Decided to make some cloches and netted areas using some piping hoops. Ordered some from Screwfix at 4.30 pm and it arrived 9.15 next morning. Amazing
However I have made a complete mess of laying out my allotment, since the bed width too narrow to be covered with hoops, while two strips are too wide.
Has anyone any idea of a good way of attaching plastic to piping hoops.
This is really spooky as I was just about to post a thread asking where I could get the blue piping from as I saw some really good cloches today!!
Could you maybe get some wider tubing/piping and cut a small piece off to use as a connector?
I've done the same as you, MDPE from Screwfix. I think of them as Geoff Hamilton cloches, though he might just have popularized the idea. I haven't made mine yet but I think what you do is anchor the plastic at the ends of a run of hoops and then hold the plastic against the hoops with a loop of string.
I did the MDPE pipe hoops last year on 2 raised beds,what I did was I ran a length of MDPE pipe along the outside of the raised bed held on by screws then cut a number of 2" pieces of MDPE pipe then split one side down the centre so you can pry it open ,put my polythene over the hoops and the MDPE pipe on the outside of the raised bed and held it in place with the split MDPE pieces,you could try to peg it down with stones or pop a couple of holes in the polythene either side of the hoop and tie it to the hoop,its just a question of how easy do you want to get to what ever is inside
Someone on another site uses the £5. rose arches from Wilkinsons & got 2 structures out of it. They used cable ties to attach the canes across the top to support netting or fleece & put canes in the ground to put the structure on. It should work for the blue piping.
Hope it makes sense,
Janet
Silly me it was this site & it was Shirlton.
Janet
Thanks Justy I like the thought of piping clips. Had some on a cloche many years ago and had forgotten about htem. Held the plastic very well.
Someone on our site has made some lovely ones with netting but tied that on with string. But I have a very very windy site and want to make some huge cloches for my courgettes and squashes. Hoping that if I protect one set the rest will manage to stay out of the wind.
Sorry folks but I do not have any raised beds. Only use them for runner beans. Only had the allotment 5 weeks.
Where is a good place to get plastic sheeting. Got some cheap in Lidl but since it is heavy duty sheeting is not UV resistant so don;t expect it will last long in the sun.
I was planning to make a bender/windbreak from piping and plastic sheet, to shield some tomatoes. Am thinking that Duck tape (the thick silver stuff) might do for holding the plastic in place. Its fairly waterproof and very sticky.
Janet I read the first post and thought how interesting that someone else was doing the same as us. ;D ;D ;D
I proudly took my cloche down to the allotment today. Piping with pieces of wood from tree pruning, and a poundland garden furniture cover. (Previous year current offering black). I put it up and within 15 seconds the cover had blown off in the wind.
Several more tries later and several damaged plants. I gave up, the site is too windy.
However, have also managed to get metal pieces from old twirly whirly washing line, so hope to make a tomato house. But it will have to go somewhere sheltered in the garden.
I made this from 2 Wilko's arches, some polythene sheeting from Ebay, some netting from Ebay and clothes pegs and bits of old fence posts to hold it down. All for just under £15. I've got 4 aubergines and 7 peppers inside it, and we've had some windy days and it's still standing:
[attachment=1]
Hubby made this one for me last Saturday and we will be putting the cover on the second one tomorrow.
Total cost for two = under £20
The water pipe I got from Freecycle and the plastic was from B&Q
From the wood frame to the highest point is 1 metre and the growing area is 7ft x 4ft (sorry for the metric and imperial measurements mix)
(http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa42/ElleEss_photos/Poly-Cloche/Poly-Cloche3.jpg)
(http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa42/ElleEss_photos/Poly-Cloche/Poly-Cloche2.jpg)
(http://i201.photobucket.com/albums/aa42/ElleEss_photos/Poly-Cloche/Poly-Cloche1.jpg)
We have these cloches too made from water pipe from B&Q.
As we do not have raised beds we used some rigid plastic pipe cut into 6" lengths which we knocked into the soil . Inserted the hoops into them which made them more rigid and of course canes along the top of the hoops.
Our site is very exposed to the sea so lots of strong winds but the cloche remains in place.
Lauren - those pleated ends are so neat! Do you hire him out ever ??? ??? My late OH was brilliant at making anything I wanted, but my two sons are USELESS, so I hve to do everything myself ::) ::) ::) ::) ::)
Asbean/Lauren, can I ask you two a few questions as these are great!!!
...how do you access the inside...is one of the ends open or do they tilt?
..what dimensions height/length/width are they...
...how do you hold the polythene in place...especially at the ends
....is one end totally open?
...Lauren...how do you connect the waterpipes on top...
thanks!
Jackie
Very smart
Hector - the ends are polythene sheets up as far as where the straight bit ends, fixed on with repair tape from our full size polytunnel. Extra length has been buried inside the tunnel. The Wilko's arches aren't full height, four metres of the sheet goes up and over with enough to weight it down with rusty pieces of fence post or bricks. Canes to stead the whole thing and hold the polythene in place, the edges are fixed to the posts with clothes pegs. I've got a piece of netting over the top to stop birds getting into it through the end gaps. I access it from the sides (no problem, it's only 54ins wide and 72 ins long) - I just unpeg the lower half, fix each end to the frame to hold it up and then let it down again when I'm done.
Here's some more pics:
The frame ready
[attachment=1]
The ends in position
[attachment=2]
Thanks Asbean!! That is so good of you...we will be making cloches!
gosh, Lauren your plants have a good view :)
Asbean and Lauren - I am so impressed. I was thinking of getting a cheapo polytunnel on Ebay (which would have to be on a credit card :( ) but I feel inspired to have a go at making something myself!
Perhaps something like this http://www.schnews.org.uk/diyguide/howtobuildabender.htm
covered with plastic sheeting, and maybe a trusty old Lidl mosqito net to hold it all down and provide some ventilation.
BTW the tomato-shield windbreak stuck to the canes with duck tape has held up so far..
Wow :D Impressed with all that.....
Looking at putting up a poly tunnel at my plot and you have gave me some good ideas
I've taken the plastic off while this wind is blowing - otherwise it will take off >:( >:( >:( >:(
Anyone any idea what those brackets are where Laurens blue tubing slots in at the wooden frame. We want some but can't find them as no idea what they are called.
You could browse around Wickes or Screwfix websites ... ...
I love screwfix but couldnt see them there?
if you want a solid job ...
use the 65mm conduit - i have orange coloured but i have seen others - the great thing about that stuff is that it fits over scaffolding poles and now you are talking about something that will stand the sternest test.
Buy visqueen plastic sheet in a roll to cover it!
That MDPE piping from Screwfix - which is better to get - the 20 mm or the 25 mm?
For cabbages, which don't need polinating, you can use that debris netting (which I have made a note of in Favourites), but what is the best sort of netting to protect plants that do need to be polinated?
Shamba
Here's one I made earlier ;D
Sorry forgot to attach the pic.
Here's one I made earlier.
[attachment=1]
Me too
(http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/mm265/Buster1954/11.jpg)
I was just about to post about this subjet.. Have just made a DIY polytunnel which will probably be OK for summer but I want to reinforce it for winter with heavy duty polythene, closable flaps at each end, and attach the poles together properly - at the moment the side bars are attached with duck tape and string.
Have been round B&Q, Screwfix, Wickes, garden centres, and various polytunnel websites looking for the T/cross shape fittings to connect the tubes together, to no avail. It doesnt help that I dont know what they are called!
Mine is made with 20mm underfloor heating pipe with garden canes stuffed down them to keep the sides straight, and cheapo polythene from B&Q. The clamps are there because I ran out of duck tape to stick the polythene down..
Quote from: lewic on June 10, 2009, 21:50:29
Have been round B&Q, Screwfix, Wickes, garden centres, and various polytunnel websites looking for the T/cross shape fittings to connect the tubes together, to no avail. It doesnt help that I dont know what they are called!
Quote from: Hector on May 13, 2009, 08:45:33
Anyone any idea what those brackets are where Laurens blue tubing slots in at the wooden frame. We want some but can't find them as no idea what they are called.
Any ideas anyone? Am looking for the same things! :)
Lauren, can I ask where you bought the corner/straight brackets to accept the piping? Thanks.
Are they not these type of thing
http://www.cityirrigation.co.uk/acatalog/Philmac_mdpe_Fittings.html
Quote from: lewic on June 10, 2009, 21:50:29
I was just about to post about this subjet.. Have just made a DIY polytunnel which will probably be OK for summer but I want to reinforce it for winter with heavy duty polythene, closable flaps at each end, and attach the poles together properly - at the moment the side bars are attached with duck tape and string.
Have been round B&Q, Screwfix, Wickes, garden centres, and various polytunnel websites looking for the T/cross shape fittings to connect the tubes together, to no avail. It doesnt help that I dont know what they are called!
Mine is made with 20mm underfloor heating pipe with garden canes stuffed down them to keep the sides straight, and cheapo polythene from B&Q. The clamps are there because I ran out of duck tape to stick the polythene down..
1 inch roofing batten along the run and the pipes attached with saddle clamps
Just get some dowel rod cut into short 10 cm lengths that is the approximate size of the inside of your tubing, maybe broom handle size is about right, and silicone glue it inside the two pieces.
Did anyone ever find out the name of the connectors LaurenS used . Great thread :)