How to Use Horticultural Fleece

Co-authored by Eric McClure

Last Updated: January 3, 2020 References

Horticultural fleece is a type of woven fabric used to cover plants in the winter. It will trap some heat in the colder months while allowing air flow and moisture through to keep your plants healthy. It also has the added benefit of protecting plants from insects, pests, and predators. To use horticultural fleece, spread the fabric out over your plants and cut it to size. Leave a little slack in the fabric so that it doesn’t tear or weigh down your plants. Secure the fabric using stakes, clothespins, clips, or heavy objects.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Choosing the Right Fleece

1
Choose a standard fleece if it’s cold and windy in the winter. Standard horticultural fleece is made out of woven polypropylene. It typically weighs 0.8–1.2 ounces (23–34 g) per square foot. The heavier the fleece is, the more frost protection the fleece provides. Standard horticultural fleece typically protects plants from temperatures higher than 23–28 °F (−5 – −2 °C).^{[1]
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- You can buy horticultural fleece online or from a gardening store.
- If a plant doesn’t naturally thrive in colder temperatures, it will benefit from the protection of horticultural fleece. However, if your plants benefit from some frigid weather or need to enter a dormant period for a successful growth cycle, you’re better off leaving them uncovered.
2
Get a lightweight horticultural fleece if it stays warmer in the winter. If you live in an area that stays moderately warm in the winter months, opt for a lightweight fleece that weighs less than 0.8 ounces (23 g) per square foot. It won’t protect your plants from freezing weather but will keep your plants safe from insects. It will also filter sunlight so that UV rays don’t damage your plants. Opt for lightweight horticultural fleece if it typically stays warmer than 32 °F (0 °C) in the winter.^{[2]
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- Lightweight fleece is a good choice if you want to cover potting soil that you want to protect in warmer months as well.
3
Buy a woven mesh if you want to keep predators out. Woven horticultural mesh is typically made out of jute. It is thicker than standard and lightweight fleece, and won’t offer a ton of protection from the cold. However, it tends to keep rabbits, deer, foxes, and squirrels away from your plants. Get a woven mesh if you’re specifically worried about predators damaging your plants.^{[3]
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Royal Horticultural Society
Leading gardening charity in the U.K. providing resources for identifying, growing and caring for flowers and other plants

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- Woven mesh doesn’t technically count as a type of horticultural fleece, but it performs a similar function in terms of keeping unwanted pests out.
Biodegradable fleece comes in various sizes of prefabricated bags. It is used to protect root systems in the winter. As the weather freezes and thaws, the fleece degrades into a mulch-like material and will protect your plants before the spring growth cycle begins.^{[4]
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Tip: Biodegradable fleece is used differently than other horticultural fabrics. To use biodegradable fleece, dig your plant out using a trowel or shovel. Fill the bottom of the fleece bag with your excess soil and add your plant with the roots facing down. Then, replant the plant and tie it at the top. Let the bag degrade over the next 2-3 months.

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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Covering Garden Beds

1
Install row covers or build your own with rebar and PVC piping. Row covers are a sequence of hoops that gardeners use to hang horticultural fleece. To protect garden beds, purchase row covers online or at your local gardening store and stick the ends into the ground around your plants. Alternatively, you can embed 1–2 ft (0.30–0.61 m) lengths of rebar into the ground. Purchase lengths of soft PVC piping and bend them over the rebar to keep them in the ground.^{[5]
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- Spread each row cover out in 1–3 feet (0.30–0.91 m) intervals based on your preference. It doesn’t matter how much space there is between each hoop so long as your fabric stays in place.
2
Wrap your horticultural fleece over the row covers. Take your roll of horticultural fleece and unroll it over the row covers. Unravel enough fabric so that the fleece reaches the ground on both ends. Leave some slack in the fabric so that it sags a little between each row cover. Cut the fleece to size with scissors.^{[6]
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- The fleece shouldn’t be taut. If you pull the fabric tight, you may stretch it out and decrease the amount of protection it provides.
Tip: Horticultural fleece is extremely light and pretty easy to unravel. However, this process is much easier if 2 people hold the roll of fabric as you unravel it. Enlist the help of a few friends if you can.
3
Secure the fleece with clips, heavy items, or stakes. There are a variety of ways to secure horticultural fleece. If your row covers came with clips, clip the fabric at the bottom of each row cover to secure it in place. Otherwise, you can use tent stakes to dig the fabric into the ground. If you don’t want to risk ripping the fabric, place stones or bags of sand along the rim of the row covers to weigh the fabric down and keep it in place.^{[7]
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- The fabric shouldn’t blow off unless there’s a serious storm or predators mess with your garden. Replace the fabric as needed throughout the cold season.
- Remove the fleece at the beginning of spring by removing the heavy objects or stakes and lifting the fabric off. It’s pretty lightweight, so it shouldn’t be hard to remove.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Protecting Crops and Short Plants

1
Spread a roll of horticultural fleece over your crops or plants. To cover seeds, dormant crops, or plants shorter than 6 inches (15 cm), spread your horticultural fabric directly over your plants. Pull out a length that will completely cover the soil while leaving a little slack in between plants.^{[8]
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- The fabric should be a little loose to ensure that your plants aren’t pressed down into the ground.
Tip: You can use multiple sheets if necessary. If you do, make sure that each length of fabric has 4–8 inches (10–20 cm) of overlap.
You only need 12 inches (30 cm) of excess fabric around the rim of your soil to secure it. To trim the excess fabric off, use a pair of heavy-duty scissors. Alternatively, you can put a piece of wood underneath the fabric and use a utility knife to cut the fleece.^{[9]
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Royal Horticultural Society
Leading gardening charity in the U.K. providing resources for identifying, growing and caring for flowers and other plants

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3
Cover the edges with heavy items or stakes to keep the fleece down. To secure the fleece, use tent stakes to pin the fleece to the soil. If you don’t want to risk tearing the fabric, use small bags of sand, bricks, or some other heavy items to weigh the fabric down. Place one stake or heavy item every 12–24 inches (30–61 cm) to keep the fabric in place.^{[10]
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- Replace the fleece if it ever tears or rips.
- Remove the horticultural fleece at the beginning of spring by taking the clips or stakes out and lifting it off.
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Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Wrapping Taller Plants

1
Pack the base of the plant with straw or bubble wrap. For taller plants, the base of the plant requires a little extra insulation. To protect taller plants, spread straw around the bottom 6–18 inches (15–46 cm) of the plant. For plants with stronger stems or tree trunks, wrap bubble wrap around the base of the plant where it meets the soil.^{[11]
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- If your plant needs to be mulched in the winter, add your mulch before laying your straw or bubble wrap down.
Tip: Some people use straw as a plant cover if they’re in a pinch and don’t have access to horticultural fleece. For many plants, you can softly cover the plant in straw during cold months and simply remove it when the straw starts to decompose.^{[12]
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2
Drape the plant in your horticultural fleece. Spread a large sheet of horticultural fleece over the plant so that it falls down to the soil on each side of the plant. Tuck the fabric together around the base of the plant while leaving a little slack in the fabric so that it isn’t pulling your plant down. Cut the fleece with scissors to trim it to size.^{[13]
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- You have to use a separate sheet of fleece for each individual plant.
3
Pinch the fleece in place with clothespins or secure it with stakes. You can use tent stakes to pin the fabric along the base of the plant, although this may damage the roots depending on your variety of plant. You can also pleat the fabric together around the straw or bubble wrap and use clothespins to pinch it in place.^{[14]
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- Use multiple clothespins to ensure that the fleece stays in place.
- Take the ties or stakes off and lift the fleece off of each plant in early spring.
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