I use tulle for covering my outdoor pots when the fall leaves start coming down. By shaking the leaves off every few days the plants still get light and air. Most of my pots hold my sempervivum collection that I keep under a Dawn viburnum and a Western Red Cedar; both get very messy in the fall.

Yes JoAnn fabrics carries it in many colors and I try to get a muted green or brown.

I've been using tulle for covering new seedlings in this heat. It has been working so far.

2 more great ideas! I like the idea of covering semps with it. I just got some new ones, and right now they are covered with a mesh flat so the squirrels don't play street hockey with them. Tulle should keep the squirrels out and would also keep the falling crepe myrtle blossoms out of their nooks and crannies. I also have a flat of tiny strawberry seedlings that's still in a mini greenhouse for protection (the zipper door is wide open so they won't bake). I'm going to put them under tulle instead.

Now I have this vision of a squirrel all tangled up in tulle...

I do like the seedling idea. I need to figure out how to prop up the tulle over a small area (2' x 4') to provide a bit of shade over some lilium seedlings and I need to figure it out fast, like right now. Tomorrow expected to be near 100 deg.

What I can see in my tulle future is covering my raised garden beds this fall. Then when the acorns drop from surrounding oak trees, I won't have to remove all the sprouted acorns in the spring. Thanks much for a great idea.

Kristi, just as soon as you think you have the acorn problem solved the birds will be bringing them in and planting them wherever they please (containers are a luxury host). Around here it is hazelnuts... hazelnut trees and seedlings all over the place here and not easy to pull out unless I find them early on. The birds don't seem to find them all in the winter though I see them looking for them. Corvids of course!

Connie -- chopsticks, wood skewers, plastic forks... tulle is easier to prop up than spun row cover!

Thanks Jill! I ended up using 4 or those netted flat trays set vertically along the long edge with two long plant stakes poked through both and the tulle tossed over all of that. Do you think I overthought it?

C- you could try Burcham's metals for wire or rebar you could poke into the ground and bend into an arch to hold up the tulle, I used that sort of thing all the time when I lived where there was real metal recycling. Also concrete reinforcing wire was good for that, and trellising and holding up cut flowers.

Connie, I think your seedlings have plenty of space under that tulle!

Connie, I think your seedlings have plenty of space under that tulle!

Tulle will just float right on top of most plants without risk of damage to them, but maybe not seedlings.

Could tulle be used as a cover for small fruit trees when the rose haters come calling?

rose haters?

yes, especially if you can find the 10 foot wide bolts of tulle, I think it would work fine to cover small fruit trees. bonus - no risk of birds or other animals getting tangled as can happen in "bird netting."

Does it rip easily? I use plastic netting on my semps during the winter to keep the squirrels out. Thx

I think the sun degrades it and eventually it needs replacing. I have replaced mine once.

So far it's been pretty tough, rips less easily than the spun poly I recently bought (which seems more fragile than what I've used in the past, despite being a heavier "frost blanket" weight).

pardalinum said: I use tulle for covering my ... sempervivum collection...

@pardalinum - Thanks for adding this tulle tip! My sempervivum chicks tend to pop out of these stone crevices over the winter, rolling down the driveway. I will definitely tulle them this year!

I have the same problem with an elevated planting. In my case the rollers "go off the edge" dropping straight down and it is a situation where I just leave them there and they root in becoming part of the landscape. They even get walked on a bit but they mostly persevere.

Using tulle to catch them you have the opportunity to collect the wanderers and replant elsewhere or share with friends. I like that rock planter!

I will definitely use it to protect the lettuce and tomato plants I put out on my deck. Works well and costs very little. Strips of green tulle make excellent ties, too.

I just ordered a bolt of 108" wide tulle to use on my cucumber trellis this year. I'm going to install some PVC arches over the trellis in an attempt to hold the fabric a bit away from the vines... the one annoyance last year was that the little tendrils kept hooking themselves into the tulle, so every time I lifted it to pick cucumbers I had to tear the vines away from the fabric. I have some clamps (from Greenhouse Megastore) to use on the top of the arches, maybe a few more clamps on the ends, and I'll use ties or velcro strips as needed elsewhere.

I got a good price at a place called Fuzzy Fabrics, but the only available colors were white, ivory, or black -- I went with ivory. I haven't ordered from them before. They claim it's been shipped, so I should be able to update about them soon! They had a 50 yard bolt for a few dollars more (including shipping) than a 25 yard bolt on Amazon (shipping included). That should keep my cukes covered for years!!