From elaborate designs to individual plant protectors made from plastic bottles, cloches (pronounced kl-oshes) provide handy protection from insects, pests and weather.
Newly planted seedlings and prized mature plants thrive in such a space. Acting as a heat trap, along with protecting from extreme wind and an unexpected frost, cloches act as a mini-greenhouse.
While kit-set tunnels can be purchased ‘off the shelf’ ready to stake into low-lying garden beds, it is easy to create a cloche from scratch for a raised bed that is already in place. It’s easy to construct a canopy that can easily attach to it.
This project is based on a standard 900mm x 1800 raised bed and uses insect garden netting.
TIP: Upcycle fine meshed netting or material that allows water and light to permeate but keeps most insects out. A frost cloth may be easily utilized in winter or late spring for plants prone to frost damage.
How to make a Cloche Growing Tunnel
Materials we used
- 4 x lengths flexible plastic pipe 15mm x 2mm x 2m
- 1 x pack of 6 x 16mm tool clips (comes with screws)
- 3 x set of 3/16” x 38mm nuts and bolts, mushroom head zinc plated
- 2 x 80mm white down-pipe clips
- 4 x 25mm screws
- 2m x 4m insect garden netting
Method
Step 1: Along each 1800mm length of existing raised garden, clear dirt to expose wood on opposing sides – as close to internal corners as possible and in the centre. 40mm down from top of wooden edge, drill pilot holes and secure a tool clip with screws provided in packet.
Step 2: Clip in plastic pipe, push one end into garden bed; bend then secure into corresponding tool clip on opposing side to form a hoop. Repeat until 3 hoops are in place. Adjust height by pushing pipe ends into soil so they are of equal height.
Step 3: The remaining length of plastic pipe becomes the horizontal support that connects the three hoops together from the underside at the most central highest point. Measure and cut to length. Where each pipe meets, drill a small pilot hole followed by a suitable sized hole for the bolts. Push in bolt and screw on nut to secure.
Screw downpipe clips to each external facing short end of the raised bed, centred top and bottom.
Step 4: Drape insect netting over frame ensuring it forms a skirt of approx 10cm around the outside of raised bed framing. If this is troublesome due to materials at hand, reduce the size of the hoops.
Wrap one end of netting through down-pipe clip twice to secure. Ensuring netting is tort repeat on other side. Netting is then secure, snug around the sides of the raised bed and is easily accessible for weeding, harvesting and replanting.
As seen in NZ Lifestyle Block Magazine, written by me!
