Hi there, I am a newbie and we have some odd shaped plots. I have read about cloches and my husband has suggested he make some at work for me (he runs a metal fabrication company). He is thinking metal tube type surrounds about a foot high, made to the measurements of the plots. Then i can cover them with large sheets of clear plastic and peg down.
Does this sound feasable/useful/a good idea?
Please forgive me if i sound daft lol, but we are complete novices! lol
thanks x
chelle x

Sounds like a great plan! Can i send him the measurements for my plot too?

Me too! Great idea but I might go for a bit bigger (at least 18" high then you can use them for longer as the plants get bigger. I use 18" clotches and they're very handy for extending growing periods going into winter, not just early on in the year.

Originally Posted by terrier

Me too! Great idea but I might go for a bit bigger (at least 18" high then you can use them for longer as the plants get bigger. I use 18" clotches and they're very handy for extending growing periods going into winter, not just early on in the year.

Just told Andy his reply was ' its that extra 8 inch mate, it makes all the difference ' !! lol

Thats great, 18 inch it is, thanks for the tip!!
Chellex

Chelle, Why do you want cloches?

They are usually used during winter to get an early start, but it's now April and clear plastic will just encourage slugs (who like it moist & warm).

Oh right, i just thought it would encourage the carrot and other seeds to grow? make the soil warm like it says to on the seed packets? Do I not need to now? Not even netting ones to stop birds?
Thanks two sheds, you are becoming my Mentor Simon Cowell of the Gardening World lol x
Chelle x

The metal frames can accommodate net/enviromesh to deter cabbage white, carrot fly, birds and cats during the warm months and fleece/polythene during the cool and cold months.

Tell hubby that an extra 60" makes even more difference 'cos it means you can have a polytunnel

I was hoping to get hold of some large plastic water bottles that originated from office water fountains . My question is would it be better to cut them so that I leave the spout still on for ventilation or is it better to cut the spout off and use it as a closed bell for cloches ?.Hope this makes sense...

Abby - spout off in this warm weather, or you'll get a lot of condensation inside it, which can lead to fungal infections, and slugs !

PS. you'll still get slugs. They love the warm, moist atmosphere inside cloches

Hi Chelly,

I like your Andy - can I borrow him?

Seriously though it might be worth getting him to make one of these only - try it out and work out what you like and don't about it then get the rest made to your preference.

I bought some that were too flimsy, and some that were too low. My best one were higher & sturdier and allowed me to plant potatoes under fleece ages before the right date - and since the cost does not apply you might as well get the best.

I don't know if you have thought about how much of these will need to go in the ground - to me deeper is best. I have foxes on my plot - the cloches keep them off mostly but they jump on them form time to time and push them in deeper!

Ann

Hi ChellyB. Ive been gardening with cloches much more this year, mostly due to losses last year due to errant chickens and aneighbourhood full of cats (including my two).
I dont have an Andy so bought some large ones, and had a few old bell choches. Ive found them invaluable for starting stuff off - no snail attacks unlike my neighbours who lost loads of newly sown seedlings + safe from pet attack. Ive still got one covering my cerleriac and one over sunflower seedlings, and later will swap around and protect bean seedlings when i plant them out for a week or two.

I would recommend some sort of handle to move them around a bit, Ive found that really helpful.

francesbean

Hope this works these are the water fountain cloches I talked about I love a good recycle.