[TonyB.]

I like to get any crop started early if I can but I HATE those cloches. Spreading the polythene over the wire, securing it to the soil, lifting it to weed then re securing it. Lifting it to water etc etc etc.

This idea started with the need to keep pigeons away from the peas. Dragging netting over peas and beans when they are big enoughto withstand the birds without protection would be awkward. So I made some wooden frames (size suitable to fit sections of my plot but easy enough to lift and move around) covered the sixes with chicken wire (longer lived than netting) and a net lid. These are 18 " tall. Then I had a thought ... cover the sides with polythene and use some sheets of glass ( kept glass when windows were replaced ) or even a polythene lid. Then the early peas could be even earlier. No need to remove the frames just the lid when they grow up to it.

Second idea - sweet corn, again polythene sides glass top.

Because of the uniform size of my beds they can be moved around as you rotate your crops. And no fiddling about with sheets of polythene in the wind.

It works for me.