Topic: D.I.Y.cloches

[tomatoada]

Can anyone give me an idea how to make cloches out of bubblewrap?   I received  a parcel with over 40 foot of it.  It is about 20 inches wide and I have cut it into 12 foot lengths. Any ideas folks.  I am expecting great things of you.

[cleo]

thinking on the hoof here, 20 inches wide is a bit skinny for the plastic hoop trick.

You could build a wooden frame and then staple the bubble wrap to it-sort of a mini cold frame/cloche?

It would not be huge but could be handy for early/late salads?

Stephan

[Doris_Pinks]

Muhare just a few days ago I made a Heath Robinson kinda cloche! It has poured with rain and is blowing a gale but my makeshift cloche is still there!

What I did was raid my shed and found some tubing left over from the pond construction. (on the plot I use blue plumbers tubing, a la Geoff Hamilton, V cheap!)
Cut it into 3, and pushed it into 6 bits of larger holed tubing I had hammered into the soil, then covered with a sheet of clear plastic, and weighted the edges round with old bricks rocks etc!  (like a mini polytunnel!)She sure don't look pretty, but will do the job!!
DP

[tomatoada]

I agree the 20 inches is too narrow now you point it out to me.  So I am going to stick 2 strips to-gether with some  brown parcel tape.  I have plenty. OH bought several boxes of it in an auction].  I will get some tubing but now need to stick things to-gether. Any more ideas?  Thanks.  Maggie.

[Svea]

will brown parcel tape be strong enough?

[john_miller]

Won't the glue on the brown tape break down in the sunshine? The tape even may if it is exposed long enough. My suggestion is to cut the bubble wrap even shorter and then turn it on its side and put around individual tender plants (pepper, tomato, melon etc.), perhaps supported around a wire frame, much the same as the Wall o' Waters that Jesse has found.

[TULIP-23]

Muhare ;)

Its only an idea but : ::)

Why not set a strip of thin Plastic on the Join and staple it. Much Stronger and flexible!!

Plastic!!
The things we use for blinds Melamine I believe?? ???

Somebody will correct this if its wrong. Good Luck with the Project.

Greeting   Take Care Tulip-23   Mike

[slyfox-mal]

why not go to ur local  poundland shop and buy a few mini polytunnels i got some the other day they are 6 feet  long and u cant fall off for a pound  i got sixand they are great wont last forever but i bet ill get a season out of em
and last week i also got some  out doorbench covers about six foot long anf about three and a hlaf foot wide by four foot high  im just going to stick some canes in the ground and put pop bottles on the canes and slide the covers over them should work fine also  i hope :)
 

[Roy Bham UK]

You are a sly fox Mal 8) I might pop in to the pound shop and take a peek at them. 8)

[Bramley]

Corr thanks Slyfox, another bargin I can try and get. I only passed it today, but didn't venture in.

I've stitched plastic together on the sewing machine and made them so I could slide some metal throu the loops.

[tomatoada]

Thanks from me too. I had decided to buy some cloches.  I was going to the local garden centre, but I am now off to the local £1 shop.   I like the other idea too.  Great tips.
I may use the bubble wrap flat on the ground to warm the soil before planting.  Any more super tips?
I have been making pots out of news paper as suggested in an earlier thread and they seem fine.

[Derek]

Hi

A lot of people are changing double glazing and there are a great many double glazed units around for the asking.

A trip down the local waste disposal centre can often find them along with metal pipes etc....all useful items for the allotment garden.

I use double glazed units in twos pitched as a tent... I have cut some plastic piping (10" long) down the length... these then slip over the top of the two panes of double glazed units holding them in place (survived the winds too).
The pipe acts like the bulldog clips whcih used to be used frequently in offices many moons ago.

Derek

[Apple Dumpling]

I've been using cloches from Poundland to cover my lettuces all winter. They've been great, and have even stayed properly in place when the winds were so strong that next plot's shed blew over.

[Columbus]

me too.. :D..I bought Poundland plastic cloches last season and they survived so I`ll be using them again soon. You could combine the wire hoops from those with (spare or thicker) covers made from your bubble wrap.

Col

[Roy Bham UK]

Roughly how big are they ??? sounds an interesting purchase 8)

[Columbus]

Each one will cover one short-ish row of seedlings with the seedlings in the middle. Using 4/5 wire hoops. I`ll check more exact measurements asap.

Col

[carrot-cruncher]

I've saved empty 2 litre & 3 litre plastic pop bottles plus I've managed to persuade my colleagues at work to save the same bottles for my use down the lottie.

I use one bottle per plant.   I cut the bottom off the bottle & remove the cap.   To keep it in place I put a thin cane next to the plant then slide the bottle over the plant and cane.   When the plant is large & strong enough I then remove the "cloche".

The big advantage is that the cloches are free and it's a great way to recycle.

CC