Allotments 4 All

Hi,

I recently bought some garden fleece from a local allotment shop and my understanding is that water seeps through it to the crops underneath.  The problem I have is that when I water the water just sits on top, sagging the fleece and finally crushing my carrots. 

Does anyone know why this is and how it can be solved?

Thanks in advance!

Hi and welcome Gunner1980,
In reply to your thread, I have enlisted the help of my OH to use the sewing machine and hemming tape.
She stitched together the ends of the fleece and the hemming tape leaving a gap big enough to insert the blue piping.
This allowed me to make a cloche type frame to go over my plants for protection. And yes it keeps the bugs off and allows the rain in.
Take a look at a couple of photos.
http://s922.photobucket.com/albums/ad68/landimad/garden/05%2006%202011/?action=view&current=cabbages.jpg
http://s922.photobucket.com/albums/ad68/landimad/garden/March2011/?action=view&current=fleece1.jpg
See if this helps.

Thanks for the welcome  ;D

I might have to look into a similar kind of idea with the cloche.  At the moment my carrots are in a raised trough about 12-14in off the ground and I was just draping the fleece over the trough and weighing it down with bricks.  It just seemed the fleece wasnt allowing the water through so I removed it.  Wasn't sure if it was something simple like having to submerse the fleece in water before I used it.

Hiya, gunner, welcome to a4a  ;D
we have two types of fleece, different thicknesses, one is for frost protection and doesn't let water through properly

Ah so how do you recognise the two types from the packets?

Our frost control came in a 50 metre roll, the thin stuff I bought, can't remember what the gsms are, 70 for the thin stuff, I think  ???

A big thankyou for this thread.  I had some fleece that has been annoying me since the water does not pass through, so friday I covered by tomatoes with it and avery pleased they have kept very nice and dry.  No damp stems  Must get some more.