There are many uses for tarps. From covering equipment to creating shelter, they are designed to be essential multipurpose tools you can utilize for whatever creative solution you can come up with. But did you know that tarps are also incredibly useful gardening tools? Not only can tarps protect your flowers, plants or crops, but they can also extend their growing season - allowing you to get an early start or helping you to add a bit of extra time at the end of the season. Let's take a look at how tarps can help you with your gardening.

How to Protect Plants with Tarps

One of the main benefits of tarps is that they provide excellent weather protection. Tarps can block out damaging UV rays, stop rain in its tracks and block wind from causing damage. During heavy rainstorms, you can secure tarps over a garden to make a shelter and direct rainwater runoff to a separate area. This can prevent your garden from flooding, which may loosen roots and soil and oversaturate plants with water. Similarly, tarps can be secured by tying the grommets to stakes, allowing them to provide wind protection during strong winds.

Tarps can also protect your plants from pests. A well-placed tarp will keep the majority of pests away from crops and other plants. Ladybugs, deer and other animals that love to feast on your plants won't be able to get close. With mesh tarps that allow sunlight to come through, you can extend your tarp placement for protection.

Extending the Growing Season with Tarps

Beyond plant protection, tarps can help you to extend the growing season. When the weather begins to warm up in the springtime, the soil begins to be ready for planting. However, cold spring nights can quickly stop efforts in their tracks. By tarping a garden overnight, you can keep less of the nightly chill from affecting your plant growth. This is also an effective solution for fall months where frost can form overnight and harm or kill plants. A cloth or canvas tarp is a great choice, and it should be snug against the garden - without crushing any of your plants.

Best Tarps for Gardening

Certain types of tarps fulfill certain purposes for gardening. Here's a summarized list of what tarps can help you and the benefits they provide.

• Poly Tarps: Poly tarps are excellent choices for protecting a garden. They often provide weather resistance, 100% UV resistance and block damaging winds quite well. They should not be used for extended durations as they can interfere with plant growth.
• Mesh Tarps: Mesh tarps are great choices for keeping out pests, as they still allow sunlight (and warmth) to make it through the tarp. They are not waterproof however and provide less wind resistance than vinyl tarps.
• Canvas Tarps: Canvas tarps are breathable and warm, making them good for keeping plants from freezing during cold nights and frigid mornings. They provide some water resistance but are not waterproof. Use them for extending growing seasons.

With these tips and suggestions, you can enhance your garden like never before. Be sure to browse the wide selection of tarps at Canopies and Tarps for solutions.