Garden Cloche Setup For Raised Beds

Garden Cloches provide protection for tender vegetables, herbs and flowers from frost damage while warming the soil for faster seed germination and extending growing seasons for plants that prefer heat.

Traditional bell cloches are constructed from plastic or glass materials. Light and portable, they should be removed or propped up periodically to allow ventilation.

1. Seal the Edges

Garden Cloches provide an easy and cost-effective way to create a warm microclimate for your garden, fruit and veg. Like greenhouses, garden cloches help warm the soil for early planting as well as protecting seedlings, potted plants and harvests throughout summertime. Plus, their lightweight structure makes moving it easily between beds as crops mature or need protection from cold temperatures.

Although there are various styles of cloche, one of the easiest and most flexible is low tunnel cloches resembling small hoophouses. Gardeners can easily build them and adapt it according to climate, resources, needs or preferences.

For maximum durability, use rot-resistant lumber such as cedar or redwood and treat it with non-phytotoxic wood preservative (such as Creosote or Pentachlorophenol; accumulation of fumes could damage plants). For natural wood such as Pine, treat it with mineral-based preservative to add an attractive silver patina and reduce its tendency to rot.

2. Cover the Bottom

Gardeners who use raised beds typically line the bottoms with fabric to prevent weeds and grasses from invading, as well as to help regulate soil temperatures, giving plants time to establish before night temperatures drop significantly. This practice may also help slow soil temperatures during cold spells.

As an easy and fast solution, consider layering a few sheets of cardboard before filling your bed with your potting mix. This will smother any weeds or grass growing there while slowly decomposing over time to leave a fertile bed of soil behind.

If you prefer a more permanent solution, landscape fabric can be purchased at most hardware stores and comes in various sizes to fit raised beds. Landscape fabric can also help protect against voles or gophers burrowing from beneath your bed, so be sure to bury or anchor its edges using stakes for optimal performance and avoid flapping and rubbing against crops planted nearby.

3. Cover the Top

Frost cloth traps heat near the ground surface, protecting plants from colder climates while blocking air currents that would otherwise enter through direct paths and freeze moisture from plant tissues and dry out soil surfaces. Frost cloth is cost-effective and convenient enough to move from bed to bed as needed – both qualities which make frost cloth an economical solution that makes the bed warmer for plants and more resistant to frost damage.

Frost cloth covers are an effective alternative to plastic, which can trap condensation and invite rot. Frost cloth’s air flow provides adequate drainage while simultaneously maintaining a warmer soil surface beneath. Frost cloth covers are particularly helpful in prolonging growing season for cold-hardy herbs or greens as well as sheltering seedlings or potted plants at either end of year.

Garden clips can help secure frost cloth to hoops securely and evenly spaced along their edges for best results. Vent covers in sunny mornings to let moisture escape before closing them back up before nightfall to trap warm air for overnight growth.

4. Cover the Sides

Low tunnel cloches provide another way to extend your growing season and ensure frost and drooping don’t occur on cold nights, while being easily moved from bed to bed as your plantings progress.

Cloches come in all shapes and sizes; from bell-shaped covers for individual plants, to longer triangular or rectangular styles that provide additional protection to larger crops like tomatoes or peppers. Even inexpensive panes of glass can be combined into greenhouse-style structures for ease of storage out-of-season.

Simply make sure that cloches are regularly ventilated throughout the day to avoid overheating and condensation that could lead to fungal issues. Plastic hoops may be covered with breathable fabric so as not to cling or touch plants during sunny weather days.