twice such as garden-quilt and shade-netting fabric. The life of fabric can be increased by taking care of it especially in windy season, by tightening its edges and clipping securely on all the sides. Wooden support frames can also be used when the fabric is used as overlay netting. 

The major benefits of the uses of garden fabrics are:

• It is effective in hostile weed control.
• The fabric restrains growing of unwanted weeds and plants along with the main crops.
• Insects and bugs prevention protects plants from various diseases.
• Temperature control of soil protects crops from overheating damages.
• Increased crops yield.
• Transmits 50% to 70% of sunlight to the plants, and reduce the negative effects of sun beams.
• Stabilizes the layers of soil.
• Protection of crops, flowers and other plants from frost impairment below 24 to 28 degrees Fahrenheit temperature.
• Decreases crops damage thorough bird control as bird net is also a side-use of garden fabric.