A garden cloche is a miniature greenhouse that prevents frost from killing tender plants during cold seasons. It functions much like a larger greenhouse, but it is small enough to fit comfortably around individual plants. Besides warmth, the cloche also provides protection against wind and rain for delicate flowers or vegetables, many of which may perish if left unprotected with extreme weather. A certain type of glass can be used in place of plastic or polycarbonate to allow for more natural light transmission during the day as well as decreased risk of overheating at night due to the greenhouse effect.
Garden cloches are often used as an alternative to larger greenhouses on pot plants. In addition, they can also be used by hobby gardeners with more limited space or by those who wish to avoid the expense of a greenhouse. Cloches are commonly made from glass, fiberglass, or plastic.
Cloches made of plastic must be properly insulated with polyurethane foam or other suitable material to offer adequate protection during cold seasons. In the case of large cloches intended for houseplants, an insulating material may be needed to provide proper protection from extreme temperatures during hot season and excessive heat loss in cool seasons.
Cloches are particularly useful for the elderly, disabled, and those who live in regions subject to freezing temperatures during winter.
They allow those persons to continue holding onto their gardens until spring. Cloches are also beneficial to those who have no other resources or do not wish to pay for heating during colder months, like in the southern United States or Canada.
Multiple cloches can be mounted on a single roof so they would use less energy than having multiple identical greenhouses with separate heating and cooling systems taking up space on the property.
A garden cloche is a unique and versatile tool. They can be used to create indoor-outdoor living spaces, “tiny houses,” or spas by enclosing the inside of patio doors or large windows.
Those who want to use a cloche this way often build a small outside space in front of the patio door or window that is just big enough for one person. Glass or plastic cloches can also be used on outdoor patios and balconies to reduce heat loss and maintain a comfortable temperature during cool seasons.
A garden cloche is also designed to be an incubator for seedlings and plants put into it during very cold weather, which would otherwise be killed by frost if not protected.
What plants do well under a cloche?
As a warm garden covering, a cloche can protect tender plants from frost during cold seasons.
Of course, it depends on the plant one is considering covering with a cloche. For example, while vegetables like tomatoes do well under cloches, delicate flowers will be killed if left unprotected with lower temperatures. It is recommended to consult a gardening guidebook before using a cloche on a specific plant.
However, it is generally true that plants requiring moderate climates do well under cloches during the winter season while plants requiring very hot or very cold climates will have difficulty surviving under them unless properly insulated by glass or plastic covers and insulating material for large-scale cloches.
Plants that do well under a cloche:
- Maidenhair fern
- Creeping fig
- Philodendron
- Mini English Ivy
- Orchid
- Baby tears
Plants that do not perform well under a cloche:
- Lavender, sage, lemon balm, thyme, rosemary and other plants that need very hot and dry climates to do well.
- Thyme
- Rosemary
- Hops
What should be done when the cloche is first put on a plant? Is there any soil preparation? What kind of soil is recommended for various kinds of plants under a cloche?
Generally speaking, the answer is no, unless clay soil has been worked very hard beforehand or had several fertilizers added to it previously. In such cases, a garden cloche will not be able to grow healthy plants without nourishing it with a good and balanced fertilizer.
It is recommended that the soil of the cloche should be sealed after use by covering it with a mulch or some other convenient material, like dirt or earth.
The soil temperature under the cloche is generally higher than the outside air temperature even if it consists of clay soil. To ensure that plants grow well, it is recommended that this temperature difference should be maintained at all times in order to prevent plants from wilting and lowering their growth rate or worsening of diseases caused by extreme temperatures.
What does cloche mean in English?
Cloche means bell in French. What does bell mean in English? Cloche is also used as a verb meaning to cover with or as if with a bell.
Will a cloche protect from frost?
A cloche will protect your plants from frost . It is made to be a warm covering for plants in winter. What is frost? Frost is the white coating of ice that covers the ground when air becomes cold enough. Most plants are killed by frost if they are not protected from it.
Warm Garden Coverings: How do cloches work?
There are two parts to a cloche: the inner and outer part, which is designed to keep warm and create a little greenhouse for your plants during winter seasons. This keeps the temperature higher than outside temperatures, which encourages plant growth and reduces diseases caused by extreme temperatures.
The inner and outer covers are made of materials that allow them to have high insulating properties. Both parts are designed to be tightly closed to restrict outside air from getting in.
As such, they can make your garden area or patio seem like a greenhouse. This keeps the temperatures inside much warmer than outside weather conditions would be; in fact, many plants will start to grow healthier when kept warm during winter seasons.