[rachelsco]

just a general question really, i often fleece things like early salad leaves,early peas, a few early strawberry plants, and each time i fleece something i always wonder if its getting enough rays from the sun, or the right sort of rays.  just wondered really.........

[JayG]

Depends how thick the fleece is and how strong the sun is.

Although it's a good idea to make sure that early salad leaves don't get frosted, I don't think they need fleecing for any other reason - peas and strawberries shouldn't need frost protection at all at this time of year.

Protecting all 3 of those from birds and slugs is an entirely different matter - netting is the usual bird protection, slug pellets probably the commonest slug and snail protection, although there are dozens of home-made barriers and traps as alternatives of course.

[strider84]

I always leave my fleece on leafy veg as it promotes faster leaf growth.

[JohnB47]

I received a 'gift' of some white fabric in the recent storms, which I may use on my brassicas, to stop the cabbage white butterflys laying their eggs.

[beesrus]

I don't know the science, but I've never noticed any ill effects at all, and I have used fleece on and off for leeks, peas, brassicas, greenhouse early carrots and early on tomato and pepper protection.
In fact, if anything, the fleece seems to have been positively beneficial. I do tend to now use enviromesh instead, as I have slowly collected a stash, and find it can insulate nearly as well as fleece, but without the problem of decay.

[strider84]

Oh and it does help to retain moisture too.....

Though I have heard that it should be used for leafy crops and not for root veg?