Ideas for a large cloche?

Gefjun

Hi everyone,

I have 2 x raised veggie beds of approx 3m x 1.5m. Frost nipped all my seedlings last year and I lost the first lot, so I'm thinking about making 2 large cloches covering the whole beds this spring. I was thinking about some large hoops to push into the ground which I'd brace with some canes, then put some horticultural fleece over the top.

Does anyone have any ideas of what I can make some large hoops out of or what I could buy which is going to fit?

Thanks
Gefjun

Andy_Davies

A common way to do it is to use blue water pipe - the sort they use for water pipes to houses you might be able to find some via Freecycle.

Alternatively get some kids hula hoops and cut them into semi-circles.

Andy

emiff6

Is your heart set on hoops? Why not use cane connectors and build a rectangular cloche?

http://www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk/figo-universal-frame-connectors-pid4104.html

rhosynbach

if you pound shop has cheap kids hoola hoops these are brilliant opened out for the job either with fleece over now or net to keep birds of.

angelavdavis

I created a made to measure one using 2x2 pressure treated timber cut to size and fixed at each corner to create a rectangle that sat around the bed, I then used the blue pipe mentioned and inserted dowels into the frame at intervals, fixing the blue pipe over in a domed style along the length. I then used a dowel through the centre of the pipe at the apex (screwed in place) to hold all the pipe together and covered with envirofleece, stapled over the frame with accessible ends which can be pinned down to stop butterflies getting in.

I have also created a makeshift version using just pipe, fleece and pegs to hold it down, but always find it collapses.

The benefit of my permanent version is that it is more sturdy, can be propped up to access the plants underneath and doesn't collapse.

My plan for 2011 is to create more of my permanent ones as they are much better in practice than the ad-hoc version (take time to make and a bit more expensive but much more usable).

I created a taller version as a temporary polytunnel/greenhouse until I got hold of a free greenhouse for the allotment.

Gefjun

Thanks for the ideas everyone.

I googled it this afternoon and someone else has the idea of putting copper piping into the ground and putting flexible conduit piping over the top to form the hoops. Possibly not the cheapest option, but incredibly long lasting and still cheaper than buying something ready made from the garden centre for the size I'm looking for!

Invalidation

Gefjun wrote: »

Thanks for the ideas everyone.

I googled it this afternoon and someone else has the idea of putting copper piping into the ground and putting flexible conduit piping over the top to form the hoops. Possibly not the cheapest option, but incredibly long lasting and still cheaper than buying something ready made from the garden centre for the size I'm looking for!

And when the copper piping corrodes down (as it will do) it will kill anything close to it.

I would definately not use copper pipe. It is corrosive and more expensive than steel.

alanobrien

Invalidation wrote: »

And when the copper piping corrodes down (as it will do) it will kill anything close to it.
.

Copper will oxidise first and corrosion rates are incredibly slow in atmosphere.
From the Wiki which is correct...ish according to my metallurgist wife.

"The corrosion rate of copper in most drinkable waters is less than 25 µm/year, at this rate a 15 mm tube with a wall thickness of 0.7 mm would last for about 280 years. In some soft waters the general corrosion rate may increase to 125 µm/year, but even at this rate it would take over 50 years to perforate the same tube."

Copper is also used to deter slugs and some people use it all the way around the top of raised beds for this purpose.

The blue water pipe is still the best way to go imho but i would not be overly concerned with using copper in the garden given its carried our drinking water since before i was born.

Invalidation

Yes its is great for drinking water but when buried in the ground and in constant contact with damp or wet abrasive earth I think you will find it corrodes a lot faster. And yes it does oxidise first and its this oxidation that kills vegetation. Copper sulphate is also an amazingly efficient weed killer.

I used to use a large copper electrode as a base earth for my Ham radio transmitter and I was stunned to see the corrosion on it after just 3 years and I was also very surprised to see a nice circle of clear earth all around the base of it.

However for various reasons, Steel is much better to use as a support for the Plastic water piping. It is far stronger and far cheaper, Copper will bend and break if the cloche is subject to heavy loading like snow.....steel wont.

angelavdavis

When I moved into my current house, the removal guys placed some copper pipe which had been moved from the shed in the old house on the ground in front of a lovely mature laburnum at the end of the garden that had really sold the garden to me. I didn't spot it for ages as it was hidden in the grass. I found it some months later but not before it had had the chance to kill off the laburnum. I was gutted.

angelpye

Would you cut the hoopla's in two to make the arch?