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Tunnel Cloche

This is a larger version of the 'Geoff Hamilton' cloche and will fit over a 4 foot wide bed or raised bed. It is ideal for starting early vegetables from seed or for protection earlier in the year when there is still a danger of frost. Later on it can be used for growing Peppers or Aubergines.

What you will need.

A number of 6 foot lengths of Alkathene water pipe (You will need one length for every 6 foot of bed being covered i.e. for a bed measuring 20 foot long you will require 4 lengths of pipe)

2 -1 foot lengths of ½" dowel for each length of pipe.

2 - 2" nails for each length of pipe.

Nylon string.

A 6' 6" wide piece of clear polythene just slightly longer than your bed.

Assembly

Push a length of dowel into the end of each pipe so that half it's length is still sticking out. Drill a hole just slightly larger than the thickness of the nail through the polythene and dowel. Ensure that the hole is sideways on when the pipe is curved over.

Insert the nail to hold the dowel in place. Insert the pipe and dowels into the soil equally spaced along the bed.

Stretch the polythene over the hoops and bunching one end together bury it into the soil. Pull the polythene taught over the frame and bury the other end the same.

Tie a piece of string to a nail on one side of the hoop and pass it across the top of the polythene and tie the string in a loop and hook onto the nail on the other side. Do this for each hoop. This is to hold the polythene in place.

When you require access to the crops, simply lift the polythene side and slide back. If the cloche is in a fairly open area, you may prefer to secure the sides of the polythene to planks of wood to help hold it down.

Use 2" x 2" or similar timber and use a staple gun to fasten the polythene to the plank.

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© copyright 1999, P. A. Owen