Home made cloches

[Kaja]

Does anyone know what I need in a cloche? I'm looking to make my own out of old Ikea plastic boxes (we have hundreds after many many house moves!), but don't know what is necessary - ventilation? If so, where? Some sort of means of fixing to the ground?

The boxes I mean are these
IKEA | Storage boxes & baskets | Secondary storage boxes | SAMLA | Box

All ideas/advice appreciated!

[chris]

Couple of people have these on my plot, with a corner broken in, to allow ventilation. They've put them over courgettes/pumpkins that were planted out a 3/4 weeks ago. They've just rested bricks on them to stop them blowing away (around the edges). They'll need some ventilation as you say - because they'll heat up fast inside, and you don't want to cook your plants

You could use them to plant in too, if you drill drainage holes in. You could even drill drainage holes in, sink them into the ground and put invasive plants in there to contain them too.

[Florence Fennel]

Ooh they'd also make fantastic "saucers" for tomatoes in buckets. Wish I'd seen them before.

[endymion]

The box looks a bit some 'commercial' cloches - the ones I've seen pictures of have holes drilled in the top (at the bottom of dents) to let rainwater in, and also look as if the sides of one end have been sliced through so it can be lifted up for access.

I've used all sorts of big plastic boxes for cloches, set onto the ground with a bit of wood wedged beneath the longest side to let some air through. The biggest ones are kept down with half a dozen six tent pegs from the penny less than a pound shop, smaller ones are kept still by a couple of canes pushed into the soil at an angle.

[Kaja]

Many thanks for all the useful info - now I just need to persuade the OH to help me bring them down from the loft!

[chris]

I'm sure you would, but I'd give them a rinse before use, if you've that lovely glass fibre wool stuff up there *itches just thinking about it*

[Snadger]

I use all sorts of things for clohkes including large tupperware and plastic bowls weighted with a brick.
The boxes look ideal for single plants of the cucurbit family!

[Bren In Pots]

Plastic tent pegs are handy for holding them down.

[squibbs]

Demijohns that are past useablility for brewing with the bottoms cut off.

[roitelet]

I use water pipe for hoops with plastic sheet over them. Clothes pegs to hold the plastic in place and string in the winter, bury the edges if the plastic in the soil. Works well.

[oldie]

The Ikea boxes are fine for short term use but they are not UV stabilised and gradually disintegrate.