"Janet Tweedy" wrote in message
...
Now I've managed to build nearly all 12 raised beds at the top of my
garden (a scaffolding plank long and 4 foot wide) I would like to cover at
least part of one or two to start early crops.

Can anyone with more experience of growing vegetables this way suggest the
best/most efficient means of warming the soil and/or growing under
plastic/fleece?

Janet
Hi Janet,
we picked up a brilliant tip from another poster last year.
We have drilled holes at a mild downwards angle (about eighteen inches
apart.) in the two long sides of the raised beds.
We push 5ft or 6ft bamboo canes into the holes on each side which forces
them to arc up and over the bed.
Then we cover with a sheet of polythene. Hey Presto - instant polytunnel!

We also use black ground cover fabric at £3.99 a roll from Poundstretcher on
all our raised beds, cutting a slit to plant through.
This is proper fabric, not that strange woven plastic stuff for laying under
gravel.
It breathes and also lets water through but stops weeds from developing. It
lasts for several years before you need to replace it.