Plants need oxygen and sunlight to grow, but they also need protection from pests, weeds, and cold weather. Sometimes, the soil quality needs improvement, too.
Accomplishing all these things at once can be tricky, but it’s possible when you find the best plant covers. You must simply make a wise investment in one of the best plant covers available! We’ll tell you about them.
Our Top Picks
Best Overall:
Valibe Blanket Plant Cover
Budget-Friendly:
Planket Frost Protection Plant Cover
Best Splurge:
Nuvue Winter Snow & Ice Cover
Best Overall
Valibe Blanket Plant Cover
Valibe found a great way to balance protection with insulation, which is why we say it’s the best plant cover. The polypropylene fabric blocks pests, frost, and harmful UV rays from reaching your garden, but it’s still breathable enough to accept sunlight.
Also, despite the fact that one sheet is large enough to cover a tree, it’s very lightweight. With its versatility, you can either lay it directly on top of your plants, tie it around a tree, or prop it up with stakes.
Product Features
- Made from polypropylene fabric
- Measures 10′ x 30′, though other sizes are available
- Weighs 1.87 lbs.
Pros
- Breathable without repelling sunlight
- Versatile
- Large
- Sufficient for year-round use
Cons
- The material is thin and may be damaged easily
- It may only last for one year
- Stakes must be purchased separately
Budget-Friendly
Planket Frost Protection Plant Cover
Knowing that plants are especially vulnerable in cold weather, the Planket has created one of the best plants covers on the market for a bargain price. It aims especially at protecting plants from frost, snow, sleet, and wind, though it’s suitable for early spring weather as well.
The material is durable and hardy enough to withstand rough weather, deter pests, and keep your garden both insulated and ventilated.
Product Features
- Made from nonwoven fabric
- It comes in both round and rectangular shapes, measuring anywhere from 6′ around to 6′ x 50′
- Weighs 7.2 oz.
Pros
- Lightweight
- Durable
- Built-in cinch-cord allows for easy setup
- A variety of shapes and sizes allows for use multiple uses
- The hole at the top is perfect for hanging plants
- Budget-friendly price
Cons
- Stakes and pegs are sold separately
- In high winds, you may also need stakes, stones, or bricks to keep the cover on
- Not the best material for warm or hot weather
Best Splurge
Nuvue Winter Snow & Ice Cover
If you’re not concerned about cost, then consider treating yourself to the Nuvue plant cover. Though not the most expensive product on the market, it’s certainly on the pricier side.
However, its remarkable resistance to tearing, ripping, and other types of damage places it among the best plant covers you could hope to buy. Water and sunlight seep through easily while it repels pests, frost, and winds.
Product Features
- Comes in various sizes ranging from 22″ x 22″ x 22″ to 52″ x 52″ x 54″
- Weighs 2.44 lbs.
- Comes with stakes
Pros
- Highly durable
- Insulative
- Easy setup
Cons
- Stakes, rods, and hoops break easily
- Ties are short
- Collapses under heavy snow
- Not particularly big
Tierra Garden Haxnicks Easy Fleece Tunnel
Perhaps your greatest concern is finding the best plant cover to use all year round. In that case, Tierra Garden can help.
Their polypropylene fleece cover is prized for its durability and capacity for insulation, while its drawstring lets you decide how to ventilate the plants and soil beneath. That’s handy for dealing with fluctuating temperatures and humidity from season to season.
Product Features
- Made from polypropylene fleece
- 11.8″ long
- 18″ wide
- 12″ tall
- Weighs 1.5 lbs.
Pros
- Excellent at keeping plants warm
- Drawstring gives control over ventilation
- Easy to set up
- It comes with steel hoops
Cons
- Not very durable it rips easily
- Not big enough to protect taller plants
- Not as good as other covers at letting sunlight through
Supreme Plant Protection Cover
Gardening takes a lot of time and effort, so you may appreciate a plant cover that can be set up quickly and easily. The best plant cover for this is the Supreme Plant Protection Cover. The fabric is large but lightweight and only needs gardening pins to anchor it.
Since the fabric is formulated to block most UV rays and withstand harsh weather, it can make harvest time last longer. When you don’t need it, just roll it into its plastic sleeve for unobtrusive storage.
Product Features
- Made from UV-treated fabric
- Available in either 6′ x 25′ or 6′ x 50′
- Weighs 1.5 oz.
- It comes with 32 to 60 garden pins
Pros
- Extremely lightweight
- Highly durable
- Well-ventilated
- Large enough to cover trees
- Fabric is formulated to block most UV rays
- Garden pins can be repurposed if you don’t apply all of them to the cover
Cons
- Garden pins could easily get lost
- It doesn’t come with hoops
- Not the best option for warmer weather
Medoore Natural Burlap Tree Protector
As a gardener, you likely maintain some concern for the environment. If you want a product that can relieve your concerns, then Medoore’s burlap protector may be the best plant cover for your garden.
Made from jute skin, burlap is known as a sustainable material that can also provide insulation and resist moisture damage. You can use it for about three to ten years; that’s generally how long burlap takes to decompose.
Product Features
- Made from burlap
- 7.8″ wide
- 9.8′ long
- Weighs 9.1 oz.
Pros
- Eco-friendly
- Breathable
- Water-resistant
- Leftover burlap can be repurposed
Cons
- Works best for wrapping trees
- Releases fibers when washed
- Eventually decomposes
- Some pests can eat the fibers
SYITCUN Plant Cover Domes
Are there specific plants that you’re especially worried about protecting? SYITCUN offers some of the best plants covers for that.
Each cover acts like a miniature greenhouse, insulating your most precious plants in cold weather. There’s also an air vent at the top, which you can adjust according to your plant’s needs.
Product Features
- Made from plastic
- 13.2″ in diameter
- 11.8″ tall
- Weighs 2.25 lbs.
- It comes with 18 pins
- It comes with ten planting labels
Pros
- Focuses on individual protection
- Adjustable air vents
- You can use labels to keep track of plants
Cons
- Garden pins may be easy to lose
- Not big enough for large plants or trees
- Plastic is thin enough to be punctured or swept away without proper anchoring
What to Consider in a Plant Cover
Any of these plant covers would be a wonderful choice for your garden. However, for this and future choices, there are certain characteristics that all the best plant covers will have, so you should prioritize them over all others. We’ll explain which ones to consider most heavily.
Breathability
Oxygen is essential for plants to survive. The best plant covers find a way to insulate and shield your plants while encouraging airflow. Otherwise, your plants will die from suffocation. The same breathability also lets water drop inside.
There isn’t much point in preventing damage from pests and cold weather if your plants can’t breathe or receive water.
UV Blockage
Like oxygen, sunlight is an indispensable resource for healthy plants. However, plants can suffer burns and dehydration from UV rays, just like people do. All the best plant covers are treated with to repel UV rays so that your garden remains unharmed while getting the sunlight it needs.
Durability
The purpose of every plant cover is to guard your plants against pests and harsh elements, but that means they’re taking on lots of damage.
None of them will last forever, but the best plant covers are durable enough to stay good for at least a year. Check whether the plant covers that interest you can resist damage from moisture, heavy snow, insects, spiders, birds, and sharp tools.
Ease of Use
You probably don’t have the time or inclination to spend hours fiddling with a plant cover. The one that you pick should have a simple setup and takedown process. Also, once you’ve put it up, you shouldn’t have to worry much about whether it will stay put.
Adjustability
You may want to use your plant cover throughout every season. That means that outdoor temperatures and humidity may change over time, and your plants will have different needs as they grow. The best plant covers let you adjust the cover’s structure and ventilation to accommodate these changes.
FAQs About Plant Covers
Even with all this information about the best plant covers on the market, you may still have some questions about plant covers in general. Fortunately, lots of people have already asked and answered the same questions you probably have. We’ll explain the most common ones.
Are plant covers alone enough to protect your garden?
Although they can make a significant difference in the health of your garden, even the best plant covers can’t provide sufficient protection all on their own. Pests and frost may still find their way to your plants. Also, covers don’t stop weeds! Amplify your efforts with natural pesticides, weed killers, and mulch.
Do you always need stakes or pins to stabilize your cover?
Plant covers simply won’t stay put without something to anchor them. If stakes and pins are unavailable, or you can’t rely on the ones you have, use stones, bricks, or clips instead.
Stones and bricks, in particular, could serve this practical purpose while acting as decoration, especially when paired with the best plant covers, which are usually attractive.
Is it better to use hoops rather than drape the cover directly over the plants?
Hoops are useful for increasing ventilation and access to your garden so that you can pull weeds or apply mulch and fertilizer. However, if you don’t want to set them up, it’s perfectly fine to lay the covers directly over the plants.
This actually keeps them warmer, so it may be a preferable option for colder months anyway. The best plant covers can be used with or without hoops.
Is there a substitute for hoops?
Let’s say that you want the benefits of hoops, but you don’t have any on hand. In that case, you could achieve a similar effect by stretching a cover above your garden, then using ties or staples to attach the edges and corners to stakes or posts lining the perimeter.
Find the Best Plant Covers for Your Garden!
Investing in the best plant covers is a crucial step toward creating the garden that you envision. However, gardening is an intricate art, and plant covers are only one piece of it. If you’re looking for more advice, we’re happy to offer it!
Check out our page on seedlings to find everything you didn’t know you needed to know about planting and nurturing all kinds of plants.