[Maryann]

When I say lazy question it's because I'm sure the answer is on here
     <<<<<<<<<<<<<<   s o m e w h e r e >>>>>>>>>>

but being in a hurry (and too lazy to go through search results)


I have a small narrow raised bed with peas at one end and then rows of beetroot and then carrots and then lisbon spring onions.

I have bought some kiddies hoola hoops and cut them so I now have reasonable strong lengths of hoop. I have put 4 canes in  bed - one at each corner (excluding the peas) and can now insert the hoops onto the canes which are sticking out of the bed by about 8". The hoops have slid over the canes and down into soil quite nicely. There are just 2 hoops, one at each end of section I want to protect from whitefly.

All I need to know now is an quick and efficient way to secure my fleece over the hoops that can be drawn back when required. It's quite a windy patch so needs to be secure in bad weather.

I have tried just laying it over hoops and securing each end but that dont work and my powers of invention seem to be eluding me at the moment.

It will hopefully create a sort of 'mini cloche' effect but using fleece instead of polythene.

Anyone that can understand the above gets a medal BUT anyone who can understand the above and offer a solution gets my all round hero award  

Cheers everyone.

M.

[GrannieAnnie]

Bricks??    or garden pegs, like tent pegs, we got ours from Wilkinsons 99p for 6 I think it was or maybe more than 6

[Maryann]

Bricks??    or garden pegs, like tent pegs, we got ours from Wilkinsons 99p for 6 I think it was or maybe more than 6

Ah yes I see what you mean, pegs would be good. I was having problems keeping the fleece from sliding sideways but if I get your drift then pegging it on the sides could be the answer.

I'll need to see if it's wide enough for that....just wait for the rain to stop then I'll pop out and have a go at that.

Cheers,

M.

[crapaud]

How about tying twine from the first  to the 2nd hoop on the same side.
 
Do the same on the other side and across the top, front to back.

Use clothes pegs to fix fleece to twine.

Worked for me, only I used old hosepipe fixed to top of bamboo canes.

[agapanthus]

If you have a sewing machine you could sew channels in the fleece for the hoops to go through?

[jazzbyrd]

Agapanthus what a good idea!!!

Jazzy

[corndolly]

When its very windy we found that Fleece ripped easily when using pegs. We found lying bamboo canes along the side edges and keeping them down with any available heavy object such as a brick worked well. We use this technique for environmesh too , which is stronger than fleece and keeps everything off the vunerable plants.

[birmancats]

I filled empty two litre milk containers with sand.  They've worked really well.  Built in handles too.  They stood up to all the wind we had a while back and didn't rip the fleece or the enviromesh.  Take a bit of filling though!

[peapod]

I filled empty two litre milk containers with sand.  They've worked really well.  Built in handles too.  They stood up to all the wind we had a while back and didn't rip the fleece or the enviromesh.  Take a bit of filling though!

Im sure I read on here recently that you could fill them with water

Paula

[SalJ1980]

I filled empty two litre milk containers with sand.  They've worked really well.  Built in handles too.  They stood up to all the wind we had a while back and didn't rip the fleece or the enviromesh.  Take a bit of filling though!

Im sure I read on here recently that you could fill them with water

Paula

Just so long as they're water-tight!  

[noshed]

Fleece is prone to ripping so the water-filled bottles are better than bricks. Enviromesh is better still, much tougher and you end up with magically clean brassicas.

[Alex 98]

Agapanthus gave the best advice

BUT

Its the quality of the fleerce that counts

We bought a load of Guardman fleece

Made tunnels with wire and sewed etc as A suggests

but the fleece has rotted after being outside for only 3 months

Our friend has recommended this company's fleeece as being the best. You can even put it through the washing machine

www.kaysdiscountgarden.co.uk

Alex

[Martin]

Enviromesh is better still, much tougher and you end up with magically clean brassicas.

I've found that my broccoli that I'm growing under enviromesh is tending to bolt, possibly because I've let it get too dry. Water doesn't seem to get through the enviromesh so readily and I've been reluctant to lift the mesh to water and weed because of the cabbage white butterflies. Thinking of laying a soaker hose next year. But they are magically clean.

[Maryann]

W O W

so many good ideas and suggestions and I've only been out for the day.

Thanks soooo much to all of you. I like the idea of making little tunnels for the hoops to go through and I'm dead handy with the old Singer sewing machine   so thats my job sorted for the weekend.

What an lovely inventive bunch of people you all are  

Wish me luck,

M.

[gobs]

Burrying the edges is also an option, might seem a not too crafty and lazy one, but it works and does not tear the fleece as any kinda holes do.