The Cloche – Small Hothouses
In Europe “hotkaps” or small hothouses are called “cloches” (kloshes). Cloches are little barn-like structures made of glass and supported with small wire frames which are placed over outdoor crops. They are set end to end in the row, and because they have no ends, an extra pane of glass is used at each end of the row to complete the protection.
Cloches are used widely in English gardening and there is no reason why we should not use them more. They can be usefully employed over fall-sown annuals in the border or prized plants or bulbs in the rock garden, as a cover for violets, or to speed up tulips, daffodils and hyacinths.
The cloche usually provides a “push” in starting seeds or young plants, and is then moved on to help get something else on its way. It is easy to get an early crop of radishes and lettuce by cloche culture. Carrots, peas, beans and most annual flower seeds may be started early under the cloche. Sweet peas are especially benefited by such an early start.
The inexpensive paper hotkaps can be used in most of these instances with satisfying results. They will protect tender young plants and cut plant loss to a minimum. Plants of tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, head lettuce, broccoli and most annual flowers will reward you for being set out early under the hotkaps. Hills of corn, cucumber, watermelon and squash seeds can be covered with a hotkap and started three weeks ahead of the normal sowing time.
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