20 Best Winter Cover Crop For Raised Beds (2023 Updated)

This product suited our needs greatly. We are not using this cover crop seeds for agricultural/farming purposes, but for aesthetic reasons only. The seeds were sown into our forest (pine, fir and oak trees) in early April.

They germinated within 4-5 days already and even survived a couple of snow/frosty days. Currently they are about 3-4 inches which is perfect for us so far. We are at zone 9 and this cover crop seems to be a good alternative for ground cover in the forest floor.

I bought this big bag bed junior and another fabric bed from another company. This one works great. The fabric was heavier and better quality and it stands on its own without the need for additional support.

(The raised garden bed I bought from another supplier needed a framework for support. ) To hold it upright while I filled it, I set several rocks at the edges. I forgot to count so after I got some dirt in, I was fishing around in the dirt looking for all the rocks.

I recommend doing what surgeons do and count. Or if you have two people, you won’t need the rocks. Once I got a couple of bags of potting soil in, it stood on its own. It looks real nice in my garden.

Because of a knee injury my husband found it difficult to bend & construct more raised beds, so we decided to try these. They’re not perfect, but they’re so easy. Not sure how long they will last, but at this price we can always buy more new one’s.

I would have liked it if the material was a tad bit more rigid. The edges flop around and the edges of the soil don’t always get watered as thoroughly as I would like. That’s the only fault I could find.

I have plans to buy more next year.

Big breathable for happy roots mychorrizae and microbial life. A whole ecosystem of life can exist where one had not provided you dont poison it. All chemical fertilizers pesticides and fungicides are destroying everything and must be illegal now.

It is public health.

A major piece turned up broken in the box (turns out many people on Amazon had the same issue). It took Robert Dyas ages to talk to VegTrug, who eventually sent me a replacement part. Except it turned out to be the wrong sized part from another product (probably the non- wall hugger variety).

Told Robert Dyas, who said they’d arrange a refund and collection. Then days later they needed photos. Then no contact for over a week so far. So I have a half-constructed product with the wrong replacement piece.

I don’t want it anymore. I don’t want another replacement part. I’m done with this thing. I’ve bought another raised planter that’s more sturdy, is made with better quality wood, is easier to construct and is happily doing its job while I wait for word of a refund and a collection.

I bought one a few weeks ago, put it together and love it. So I decided to buy another one as well as the herb planter. Put the herb planter together and was very happy. The disappointment came when after putting the second vegtrug together we were moving it into position on the Deck and one of the legs snapped in half.

I was really disappointed and upset. I really thought I had come across the perfect planter. I guess I should be happy nothing has happened with the other two planters. What’s the saying. two out of three ain’t bad? It’s OK to buy but, be careful the legs aren’t as tough as you might think.

There is a weak point in the legs at the junction between the cross bar and the upright- wood is half as thick due to the cut and is joined by a bolt. We get high winds here and the two of these we have have cracked through at the same point.

Unfortunately it’s not like having a three legged dog, this just falls over immediately. Complete waste of money. Buy the medium Vegtrug if you can fit them in, no comparison in the much higher quality of the product.

I wanted to install a few raised garden beds but didn’t want to buy lumber and screw it together. I wanted something that looked a little nicer but wasn’t super expensive. This product fits the bill perfectly! It’s made quite well and it very easy to assemble, and it’s made in the USA!!!!! I used a rubber mallet to gently tab the boards in place, and used a tape measure to make sure it was square and level.

Once filled up with dirt, it is very solid and will meet my needs. I’m very happy with this product! Tip: Before assembling the product, I put clear wood sealer on the exterior of the boards with hopes of extending the life of the boards.

I did not want to put chemicals on the inside of the boards since I’m growing vegetables but you could if you’re growing flowers etc.

I was enthusiastic about buying a product made in the US but my enthusiasm quickly fell. The quality is poor. The boards cracked and the top decorative cap completely cracked in half. The wood is rough.

For the cost of this product, it does not meet my expectations. I will comment that the product is easy to assembly. Unfortunately, I purchased two other beds from a company that produces them in China.

These beds are sturdier and better quality.

I was going back and forth between buying a garden bed and making one. For me and my skill level, it made sense to purchase this year! This bed came in good condition, a little splintery in places but nothing a small sand wouldn’t fix.

My main question/concern is getting the decorative corner pieces on. There is no way to connect them from the kit itself. Maybe wood glue or a double ended screw? Purchased a second bed regardless, I have many more plants to get outside.

I have used a similar product for keeping cabbage moths off my cruciferous crops—works well–if remember to tuck bottoms in and down and every other day–loosen cloth to allow for growth. This product seems to be the same material—so I expect the same good results.

Added benefit it deters deer and rabbits.

I bought this row cover to protect young plants during late spring frosts, and have not used it yet so I cannot verify its effectiveness. What I can say is it is not the advertised size. Instead of being 14 ft x 25 ft, it is actually 13 ft x 24.

5 ft. I can still use it for my garden, but am disappointed that it is smaller than advertised.

I bought this to use as a frost cover for my flowers but I haven’t got a chance to use it yet because I have not had a frosting since I received it. I did open it and check it out though it seems to be really good quality.

I’m pleased with it. I like how it comes in the big row so I can cut it down to whatever size I need for my individual flower beds. I would recommend this product.

I have 4 x 4 raised bed liners from several years ago and one from this year (2021). Neither actually measure 4 x 4. 45 inches is not four feet. 46 inches is not four feet. These were fine when I used it to block weeds.

But when it came to containing soil inside a wobbly and not contiguous 4 x 4 frame, they fail miserably. The old one left a gap of several inches at the corners, meaning that my precious compost/vermiculite/peat blend can easily leak out of the frame during a downpour.

I just got my new one, and it measures between 45 and 46 inches on one side. I’ll need to return it, and fashion something myself with landscape fabric. I would be incensed if I were stuck with a $40-55 product that isn’t the stated dimensions.

Gardeners, this is a great idea, but extremely poor execution.

Have someone handy to hold ends while you put the parts together. The set up is fairly simple, directions are by drawn pictures. The 3×4 elevated box will need 6 – 50# bags of Potting Soil, NOT DIRT.

This unit is not built for the weight of dirt; potting soil is the perfect medium for growing vegetables. I planted 3 tomato plants in the box and used the typical wire round tomato cages. While the tomato plants were small I planted Butter lettuce plants.

Those were harvested before the tomato plants got to a larger size. I received my 1st box 2 years ago as a Christmas gift and liked it so much I asked for another. After I put the second one together this spring I noticed that this box was on sale so I bought my third.

Going from tilling a one quarter acre to 3 – 3×4 boxes was a bit of a shock at first. But I don’t have children at home any longer (less mouths to feed), my husband can’t kneel since his knee surgery, I don’t have to set up a rabbit proof barrier as you do when you have a large garden plot, and I don’t have to till dirt before planting.

I built the raised beds over a grassy area. These helped me avoid having to dig up the grass before I started. It allows the water to drain through the material and I hope keep the grass from infiltrating the bed.

I wish the sides were taller. It was hard to fill the beds while keeping the sides from sliding down. It does keep the soil from sliding out between the bottom of the bed and normal landscape fabric.

I planted these seeds in late September into 4- 4’x 8′ raised beds (in Albuquerque) two with bare soil where nothing had grown for two years, and two with stubble from annual buckwheat grown earlier this summer.

Germination rate has been VERY disappointing, probably something like 30% and it’s now close to a month since planting and it’s already starting to get cold. There are probably only about a dozen plants in total that seem strong and healthy.

The only factor I can think of to explain this disappointment (other than not very good seeds) is that they were a year old when planted.

Planted my Hairy Vetch upon arrival about 2 weeks ago. Rather warm but dry Southern CT. fall weather has allowed all my cover crops o take off nicely! Garden cover planted a while ago is vibrant green and about 12 inches high! The wispy shoots of Hairy Vetch are catching up quickly.

This is the first time I have ordered the vetch as a separate cover. My wife loves the purple flowers in the Spring so I have sown a border edge as defense against weeds from open field next door. Will see how this works in the Spring.

I will try to send pics. Thanks so much for being such a great company to deal with. F Judd.

Started with this peas as my fall to winter garden it already sprouted in a week time. The seeds are very even matured size nothing is bigger or smaller, shrinked. We have seeded other fall crops too like carrots, beets, radish, kohlrabi, all of them have sprouted very fast.

Will keep buying from true leaf market for my summer gardens.

I have over 80 container plants and over the years I have tried many winter covers from many different manufacturers. The Agrabric plant covers are the very best I have found. They are thick enough to block wind, transparent enough to let light through to the plant, easy to use, and last through several seasons.

I highly recommend this brand, and now that I have found these covers I will only use them in the future. Highly recommend.

I bought the Agfabric Plant Cover believing that it would protect my fruit trees from hard freezes. I live in Zone 9b central Florida. We had a freeze here for four days and my trees ( I have 10) are heavily damaged and at least three are dead.

So, I do not recommend this product.

Awesome. I got it in 1 day before we were expecting a 2 day freeze. I ordered a large one in order to cover up a 7 wide staghorn that was going on 13 years old. It made it through the freeze with absolutely no damage.

Im impressed and would definitely recommend it.

I have been using these for several years during a late spring frost. They have provided shelter from hail, wind gusts, below freezing temperatures, and have given added protection to young crops, thousands of perennials and small budding trees.

My husband came up with a brilliant idea and used them to keep falling Autumn leaves out of our kayaks! I’m not sure why anyone would give these a low rating in terms of not being able to keep them in place.

I used landscape material anchors, and a few pavers to keep them in place. On the smaller bushes & lilac trees I wrapped them around them instead of on top, and then used my own rope to secure it. like a mummy, if that makes sense.

Overall, fantastic product that delivers and holds up to exactly what it was designed for, I just need more! Highly recommend!.

The size is excellent for my 4’x8′ raises garden. but 2 nights of 27° this week (early November in Pennsylvania) showed me that this does not truly give frost protection. The pole beans & pepper plants are dead.

I was hoping to get through next week’s mid 50 degree temps. Sigh.

Note: Walmart’s review process required that I check ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ on the issue of whether or not I would recommend this product in order to complete this review. I would have prefered to leave it blank as I wished to remain neutral on this issue.

This cover is very big and it is a breathable material, so do not expect it to be like a canvas or material that would not be porous. Liquids can pass through the material. It is not plastic, nylon or the like.

Do not attempt to clean this cover. There are no cleaning instructions provided with this product nor any recomendations as to whether or not one should attempt to clean it. We were forced to try to clean ours with mild laundry detergent after maintenance staff toxified our cover by spraying concentrated bleach all over our patio area while preparing the apartment above ours for future tenants.

After having cleaned this cover the material virtually disintegrated and became shredded.

Bought this to protect my roses, hostas, and other “deer food” from the herds of white tail deer roaming my neighborhood every night. The spray I used with limited success for years seems to loose its repellent taste.

So the “hoodies” seem to be then next best protection of the plants. They do not look very appealing and need some work to be installed, but they seem to work at least for the last 2 months I have started to use them.

Cannot say anything about their long-term effectiveness and durability. Deer learns how to deal with guards. They do not let butterflies or bumble bees reach the pollen on the flowers under the cover, but there are sufficient other plants that help them out and that do not need deer protection.

Hard to find size,Walmart was only one of two places I could find selling this. And they had the best price. Service was good and item arrived quickly. Great plant protector, design updates make it even better than the one I bought years ago.

These pest control covers for my plants have worked so well. I highly recommend them. They are easy to work with and quick to put up. One caveat, a bird got underneath the cage and then couldn’t get out.

Fortunately, he was not hurt and by lifting the side for him he was able to just fly out.

I have tried a bunch of other types of ground cover and this stuff is by far the best! I rolled this out in sections last year and left it exposed to the sun while deciding on my options for landscaping.

Weeds did not push through it despite the fact there were no wood chips or anything on top. I used some cheap stuff in other area of my yard, left exposed as well, and the stuff either disintegrated or acted as a greenhouse with tons of weeds growing under it.

This purchase was to extend the same product I bought last year. Dewitt 20 year will be the only weed barrier I ever use.

DeWitt weed barrier is an excellent product that I have used many times over the years in various landscaping projects. I’ve used it under shredded redwood bark, fir bark chips, river rock, and pea gravel.

In all applications it has worked exceptionally well and I have found it to be durable and long lasting. I highly recommend.

The product works perfectly. We have used it for years. It prevents weeks from growing. We have used it in flower gardens and vegetable gardens. We have used it in walk ways in the garden. It is a great product.

Strong stuff. I used it to cover squash plants for 3 or 4 weeks in hope of delaying the squash vine borer getting to them. Plants got plenty of light and rain and water hose got through. The plants grew very well.

Very good quality product – much more durable/robust than the stuff sold in stores locally, and is better quality than the landscaping fabric I’ve used in the past. Water will run through it, but it’s dense enough that water will flow over/across it as well (just like hard packed soil).

Texture is more like vinyl than cloth and as such I expect that it will last much longer than the flimsy / cheap stuff that we’ve bought in the past. I just ordered a 2nd one online and will do in store pickup this time around.

Tip: I went with the widest roll available so to reduce overlap between strips.

You get what you pay for is the old saying. It may be expensive but it’s the best on the market. Home Depot’s price is comparable to all other dealers selling the identical product, the difference is the quality of service and ease of ordering on Home Depot’s web site.

Nothing easier.

The material is very heavy duty and just what I was looking for. I used it on the ground under a deck that I just built and then covered it in 3/4 stone to keep weeds and animals out. It seems heavy enough that it should keep the weeds down, and also keep the stone from sinking into the ground.

I bought this enclosure for one of my 3 lifetime beds and the hardware parts were missing. I sent an email and within hours I was told the parts are on their way. I’ve had the beds for 4-5 years. now and they are great.

The enclosure is to give my green beans a chance since the local rabbits seem to love them. I always look to this brand when I need gardening/outdoor items.

Delivery of the 2 enclosures I ordered was very prompt, the packaging was the best I’ve ever seen. My 2 raised beds were bought in 2011 and the covers held up until last year (used them about 3 mos. every year).

The new replacements are well made and fit perfectly. The only issue (accounting for 3 stars instead of 5) I have is that my original covers had 2 zippered openings, the new ones only have one opening.

Very difficult to reach everything for planting, harvesting and, watering from only one side! Will have to undo Velcro straps to reach the other end every time, a major drawback, very disappointing and frustrating! In every other way this is a great product.

I have had two raised gardens now for almost 5 years. I ordered a 2nd cover so that I could cover both the raised beds. They have done very well to protect my spring crops but I had to replace them after we had a bad hail storm, as it ripped holes into the plastic.

Now I will have to replace them again before spring comes. Also do not leave them out during the winter time as the plastic will get brittle and be more subject to hail tearing through them even more easily!.

I cover my veggie seed plantings in late winter to get a big jump on spring. Here in Fayetteville NC, we have big fluctuations in temperatures in the spring. I planted in mid Feb. things like peas, carrots, beets, onions, radishes, spinach, and put of seedlings of broccoli, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, and cabbage.

Normally we’ll get some really warm, mild weather, following by crushing freezes. With the garden quilt, all my veggies came through temps down in the low 20s with no damage. Now it’s only April 17 and I have peas blooming and almost a foot tall while others are just planting.

This is a big deal because once it does get warm, it gets to hot quickly, so the cool season vegetables don’t usually do well here. I also successfully seeded dill and parsley, which normally won’t come up in cool soil, but it’s plenty warm under the garden quilt.

I also used it last fall to still have a late season of peas in Nov/Dec. and late season Chinese cabbage and Asian huge radishes. I highly recommend it. The only caveat is that rain doesn’t really soak through well, so if you have it on, you will need to remove it every 5 days or so to give what’s under it a good watering.

I often use the earth staples along one side, as they are very secure, but then a long metal stake laid sideways along the other side as it’s very easy and quick to remove.

My husband and I assembled two gigantic cedar raised beds in our backyard about a month ago. Tall enough to keep the bunnies from getting to my veggies, but the concern about summer high wind/hard rain/hail storms damage was still an issue.

Anything growing in your yard here is vulnerable to destruction from the storm we occasionally have during the summer. I knew row cover was the way to go, and we had to be creative. My husband come up with the idea of installing tent poles.

We calculated that I needed a 12’x12′ cover, and it needed to be a sturdy quality product for me to sew on. I ordered two 12’x20′ Garden Quilts and cut them to 12’x12′, and spent all day in my large sewing room creating two of the covers you can see in the photo.

They are a bit bulky to deploy, but I got both set up and secured in about 20 minutes, about two hours ahead of a storm. When the wind and rain came through, I was literally jumping up and down with excitement to see how well they performed to protect my wonderful produce, especially my tomatoes.

Next morning, I removed the covers, folded them and stashed them for the next storm. I know they will last me for many years. Garden Quilt deserves 100 stars!.

I have used this fleece to cover/protect my chilliest, broad bean seeds from the rain and strong winds. The fleece has done a brilliant job. The chilliest have turned red and the broad beans seeds have all germinated.

I have give this product 4 stars because I have not tried this product during frosty nights.

Many thanks for the speedy delivery of your 30g fleece. A really substantial product, and such an improvement on any fleece which I have bought from a garden centre. The 2. 4m is perfect for my over wintering plants in the greenhouse.

I look forward to being able to order the 4m width for outside veg beds.

Very very good product. Strong versatile for any use in the garden. Have used it to cover strawberry plants and to line too half of greenhouse. Really pleased.