Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Chatting => Design and Construction => Topic started by: no_akira on February 06, 2017, 20:57
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Found these in a skip, retrieved x6 to use as Bell Cloches for some of my sown direct seeds for this years grow.[/font]
(http://allotment-ideas.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/lamp_shade_bell_cloche_2c-300x278.jpg)
(http://allotment-ideas.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/lamp_shade_cloche_1c-293x300.jpg)
Last year I had a lot of success with growing climbing plants (eg beans) in a ring of 8 plants surrounded by a 14" bottomless pot . The pot acted as a mechanical barrier (large seedling collar) against "the onslaught" (slugs & snails). Once the plants established themselves I removed the pot barrier I then fanned them out along a frame.Thinking about pasting some reflective material on the inner surface of 1/3 of the bell cloche to act as a sun reflector ? Perhaps cover them in bubble wrap for insulation.
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Great idea - well spotted re-cycling!
I guess it pays to be tall enough to see in those skip thingies. I'm sure I've shrunk - I never notice anything in them. :unsure:
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Wish I had them, they look really good.
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These have been working extremely well....
In the next few days will post some updated pictures of them in use with a ring of beans and sow direct parsnips seedlings.
The thickness of the acrylic plastic warms the air inside nicely and the large opening at the top keeps it from getting too warm. When watering I just douse onto the outside of the cloche. Most of the water sloshes down the sides creating a moisture ring around your plants. I little bit splashes into the cloche.
There were hundreds of these in a skip outside a local "electrical contractors". I took 10 for me and 10 for another fellow allotmenteer. If i'd have known how well they were going to work I would have taken the whole skips worth...
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They'd actually make really nice lampshades, too! :D
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A bit industrial for my liking but "minimalist is all the rage so....
Ring of Sacrificial Sunflower maidens as an offering to entice the slug & snails out into the open were my Song Thrush army & my one seriously territorial Robin can decimate them... mwahahaha
Parsnips are coming on nicely
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Ha ha, looks wonderful! What does the green bottle do?
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Not sure at the mo... Its the only bottle that I could find (Spring water bottle) that fits the hole.
I suppose its plugging the gap at the mo...
At some point will cut hole in the bottom of it using the "Hot knife" method and half fill with pebbles.
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Aha! I thought it was some super-clever irrigation system! I wish you'd emptied the skip, too - I'd have bought some! 😊