Quote:
Originally Posted by Cole_Robbie
I don't think a fabric that can 'breathe,' so to speak, can have an r-value, or much of one, but yet that breathing trait makes it superior to poly as a plant cover outside or in a high/low tunnel. The earth gives off humidity, too, as do plants, and that moisture needs to go somewhere.
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Aha
You need a piece of the stuff to play with Cole. It does breathe - but not as much as you think. Humidity and heat are trapped inside pretty well in spite of the (very small) pores in the fabric that breathe. It makes amazing seedbed cover - perfect conditions for germination. The 'breathing' is only enough that it doesn't collect condensation or turn into a cooker. Warm and moist but not drippy. The thickness of the fabric and fineness of the fibers seems to tune the flow of heat and moisture pretty perfectly...
Different weights work differently too, I have to say, and quality varies a lot. I have a bunch of cover which I got from the farm when they replaced theirs and were throwing it away. Yes the pieces were torn in places and dirty but lots of good stuff for a garden of my size. And the quality is really nice compared to the Dollar Store stuff. I washed a bunch of it and it was perfectly good for my needs, still using after 3 years or more... (no, tatters don't bother me
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