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Monday 19 October 2015

Getting Tucked In.

If just recently losing all the words for my latest installment of 'derring done' wasn't an act of cyber crime; (far more likely I know to be self-inflicted cyber incompetence)

Then this 'top tip' for saving a bit of dosh might make me the subject of; online industrial espionage; interest to purveyors of over priced crop covering; cloche hoops...

Protecting here the multicoloured leaves of rainbow chard, keeping off a bit of cold, over the winter (gains an extra 4 degrees) and possibly even more importantly the wind.

Using 'cosy tex' (which is as the name suggests) supported by hoops made from thickish alkathene pipe.
I prefer black; to bright blue in the garden; but I don't think the vegetables care that much.

Get yourself down to the farm store, or plumbers merchant, buy a roll for a few pounds, cut at a slant, to your required length, which depends on your bed width, BTW slicing through with branch loppers is very quick. Make a few inches of guide hole in the soil for the end of the hoop, which you need to push in firmly, this will support your chosen cover and stop it abrading the leaves.

Only got the rest of the working week to get all the crops that need to be covered, snuggled up.
If it's done too soon; then it can overheat the plants and make them go soft; as with most successful operations; timing is key...

But by the start of November; even in these soft southern climes we can get a frost hard enough to scorch the tender growth...

Making pilot holes for the hoop ends ; with a length of rebar; certainly helps to keep the biceps toned and ready; for the upcoming arm wrestling championships.....

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