Non woven geotextile fabric application: frost protection fleece

 

All you need to know about how to choose the best frost protection fleece for plants, trees, shrubs, and crops. Ensure plants are protected from wind, cold, frost, and harsh winter weather. Learn about non woven geotextile fabric application with Synwin non woven fabric manufacturer.

 

What is a non woven geotextile fabric frost protection fleece?

 

Frost protection fleece - also known as garden fleece, horticultural fleece, crop covers - is a thermal insulation material made of spunbond fabric that can be applied to plants, shrubs, trees and crops to prevent frost, wind and cold weather. They are used to cover fragile plants in winter, as a shelter against late spring frost, and as a barrier against garden pests such as pigeons, blackbirds, and squirrels. They also allow for growing crops earlier in the year - in most cases, two weeks before undiscovered crops.

 

Why use a non woven geotextile fabric frost protection fleece in the garden?

 

A frost protection fleece forms a thermal barrier around young plants and crops to prevent damage caused by sudden temperature drops at night. In many countries, nighttime frosts not only occur in winter, but may last until May or June, and then start in October, leaving many opportunities for frost to harm vulnerable plants. Unlike plastic sheets, which are often used to protect crops in winter, these garden fleece made of spunbond fabric is a breathable material that can both insulate and ventilate to prevent plants from overheating and ensure healthy air circulation.

 

What kind of non woven geotextile fabric frost protection fleece is best for a garden?

 

As with all garden-related questions, there is no one simple answer to this question. It really depends on the situation and set up. Many gardeners buy certain lengths of frost protection fleece by the roll - simple sections of spunbond fabric - placing it directly on plants and crops, or wrapping it around shrubs and trees. Others purchase or make fleece covers which can be placed in fruit cages, cloches, or plantations to protect winter crops. Then there are also fleece jackets designed to fit snugly against an individual shrub, plant, or tree. This is before we consider the key issue of the number of GSM...

 

What is GSM in frost protection fleece? Why is it important?

 

The insulation capacity of a frost protection fleece is graded by weight in grams per square meter or GSM. In short, the higher the GSM, the “warmer” the fleece, and the lower the temperature it will protect. Lightweight fleece is about 17gsm and can protect down to about -2c. Most garden fleece on the market is a so-called "heavy load" spunbond fabric between 30-35gsm, which is suitable for around -4c. Personally, when it comes to plant care, the motto “better safe than sorry” applies, which means choose a fleece with higher GSM to provide higher security on very cold winter nights. In rare cases, you may see fleece jackets weighing up to 100gsm, although these jackets are more specialized items and are typically only necessary for things that would never normally grow in extremely cold environments such as potted tropical plants.

 

What are the advantages of using non woven geotextile fabric frost protection fleece?

 

Raising temperatures

 

A frost protection fleece works by warmth from the sun, increasing temperatures by a few degrees, compared to uncovered plants. This can advance the maturity or flowering period by about two weeks.

 

Wind protection

 

Wind often hinders the growth of plants in gardens like the temperature. If the spunbond fabric is properly anchored, it can avoid wind pressure (mechanical stress and water loss), thereby increasing growth rate.

 

Managing difficult soils

 

A frost protection fleece can resist the effects of heavy rain and protect the soil to a certain extent from mechanical damage, because mechanical damage can lead to significant surface compaction, thereby limiting seed emergence and seedling growth.

 

Pest protection

 

The fleece used as a physical barrier can effectively exclude pests. Insect nets made of spunbond fabric are a variant of the garden fleece that usually provides protection against insects without significantly increasing temperature, but has good protection against wind and hail.

 

What are the disadvantages of frost protection fleece?

 

Having read this far, you might ask: why not buy a pack of 100gsm frost protection fleece to cope with all possible things? Alas, it's not that simple! First, plants need sunlight, and the thicker the wool, the less sunlight can then penetrate. Second, plants need ventilation and air to ensure overall health and prevent diseases and pests, which would occur if high humidity is maintained for a long time. Ultra-thick wool has poor porosity, making plants susceptible to diseases such as downy mildew and Botrytis without careful monitoring. From a practical perspective, 100gsm of wool is more expensive, and its thickness and weight make it difficult to use as a plant cover. For us, 30-50gsm wool provides an ideal compromise, providing protection from cold weather, taking into account the unpredictable and sometimes harsh climate, but allowing sufficient sunlight and air circulation to ensure plant health.