Best Frost Cloth for Vegetables: Four Row Cover Listings Compared

ByKen

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Frost cloth for vegetables is a lightweight, non-woven row cover that you lay over crops on cold nights to hold in some heat. The best frost cloth for vegetables depends on the fabric weight, the size you need, and how much light your crops still need. This guide compares four frost cloth listings and sets out what two extension sources say about row cover weight and frost protection. It does not claim that any one listing protects a crop from a specific temperature.

Quick answer

  • The Washington State University publication says light row covers of 0.45 oz per square yard “do not provide any frost protection,” and that medium weight covers of 0.50 to 0.55 oz are the most common type.
  • The University of Maryland extension page describes row cover as a white, lightweight, non-woven fabric that lets air, sunlight and water through.
  • The four listings range from 0.9 oz to 2.2 oz per square yard, and their sizes run from 10 by 30 feet down to 47.2 by 70.8 inches.
  • The two sources give different weight-to-protection figures, so the guide does not pick a single fabric weight as correct.

How we chose

We began with four frost cloth listings that came up for this keyword. Each one was checked against its own title and bullet points. The Garutom 2-pack listing in the 48 by 72 inch size gives 2.2 oz fabric in both its title and its bullets, so there is no conflict there. The Garutom rectangular listing gives 1.1 oz in both places. The MIXC listing gives 1.77 oz and a 47.2 by 70.8 inch size in its title and bullets. The Valibe listing gives 10 by 30 feet in its title and 0.9 oz in its bullets. None of the four listings conflicts with its own title on size or weight.

We did not drop any listing. Each one is a frost or row cover fabric that the bullets describe for protecting plants from cold, and each one names vegetables, shrubs or tomatoes in its bullets. Frost cloth is a broad category, so this set includes both drawstring plant jackets and long rolls. Those are different formats, and the guide describes each as the listing does rather than treating them as the same thing.

The products, in the order the listings were checked:

Why fabric weight is the main variable

Both extension sources treat fabric weight as the main variable. The University of Maryland page says that row cover “is a white, lightweight, non-woven fabric made from spun-bonded polyester or polypropylene,” and that it “allows air, sunlight, and water to easily penetrate.” It gives a weight band of 1.5 to 2.2 ounces per square yard, and says that band “allows 30% to 50% light transmittance and gives up to 8°F of frost protection.” It also says the material “can be easily cut to size with scissors and reused for 2 to 3 years.”

The Washington State University publication uses different weight bands. It says light covers at 0.45 oz per square yard “allow 90% light transmission and are commonly advertised as insect barriers, but they generally do not provide any frost protection.” Medium covers, at 0.50 to 0.55 oz, “allow 85% light transmission and frost protection down to 28°F.” Heavy covers, at 0.90 to 2.0 oz, “allow 30%-50% light transmission and frost protection down to 24°F-28 °F.” It also advises that a cover of at least medium weight is needed for a durable cover that lasts several years.

The two sources do not agree on the protection figure for the heavier band. UMD puts the 1.5 to 2.2 oz range at up to 8 degrees Fahrenheit of protection, while WSU puts the 0.90 to 2.0 oz range at protection down to 24 to 28 degrees. The guide cannot reconcile these, so it reports both as the sources state them.

Against that background, the listing weights are: 0.9 oz for the Valibe listing, 1.1 oz for the Garutom rectangular listing, 1.77 oz for the MIXC listing and 2.2 oz for the Garutom drawstring listing. The WSU text places 0.9 oz in the heavy band, and the UMD text places 2.2 oz in the top of its band. The guide does not state what protection any listing gives in degrees, because the listings do not say it and the sources do not test it. The MIXC bullets give a range of 3 to 8 degrees Fahrenheit as a recommendation, and the guide reports that as the listing’s own claim.

Size and layout

The size differences matter more than the bullets suggest at first glance. The Garutom drawstring listing and the MIXC listing are sized for individual plants or shrubs, with drawstrings to close the cover around the stem. The Garutom rectangular listing and the Valibe listing come on long rolls that can be laid over a bed and held down with soil, stones or staples. The Valibe bullets say the cover can be supported “with a hoop,” and the Garutom rectangular bullets say the cover can be supported with hoops and add that the cover can be placed “loosely on the plants with stones, soil, or staples.”

The UMD page describes the same practice: row cover can be cut with scissors and reused. The WSU publication gives an installation approach that is not in any of the four listings, and the guide does not add its details beyond what it says. The sources do not say how many years a given product will last, so the guide does not claim a service life for any listing.

For a raised bed of vegetables, the long-roll listings give more coverage per purchase. For a few tall plants or a shrub, the drawstring jackets are the closer match. The listings do not say how many plants each cover will fit, and the guide does not estimate that number.

Light and growth

Light transmission is the trade-off. The UMD page says the 1.5 to 2.2 oz range allows 30 to 50 percent light transmittance. The WSU publication says 0.50 to 0.55 oz covers allow 85 percent light transmission. The listings give different light figures. The two Garutom listings say they transmit 85 percent of available light, and the MIXC listing says it allows 40 to 60 percent light transmittance. The guide reports these as the listing figures and does not decide which is right for a given crop.

The Valibe bullets say the cover allows sunlight to reach the plants and that it can help with germination and seedling growth. Those are the listing’s claims. The sources do not say that frost cloth speeds germination, so the guide does not repeat that claim as fact.

What we could not verify

What the sources do not say

  • Neither source names a product or ranks the four listings. The guide does not rank them.
  • The UMD and WSU figures for protection in degrees come from different weight bands. The guide does not state which band a specific listing belongs to beyond its listed weight.
  • The sources do not give a protection figure for any of the four listings, because none of them tested those products.
  • The sources are written for field and garden use in their own regions. They do not address how a drawstring jacket performs on a shrub in a windy site.
  • The sources do not give a reusable life in seasons for the lightweight listings. The UMD page gives 2 to 3 years for its material in general.
  • The Garutom and Valibe listings give fabric in “oz/sq yd” and “oz/yd²” units. Those are the same unit written two ways, but the guide reports each figure as the listing states it.

Frequently asked questions

Does a light row cover protect vegetables from frost?

The WSU publication says light row covers at 0.45 oz per square yard generally do not provide frost protection. They are commonly used as insect barriers. Medium and heavier covers are the ones the publication connects with frost protection.

Which fabric weight should I look for?

WSU advises a cover of at least medium weight, 0.50 to 0.55 oz per square yard, for a durable cover. UMD gives a 1.5 to 2.2 oz band for overwintering crops. The two sources use different bands, so the guide does not give a single answer.

Can frost cloth be cut to size?

Yes. The UMD page says row cover can be cut with scissors. The Garutom and Valibe listings also say their covers can be cut to fit.

How should frost cloth be held in place?

The Garutom and Valibe bullets say to secure the cover with stones, soil or staples, or to support it on hoops. The drawstring listings say to close the drawstring around the stem.

Does frost cloth block all light?

No. The listings and the sources all describe the fabric as light-transmitting, with figures from 30 percent to 85 percent depending on weight.

Sources

  • University of Maryland Extension, “Vegetable Garden Weather and Pest Protection,” https://extension.umd.edu/resource/vegetable-garden-weather-and-pest-protection (fetched 2026-10-29)
  • Washington State University Extension, “How to Install a Floating Row Cover (FS089E),” https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/2071/2014/04/Install-a-Floating-Row-Cover-FS089E.pdf (fetched 2026-10-29)

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