DIY cloches

**smallblueplanet** · 08-02-2008, 09:01 PM

Originally posted by janeyo

Hi, I am busy saving my cola bottles to make cloches but also will need some longer ones.

If you use the 'bottom' half of the 2litre bottle as a cloche, you can use the 'spout end' for watering plants at their roots. So if you plant a courgette or any water-hungry plants, dig in an up-turned half bottle (spout down) close to the plant and water into it - it means you waste less water as the water is directed to the roots.

Can't help re cloches sorry.

**janeyo** · 08-02-2008, 09:03 PM

That's a great tip, thanks.

janeyo

**Paulottie** · 09-02-2008, 02:35 AM

You need those big office water bottles.

**Phreddy** · 09-02-2008, 06:47 AM

In Bulgaria we use 'Parniks'. 2mtr length of plastic rod bent in a curve with the 'legs' about 1mtr apart. Put these every 1 mtr. Cover the lot with polythene sheet, gather the end and place a brick on it.
Smaller arrangement: Dry cleaner's coat hangers bent out straight. Make a cross. Tie together at mid-point or use sticky tape bend Bend down legs to suit a polythene bag that you will use for the cover. Maybe the polythene that covered the dry cleaning.
Ventilate on warm days, it is often warm in the cloche. Turn up the side a little.

**Paulottie** · 10-02-2008, 12:38 AM

Yes Phreddy, I have often seen blue plastic water pipes used for the hoops. Not the most attractive option but effective, cheap(often free) and easy to pack away.

**number 1 suspect** · 12-02-2008, 12:36 PM

My wife had a couple of old folding clothes airers which I grabbed before they were dumped. Nice and high if not very long but its easy to connect them via longer lengths of wood and put heavy plastic over them

**milliebecks** · 12-02-2008, 01:35 PM

I have two dog collar vet's thingies - to stop the dogs licking wounds, etc , which my dogs have just let me have

Thought I would try them as cloches - or maybe cover one in black plastic and use it to force my rhubarb .......
Am I sounding a bit lottie obsessed

?

**solway cropper** · 22-01-2011, 09:51 PM

Here's a mini-cloche made from a 5 litre water bottle (my next-door neighbour works for a water bottling company so I get loads of them).

This one has some lavender cuttings growing away. I also use them to give an early start to brassicas and it also protects them from nasties till they get established.

I also have a good tent cloche made from some dumped polycarbonate sheeting that I cut into 1 foot wide strips and nailed to a simple A-frame.

see what I've been up to:the recycled gardener

Attached Files

minicloche2a.jpg (0, 525 views)

**becslb** · 22-01-2011, 10:18 PM

Just been looking at cloche/mini polytunnel designs for my raised beds. Have found this:

Cloche

Also found a pdf of a tunnel where one side rolls up - I can't remember the website but can email the pdf to you (too big to attach here).

**sharon 1** · 22-01-2011, 10:24 PM

My cheap cloches look realy profesh. I got quite a few of those realt cheap mixing bowls from wilkos and just glued a small handle on the underneath. They look the biz, will last a lifetime and cost less than 50p each!

**Dottie** · 23-01-2011, 12:02 AM

Originally posted by Paulottie View Post

You need those big office water bottles.

Yep, I've got about 10 of those and they stack easy when not in use too.

As I typed how well they stack, I've just thought that they would be an even better way of building a greenhouse, rather than using 100's of smaller plastic bottles.

**salilah** · 23-01-2011, 04:43 PM

This is my finished mini-polytunnel for a 1.2m x 2.4m raised bed!

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?...=o.52252811879

(hope the link works)

Not cheap, and I think I will have a challenge with storage, as the plastic does not come off each year... but it is pretty thorough!

S

**iGrowVeg** · 27-01-2011, 06:44 PM

Originally posted by becslb View Post

Just been looking at cloche/mini polytunnel designs for my raised beds. Have found this:

Cloche

Also found a pdf of a tunnel where one side rolls up - I can't remember the website but can email the pdf to you (too big to attach here).

Here's my version of the Geoff Hamilton Cloche.

They have been brilliant, they protect from cats and cabbage white butterflies, but sadly collapsed under the snow

so will have to to fix the enviromesh back onto them.

**Datura** · 20-02-2011, 05:25 PM

I'm not sure if you have poundland near you but last year I bought some mini polytunnell style cloches they got my strawberries off to a romping start! Yep they were flimsy & no they wont last but I reckon a quid for two seasons isnt half bad they have just got them back in again too

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