Covering a raised bed

[veg4681]

I'm getting so fed up with an exposed raised bed with what the hungry birds, frost and the possibility of cats intruding, overwintering veggies is proving testing. I've just transplanted my spring cabbages and they need to be somehow covered.

Over the exact size of my bed (4x12 feet), I'd like a durable structure to be covered with fleece but I don't like the flimsy half hoops you see in GC or DIY stores. Are there strong bendy mesh to give a polytunnel shape over the bed but not quite chicken wire coz I'm thinking they'll fall flat over time . Anybody got a picture of your covered raised bed that works well for overwintering?

[crichmond]

You could use fencing wire mesh, you know the thick stuff like they use in parks etc, or if you could use 15mm copper pipe and make your own support either using a pipe bender to get hoops or use joints to give a square hoop.

[shirlthegirl43]

I think you can use alkathene water pipe to make the half-hoop thingies

[Liz and Steve]

We used to use hoops of blue alkathene water pipe on our raised beds, about 2 feet apart - very effective covered in fleece or horticultural plastic.

My Dad improved the design by drilling matching holes in three places around each hoop and threading 8mm dowel along the bed through each hoop. - makes the whole thing a lot more rigid.

Sorry, no pictures - moved house last year and haven't finished building our new raised bed yet!

Regards

Steve

[momol]

Hi Veg,

We use tunnel frames made of fence wire. They are not flimsy like chicken wire at all.
You can just line the plastic cover on top of it for overwintering veggies and during spring or summer, use netting over them. and when you need to dig the soil, just remove them... will see if I have picture of them from close.

Momol

[Snadger]

One of the main problems with putting curved tunnels over the beds is that only the centre has enough growing height for brassicas etc.

When I finally get around to doing it, I intend to knock in six lengths of scaffold pole around my 4 foot by 12 foot beds and leave about 2 foot sticking proud of the ground. If I then put three Alkathene pipes over each bed it should be enough to support polythene and give adequate growing height within!

[SarzWix]

One of the main problems with putting curved tunnels over the beds is that only the centre has enough growing height for brassicas etc.

When I finally get around to doing it, I intend to knock in six lengths of scaffold pole around my 4 foot by 12 foot beds and leave about 2 foot sticking proud of the ground. If I then put three Alkathene pipes over each bed it should be enough to support polythene and give adequate growing height within!

Sounds like a good idea Snadger. I've had the height problem with my sprouts this time & had to put a temporary extra couple of poles (from a broken garden parasol) in the middle. I was wondering about a more permanent arrangement, and that sounds a good one - and cheap!!

[smallblueplanet]

Can't say its long term but we just made a temporary cage using bamboo canes as posts and tied canes (in a rectangle) across the top for a frame. We draped environmesh over the frame and held it down with bricks...

[raine]

Where does everyone get their fleece from? Most of the styff from my Gc is not wide enough to allow for height and width coverage, plus it's quite expensive!

[smallblueplanet]

We bought ours some while ago, but got it off the Net and picked it up. Try googling for the type of fleece you want.

[ysb33r]

I tend to cover mine in stages, depending on what is required.

• Sometimes just laying fleece over is good enough. Weigh them down with old plastic milk bottles filled with water.
• Sheets of meshed fencing wire or chicken wire that are hooped. Keeps the cats, pigeons, magpies and squirrels at bay.
• The small hooped cloches. Good enough for single rows. However with the prevailing winter winds you don't want anything that can be blown around. Last year I had to recover why cloches three times at the very least.
• A full structure using Build-a-ball, aliminium poles and mesh. Build-a-ball is available from Harrod Horticultural. They have some some good options in this dept - much better that the stuff that you'll find at B&Q etc. Some of the options are not cheap, but they might worth a look.

[momol]

Can't say its long term but we just made a temporary cage using bamboo canes as posts and tied canes (in a rectangle) across the top for a frame. We draped environmesh over the frame and held it down with bricks...

I can get fleece from my local Garden Centre but for the extra huge/ wide they will have to be ordered.
You could contact your local Garden Centre Raine, perhaps they got it too ...

Momol

[veg4681]

Thanks for all your replies with suggestions, I will look into these although the immediate solution will be a makeshift type with fleece and water filled plastic milk bottles to hold the fleece down.

[Snadger]

Curtain voile of ebay should be similar to enviromesh..........and a damm site cheaper!

[SarzWix]

Where does everyone get their fleece from? Most of the styff from my Gc is not wide enough to allow for height and width coverage, plus it's quite expensive!

I got mine from Harrod Horticultural, you can order it by the metre and I think they do different widths. But there are other suppliers on the 'net too if you have a hunt

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