Cloches are of course primarily intended to protect plants from the weather. They will shield a plant from wind, hail and heavy rain, and prevent frost settling directly on the plant, but just be aware that they don't raise the temperature. You may get a slightly higher temperature inside the cloche (particularly when the sun is shining), but only slightly. I think the wind-shielding effect is the most valuable aspect because when a plant is buffeted by wind it responds by building up its own strength - like a human being exercising in the gym! This can make the plant tougher, which is not necessarily desirable if you are eventually going to eat it.
In addition to shielding plants from the weather they can also serve to protect plants from animals and birds. Look at this poor Landcress plant which has not had the benefit of a cloche. The pigeons have decimated it!
On the other hand, here is a Landcress plant covered with a cloche (note the ice):
Removing the cloche (briefly) reveals this - a much happier plant:
I had some spare cloches in the garage, so I have now got them out and put them to use:
Sorry, pigeons, but salad is OFF.
Mike brought a couple of those large water dispenser bottles home from work once. They looked rather eclectic once in place. I like your more normal ones better, much neater.
ReplyDeleteI imagine the water-bottles may look a little too "functional" to be acceptable in a small garden. Maybe on an allotment plot they would look more in keeping?
DeleteThey're not an eyesore which is quite important when you're growing in a garden rather than an allotment.
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm not so sure. I think they are a bit of an eyesore, and they will come off just as soon as conditions allow. Once the pigeons see that the Landcress is now inaccessible they will look for something else. In a couple of weeks time they will have forgotten all about Landcress!
DeleteThey look useful for where you can't net against pigeons. As Jo commented growing in the garden environment is a different ball game, maybe this type of set up will suit us when we gave salads in our garden raised bed. I'm guessing that in summer plants inside would scorch
ReplyDeleteYes, plants would definitely get to hot inside though in summer, despite the presence of adjustable vents on the tops.
DeleteI use the functional but ugly bottomless water jugs, but my garden is away from the house so they aren't too much of an eyesore. The birds here don't forget tasty treats, I recently uncovered a radicchio that threatened to burst out of its cloche and the birds lost no time in cutting it down to a size that fit inside the cloche again.
ReplyDeleteThey seems a very interesting tool. If i will have a domestic garden near my home in the future i will use them too... In the country them seems not usefull
ReplyDeleteI use tranparent big cup to cover the new little plants after transplanting. It's really work to keep the little plant safe from the rain and sunburn. Durig the dry season, I only covered them from the morning until afternoon. And I let them free in the night.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds as if this procedure would be very time-consuming. You must love your plants very much!
DeleteI use the same cloches and like them. However they tend to be blown off by the wind. Do you have this problem? I have poked small holes in the base of each cloches and put in each hole a rigid wire to hold the cloche in place.
ReplyDeleteI have had a funny experience buying these. In a very fashionable garden supply store the price was about 5 times higher than in some other shops!
Hi Alain; Mine all came with 4 pre-drilled holes, and with metal pegs to secure them, so no problems with blowing away. I agree that you have to shop around. The same thing is often offered at many different prices. Carriage prices also can make a big difference.
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