DIY cloches & coldframes!

[Sara]

Hi everyone,

Spring's just around the corner, and most of us have already started sowing crops for overwintering. Here at GYO we've been wondering how to protect young seedlings from the cold without spending a pile of cash.

Have you ever made your own cloche or coldframe? We'd love to hear about any weird or wacky materials you used. Whether it's pop bottles or an old shower screen, please let us know!



Your replies may be edited and published in GYO's March issue.

[VirginVegGrower]

I go to the village sweet shop and ask for their old plastic bottles, which they are only too glad to get rid of. Silly rules mean that they cannot reuse them. How daft is that? But my gain

I also use tall yoghurt pots as collars for lettuce. Am thinking of using PVA glue and crushed shells on the outside to deter those slimy things, that I refuse to name...

[Bigmallly]

My new pots this year will be these made out of water bottles, the top will be removed when germinated & the top half removed when established................

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...rop_68678.html

[BUFFS]

when i put a new roof on the hothouse,i kept the offcuts,about 18ins x 24ins,i will use them on the patch folded over as a cloche over early sowings,waste nothing,money is better in your pocket than someone elses..

[Bren In Pots]

For hardening off I've been using the patio table with a bit of plastic sheet pegged between that and the greenhouse like a tent but for next year I'm going to build a folding cold frame.

[Aberdeenplotter]

old shower screens are great because they usually come complete with hinges. Only downside if there is one is that the plastic ones are not uv resisitant and become brittle after a couple of seasons but then that's what freecycle/freegle is for

[salilah]

I built two mini-polytunnels a couple of years ago which fit the raised beds (2.4 x 1.2m) - they are great for protection but a pain for working, as they need 2 of us to lift them on and off the beds. In theory you can prop them up to harvest, but I've not found that helps so much. They are also not great for storing in the summer - they don't fold up!

Next year I hope to build some foldable cold frames (probably with plastic not glass tops) that I can easily prop open for weeding, harvesting etc - again these should fit the raised beds and be attached easily, but also easily removable and collapsable for the summer...

[Bren In Pots]

Salilah I'm making something like this :-

GardenDesk: Step by Step How to build a Cold Frame


it has screws and dowels in each corner so it looks easy enough to take apart for storage.

[Bigmallly]

Welcome to the vine lanshan, post a little hello in the link below giving your location & what you are interested in growing.

Introduce Yourself!

[Lando]

I have made one out of a old patio door, its heavy but it does the job