On Sun, 6 Feb 2005 12:52:24 -0000, "Tumbleweed"
wrote:

~
~"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

It's really odd, but I've just been asking some fellow lottie folk
that question this week! (And for exactly the same reason!)

~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!

The advice I was given was to use stiff hosepipe, and curve it round
in an arc, just pushing it into the sides of the bed to anchor. No
drilling required, and you can make the polytunnel as tall or as flat
as you want and with no sharp edges on the supports. You could
strengthen it by tying green twine between hoops and anchoring the
ends into those little tiny vine eyes you get for net curtains, put
into the wood at the bed ends.

~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.
~
Apparently there's a very good garden centre in Berkhamsted that sells
very reasonably priced plastic, though I'd have to check to see if
they did clear as well as black.

Here's to a good season!

--
jane

Don't part with your illusions. When they are gone,
you may still exist but you have ceased to live.
Mark Twain

Please remove onmaps from replies, thanks!