Comments on: When to Cloche? New Information on Cloches

By: Ali Ridgwell

Ali Ridgwell — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 16:17:30 +0000

Interesting reading. Sounds to me if we sow direct into the ground cloche as you go, but if you’re transplanting cloche before hand to warm deeper. Useful infi. Thanks.

For buying cloches try looking in 99p and £1 shops. They are quite thin and need careful handling, but they do the job and ours are on their third year. They are also not very long, but this suits us fine as we’re in a confined space.

By: malcolm cragg

malcolm cragg — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 20:21:35 +0000

Hi,posh cloches basic madel costs £10 for 20″,thats far too much money.As Mr tunstall says try an alternative like corrugated plastic roof sheets about£7 for 10′or all greenhouse glass and ducktape,we are make and menders ain,t we.

By: Mr Tunstall

Mr Tunstall — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 19:52:49 +0000

We have pheasants and pigeons roaming on our site as well as a few stray chickens. Cloches do help protect seedlings from the wind too. Try sheets of polythene scrounged off wrapped pallets, its free. Better still make cold frames out of old window frames. Bought cloches are way too expensive.

By: John

John — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 18:38:21 +0000

Most gardening is rule of thumb. Seeds germinate usually near the surface so that’s the temperature that matters when sowing. Once the seeds have established and the roots go down further, the weather will have warmed (hopefully) and the soil will have warmed to a greater depth.

I suspect a lot of the benefit of cloches is in reducing wind chill anyway. Not to forget keeping the birds from pulling onion sets up and nibbling seedlings..

If only they kept the slugs out!

By: Brian King

Brian King — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 18:24:33 +0000

“challenging previously held views that cloches needed to be sited for several weeks to make ANY IMPACT on soil temperature”.

Having some impact has no great relevance. What is important is achieving the necessary temperature that you need, e.g. to allow germination.

The often quoted two weeks is just meant to be a rough rule of thumb.

By: Mike Palmer

Mike Palmer — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 23:04:47 +0000

The surface layers heat up and cool down quickly with the weather/sun/cloud which is what their 5cm deep measurements are measuring.

A more meaningful measurement would be at 10cm depth. Once warmed at this depth it only cools slowly and the bottom heat encourages development of root systems.

We have all sown seed on a nice Spring day only to find that the seed starts but then sits vunerable to pests until proper warm weather arrives.

Maybe the true value of pre-sowing cloching is the warming of the lower levels.

By: John

John — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:29:06 +0000

I think they were off ebay – had them a few years now. They only get used for a couple of months each year so hoping for a few more years life from them yet.

By: stuart

stuart — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 17:20:16 +0000

hi john.Interesting read. Wondered where you got those cloches i see covering the sweetcorn?

Cheers, Stuart