Modified Glass Cloches in the Garden

Disclaimer notice : I live in the northeast, a normally very wet climate, This subject interests me, but as it will prove to be most effective in

a drylands condition/climate I am sure other members will have had more experience to share in these areas

Picture of a glass cloche in a garden :


http://americangardenhistory.blogspot.com/2012/03/beautiful-glass-cloche.html



A recent Forum thread posted to 'rainwater catchment' needs a little more conversation and I wanted to reach more forums !

Some people are familiar with Glass Cloches as Bell Jars covering and displaying a prized item on a mantle or a coffee table.

Its use in gardens especially by the French Gardeners creates a terrarium-like space where the plant is protected from temperature swings

and this jar greatly reduces the total water consumption.

The new adaptation is to place a Clear Plastic 1 gal or 1.5 gal jug with its bottom removed like a Glass Cloche over a second water vessel

This container is smaller than the Cloche can be dark and as it warms and water evaporates out if it the water will leave behind Salts and

minerals and heavy metals . see the following pictures /// link below !


http://fansofnature.blogspot.com/2013/04/drip-bottle-irrigation.html


So the cloche allows free evaporation of clean water and the condensation of water vapor against the inside of the bell jar waters the soil

- Even with the plants now outside the Cloche they are warmed by the close proximity of the jar and its water, the soil gets frequent drinks

and most of the root system of the plants enjoy aerobic conditions !

For more information ///// see Link Below :


https://permies.com/t/52037/rainwater/Kondenscompressor


For the Good of the Crafts ! Big AL

allen lumley wrote:

The new adaptation is to place a Clear Plastic 1 gal or 1.5 gal jug with its bottom removed like a Glass Cloche over a second water vessel

My favorite plastic container to reuse is the 2-liter or 3-liter polycarbonate soda bottle. One little trick you can do after you cut the bottom off is to melt the edge in a hot skillet. By spinning the bottle around on the surface of a hot frying pan, you can form a reinforcing bead around the circumference of the bottom, making it a little more rigid. This is useful, because then you can drill a hole above this bead and use a tent peg of some type to keep the bottle from blowing away (which heavier glass cloches don't have a problem with).

The other nice thing about soda bottles is that they have an easy-to-open vent at the top in case you are worried about your small plant overheating on a very sunny day.

I have thought about this with one of those big pale blue plastic jugs from a.water cooler.

I worry about fresh air, dont the plants want fresh air? Especially.when.the ground.freezes?

The jug I would use no longer has a cap. Would it be.better to cut off the spout end and have a wider "roof" or to cut off the bottom and have the spout at the top? I'm thinking of protecting a happy lavender plant from winter kill.