Whether cultivating tomatoes in northern Idaho or protecting leafy greens from a fast-moving hailstorm in Iowa, knowing how to build protective structures and grow in a more controlled environment can make gardening less stressful and more productive. Best-selling author and gardener Niki Jabbour explores all the under-cover options, from hoophouses that are meant to last years to a simple shadecloth tunnel that can be erected when there’s a hot spell in the forecast. She offers detailed information on selecting the protective structure that best suits the situation, how to set up the right kind of irrigation system inside the structure, when to vent it to prevent overheating, how to create passive heat sinks, how to hand-pollinate certain crops for better yield, and which vegetable varieties are actually bred to be grown in controlled environments. Much more than just about learning how to build shelter for vulnerable plants against routine environmental and pest damage,
Growing Under Cover
provides an entirely different approach to food gardening in an era of intensifying climate change.