We're looking for some cloches to use on our vegetable beds. What I'd
like is something that packs up fairly neatly for storage when not in
use, but can cover a decent area at a reasonable price.

I've seen some polythene ones with wire hoops fitting through a sleeve
in the polythene every 50cm or so, but the only place I can find that
sells them is asking £6/metre. That doesn't work out at all cost
effective for our garden.

Anyone have any sources for this sort of cloche that aren't quite so
expensive, or suggestions for alternatives?

Thanks,
James

In article ,
(James Fidell) wrote:

Anyone have any sources for this sort of cloche that aren't quite so
expensive, or suggestions for alternatives?

* Buy corrugated transparent sheeting from Wickes.
* Drill a small whole a few inches in from each corner.
* Bend sheet into a U shaped section
* Hold in shape with string or wire through the holes
* Attach to ground with pegs or rocks.

Cost for 6'x1'x1' cloche is about 5 pounds.

To block the ends:

- Buy plastic covered wire miniature fencing. 8 sections from Poundland
= 1 pound (or a little more expensive from Wilkinsons)
- Attach A4 size transparent pocket
- Plug into the ground to block the ends.

A possible problem with this method is that it keeps the rain off the
soil. So I'm experimenting with something even cheaper - fleece. You can
get enough for a 6' x 3' bed for about 1.50 pounds but it doesn't give
your seedlings much headroom. Anyone suggest a cheap way to left an area
of fleece a foot off the ground?

Finally, you can make individual cloches from old plastic drinks bottles

* Put a stick in the ground near the plant
* cut the bottom off a 2 Litre bottle
* Discard the bottle top
* Thread the bottle onto the stick and down over the plat.

Cost: Tesco "Fountain Head" water 18p for 2L

For larger plants/cloches, buy a 5L mineral water for about 1 pound.

Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com
A useful bit of gardening software at http://www.netservs.com/garden/

In article ,
(James Fidell) wrote:

Anyone have any sources for this sort of cloche that aren't quite so
expensive, or suggestions for alternatives?

* Buy corrugated transparent sheeting from Wickes.
* Drill a small whole a few inches in from each corner.
* Bend sheet into a U shaped section
* Hold in shape with string or wire through the holes
* Attach to ground with pegs or rocks.

Cost for 6'x1'x1' cloche is about 5 pounds.

To block the ends:

- Buy plastic covered wire miniature fencing. 8 sections from Poundland
= 1 pound (or a little more expensive from Wilkinsons)
- Attach A4 size transparent pocket
- Plug into the ground to block the ends.

A possible problem with this method is that it keeps the rain off the
soil. So I'm experimenting with something even cheaper - fleece. You can
get enough for a 6' x 3' bed for about 1.50 pounds but it doesn't give
your seedlings much headroom. Anyone suggest a cheap way to left an area
of fleece a foot off the ground?

Finally, you can make individual cloches from old plastic drinks bottles

* Put a stick in the ground near the plant
* cut the bottom off a 2 Litre bottle
* Discard the bottle top
* Thread the bottle onto the stick and down over the plat.

Cost: Tesco "Fountain Head" water 18p for 2L

For larger plants/cloches, buy a 5L mineral water for about 1 pound.

Steve Harris - Cheltenham - Real address steve AT netservs DOT com
A useful bit of gardening software at http://www.netservs.com/garden/

On Tue, 9 Mar 2004 00:37 +0000 (GMT), (Steve Harris)
wrote:

~In article ,
(James Fidell) wrote:
~
~ Anyone have any sources for this sort of cloche that aren't quite so
~ expensive, or suggestions for alternatives?
~
~* Buy corrugated transparent sheeting from Wickes.
~* Drill a small whole a few inches in from each corner.
~* Bend sheet into a U shaped section
~* Hold in shape with string or wire through the holes
~* Attach to ground with pegs or rocks.
~
~Cost for 6'x1'x1' cloche is about 5 pounds.
~
~To block the ends:
~
~- Buy plastic covered wire miniature fencing. 8 sections from Poundland
~= 1 pound (or a little more expensive from Wilkinsons)
~- Attach A4 size transparent pocket
~- Plug into the ground to block the ends.
~
~A possible problem with this method is that it keeps the rain off the
~soil. So I'm experimenting with something even cheaper - fleece. You can
~get enough for a 6' x 3' bed for about 1.50 pounds but it doesn't give
~your seedlings much headroom. Anyone suggest a cheap way to left an area
~of fleece a foot off the ground?
~
~Finally, you can make individual cloches from old plastic drinks bottles
~
~* Put a stick in the ground near the plant
~* cut the bottom off a 2 Litre bottle
~* Discard the bottle top
~* Thread the bottle onto the stick and down over the plat.
~
~Cost: Tesco "Fountain Head" water 18p for 2L
~
~For larger plants/cloches, buy a 5L mineral water for about 1 pound.
~
Thanks for that! I also used a Wickes corrugated sheet last year but
the recent gales wrapped it round a fence post :-( so it's not really
very useable now. Must get a new one...

However, I can add to the individual cloche thread: ring your local
water cooler firm and see what they do with cracked bottles. They will
say they recycle them, but if you suggest it's more energy efficient
to recycle without re-melting, they may well see the point!

I got 15 of them free (though I offered to pay a nominal amount),
drilled a small hole in the side then used a jigsaw to cut off the
bottoms, using the hole as a starting point. These bases (where not
cracked) are fantastic pot saucers, and the tops are obviously very
large, sturdy cloches with a built-in air hole. My local one has
bottles with handles, so you can peg them down too.

We even used some of the bases, after sanding the edges, as crisp
plates at Christmas.


--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!

The message
from (Steve Harris) contains these words:


So I'm experimenting with something even cheaper - fleece. You can
get enough for a 6' x 3' bed for about 1.50 pounds but it doesn't give
your seedlings much headroom. Anyone suggest a cheap way to left an area
of fleece a foot off the ground?

You could use hazel branches stuck in the ground, arched over and
pinned down.
What I use, is old upright-freezer drawers made of HD plastic-covered
metal mesh. You can either set up a row of them with gaps in between,
and stretch the fleece over the whole thing (wind the fleece edges round
long strips of wood to hold it down). Or, you can staple or sew the
fleece (or polythene) over single drawers as small mobile cloches.

Janet

The message
from (Steve Harris) contains these words:


So I'm experimenting with something even cheaper - fleece. You can
get enough for a 6' x 3' bed for about 1.50 pounds but it doesn't give
your seedlings much headroom. Anyone suggest a cheap way to left an area
of fleece a foot off the ground?

You could use hazel branches stuck in the ground, arched over and
pinned down.
What I use, is old upright-freezer drawers made of HD plastic-covered
metal mesh. You can either set up a row of them with gaps in between,
and stretch the fleece over the whole thing (wind the fleece edges round
long strips of wood to hold it down). Or, you can staple or sew the
fleece (or polythene) over single drawers as small mobile cloches.

Janet

On Mon, 8 Mar 2004 16:24:35 +0000 (UTC), James Fidell
wrote:

We're looking for some cloches to use on our vegetable beds. What I'd
like is something that packs up fairly neatly for storage when not in
use, but can cover a decent area at a reasonable price.

I've seen some polythene ones with wire hoops fitting through a sleeve
in the polythene every 50cm or so, but the only place I can find that
sells them is asking £6/metre. That doesn't work out at all cost
effective for our garden.

Try Poundland....1.5M poly cloches £1. they also have tomato right and
some soft fruit bushes (!) Raspberry, blackcurrant, redcurrent and
gooseberry, don't know if they are any good but for a £ who cares.

".... you can staple or sew the fleece (or polythene) over single drawers as
small mobile cloches. ....."
You leave your drawers out in the garden all the time?

I wouldn't use Hazel twigs as they will rip the fleece to bits in a wind.
3/4 inch plastic water pipe, cut into lengths to form hoops, a piece of cane
in each end and into the ground, will do for fleece or polythene.


--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

On Mon, 8 Mar 2004 16:24:35 +0000 (UTC), James Fidell
wrote:

We're looking for some cloches to use on our vegetable beds. What I'd
like is something that packs up fairly neatly for storage when not in
use, but can cover a decent area at a reasonable price.

I've seen some polythene ones with wire hoops fitting through a sleeve
in the polythene every 50cm or so, but the only place I can find that
sells them is asking £6/metre. That doesn't work out at all cost
effective for our garden.

Try Poundland....1.5M poly cloches £1. they also have tomato right and
some soft fruit bushes (!) Raspberry, blackcurrant, redcurrent and
gooseberry, don't know if they are any good but for a £ who cares.

".... you can staple or sew the fleece (or polythene) over single drawers as
small mobile cloches. ....."
You leave your drawers out in the garden all the time?

I wouldn't use Hazel twigs as they will rip the fleece to bits in a wind.
3/4 inch plastic water pipe, cut into lengths to form hoops, a piece of cane
in each end and into the ground, will do for fleece or polythene.


--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

On Tue, 9 Mar 2004 23:54:20 -0000, "David Hill"
wrote:

".... you can staple or sew the fleece (or polythene) over single drawers as
small mobile cloches. ....."
You leave your drawers out in the garden all the time?

I can't believe you posted that, I didn't have the courage.


--

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit;
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad

On Tue, 9 Mar 2004 23:54:20 -0000, "David Hill"
wrote:

".... you can staple or sew the fleece (or polythene) over single drawers as
small mobile cloches. ....."
You leave your drawers out in the garden all the time?

I can't believe you posted that, I didn't have the courage.


--

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit;
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad

On Tue, 9 Mar 2004 23:54:20 -0000, "David Hill"
wrote:

".... you can staple or sew the fleece (or polythene) over single drawers as
small mobile cloches. ....."
You leave your drawers out in the garden all the time?

I can't believe you posted that, I didn't have the courage.


--

Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit;
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad

The message
from "David Hill" contains these
words:

".... you can staple or sew the fleece (or polythene) over single drawers as
small mobile cloches. ....."

You leave your drawers out in the garden all the time?

Of course not, silly. Only when I'm expecting Jack Frost. In summer, I
very seldom use my drawers at all.

Janet.

The message
from "David Hill" contains these
words:

".... you can staple or sew the fleece (or polythene) over single drawers as
small mobile cloches. ....."

You leave your drawers out in the garden all the time?

Of course not, silly. Only when I'm expecting Jack Frost. In summer, I
very seldom use my drawers at all.

Janet.