Author Topic: Fleece, Polythene, Environment and Netting - Which and when!?  (Read 4425 times)

Stedic

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Hello all,

My Geoff Hamilton Cloches are under construction and I need to choose the coverings for them.  I'm not convinced that my DIY skills are quite up to interchangeable covers so I thought I'd make a few different ones.  It then occured to me, I'm not entirely sure which covers to use for what!

How right am I on these:

Polythene - Warming the soil before sowing, aiding germination and protecting seedlings?

Fleece - Protecting more established plants against frost?

Netting - Protecting crops from birds, but allowing insects in to pollinate?  So more suitable than enviromesh for protecting peas and fruit from birds, as it lets other things in to pollinate?

Enviromesh - keeping little pests like carrot fly, flea beetle and butterflies/caterpillers out?



If I'm right I'll build a couple of polythene cloches first, but might skip the fleece ones and just build some enviromesh types.

goodlife

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Re: Fleece, Polythene, Environment and Netting - Which and when!?
« Reply #1 on: January 25, 2012, 10:05:32 »
Yes..you've got your list right..but as what you are going to need is other matter.
I never need polythene covers as I start most of my crops in GH and transplant as little plants.
Fleece I only use if there is risk of frost ahead and my timing with tender plants haven't been right...but you can use fleece as temperary cover against insects too.
I propably use fleece once a year..to cover some potato tops that have managed to come thought before last frost.
Netting..hmm..I propably only use for strawberries..and only after flowering when berries are ripening up.
Environmesh...well...that's what I use most..and it can perfom same job as netting..only not letting any insects through, but with netting it depend of the size of the holes anyway...and mesh does do protect crops against slight  frost too.
I don't have permanent frames for my covers...just something to keep them elevated from the ground if and when needed. Fleece is very light weight and don't weigh plants down..it doesn't last very long so permanent-type frame is not necessary, with wood frame supporting it, it can quickly wear trough it too.
I use short cuts blue water pipe and few canes to make hoops to support any necessary cover..they are quick to asemble and remove and don't take much room when stored away.


green lily

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Re: Fleece, Polythene, Environment and Netting - Which and when!?
« Reply #2 on: January 25, 2012, 21:32:27 »
I use enviromesh more than anything. Even my winter onions are covered this year. First to keep the birds of and now its giving some sturdy protection against the winds. Its tough and fleece can always be laid underneath on top of a crop if suddenly necessary. I don't use polythene. Too airless and blocks out the rain. Think you'll find mesh the most useful.

Daipie

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Re: Fleece, Polythene, Environment and Netting - Which and when!?
« Reply #3 on: January 26, 2012, 13:57:20 »
Sorry just looking at this, it may be a stupid question but can cloches be put straight on to the soil rather than onto a raised bed?

pumkinlover

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Re: Fleece, Polythene, Environment and Netting - Which and when!?
« Reply #4 on: January 26, 2012, 14:10:19 »
 No reason why not :)
(no such thing as a stupid question) :)

Robert_Brenchley

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Re: Fleece, Polythene, Environment and Netting - Which and when!?
« Reply #5 on: January 26, 2012, 17:53:50 »
Cloches can be put anywhere. Raised beds are useful in some situations, but they're a bit of a fashion. People were using cloches long before they came in.

ru2010

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Re: Fleece, Polythene, Environment and Netting - Which and when!?
« Reply #6 on: January 27, 2012, 19:44:49 »
Hi Stedic,

I like Geoff Hamilton's books too, though I haven't built any elaborate cloches!

I think polythene you might as well place directly on the soil to warm it for sowing, so I wouldn't bother making a cloche just to warm the soil.

At the monent I just use scaffold netting (fine mesh) over water pipe to protect, mainly, brassicas from cabbage whites and pidgeons. I am very tempted, though, to use enviromesh to protect against carrot fly, and bird netting to protect my fruit.

I might also use some fleece to protect early plants against frost, but I won't make a permanent structure - just drape it on the ground or raise it up with some bricks or something.

Stedic

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Re: Fleece, Polythene, Environment and Netting - Which and when!?
« Reply #7 on: February 02, 2012, 17:09:02 »
Thanks for all your tips.

I think I'll make some portable mesh cloches for the allotment, which can shift around with the rotations and depending on which plants need them.  I'd use offcuts and make ad-hoc ones, but I know myself too well and I'd just end up with bits of pipe all over the plot and having to buy more each year.

At home I'm struggling to find spaces for all my seedlings and young plants before they go to the allotment.  I think I'll make myself a slightly raised bed in a nice sunny sheltered spot, with a polythene cloche to keep things nice and warm.  This can sit down the side of the house when not in use.  I'll then make up a mesh cloche of the same size for hardening off and some salad crops.

Perhaps a bit OTT, but I can't afford a greenhouse, and those 4 teir grow houses die after no time at all.


Steve

claybasket

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Re: Fleece, Polythene, Environment and Netting - Which and when!?
« Reply #8 on: February 02, 2012, 19:32:59 »
I loved Geoff Hamilton ,I think I owe my gardening skills to Geoff I still look up his books he was so pratical,he made allsorts of things from nothing I still miss him he was lovely.

 

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