You can make your own garden cloches in three main ways at home. The easy build uses an old milk jug. The mid-level build uses PVC hoops with plastic sheeting. The top-tier build is a wood-framed raised-bed cover. Each one costs less than a store-bought cloche.
I cut my first DIY cloche from a one-gallon milk jug back in 2019. The job took me a slow ten minutes with a sharp knife. Now I pre-cut six or seven jugs each winter while I watch TV. Come spring, I just grab them and plop one over each seedling in the bed.
The milk jug cloche is the best build for a first try. Wash a clean gallon jug well. Cut off the bottom with a knife. Leave the cap off so heat can vent on warm days. Push the cut edge into the soil two inches deep to anchor it from wind.
This jug build costs zero dollars if you save the empties from your own kitchen. You get a clear cover that fits one small seedling. The light gets through. The wind stays out. Slugs, cutworms, and rabbits can not reach the leaves inside.
The mid-level homemade plant cover is a PVC hoop cloche over a row of crops. Buy four ten-foot lengths of half-inch PVC pipe at any hardware store. Bend each one into an arch over your row. Push the ends about six inches into the soil on each side.
Drape 6-mil clear plastic sheeting over the hoops to form a low tunnel. The OSU Extension EC 1627 plan calls for this thicker plastic since thin film rips fast in wind. Clip the sheet to the hoops with bull clips or clamps. Bury the side edges with a few inches of soil or weight them with bricks.
The top-tier build is a wood-framed cloche for a full raised bed. OSU Extension EC 1627 plans use a frame that is 8 feet by 4 feet (2.4 by 1.2 meters) to fit a standard raised bed. Cover the frame with one 10-foot by 10-foot sheet of 6-mil plastic. Staple the sheet to the wood with a heavy duty stapler.
Three steps decide if your cloche works well or fails. The first step is vent holes to stop heat buildup on sunny days. Drill four to six half-inch holes in any solid cover. Skip this and your plants can hit 100°F (38°C) by noon and wilt.
The second step is anchoring against wind so your cloche does not blow off in a storm. Push jug edges deep into soil. Stake PVC hoops with wire pegs. Weigh down plastic edges with bricks or boards. A flying cloche can crack glass or rip plastic in seconds.
The third step is easy removal so you can check plants and water them with no fuss. Loose clips beat tight screws. A hinge on a raised-bed cover beats fixed staples. You will lift the cover dozens of times in a season.
Pick the build that matches your skill set. Beginners should pick milk jug cloches to learn the basics first. Mid-level growers should try PVC hoop builds for a longer row. Advanced builders should make the raised-bed cloche for the most growing space and durability.
Most growers end up with a mix of all three over time. I keep six milk jugs ready for spring seedlings. I use one PVC hoop tunnel for my lettuce row. I built one raised-bed frame for the tomatoes. Each one earns its keep at a different point in the year.
Read the full article: Garden Cloche Guide: 7 Best Uses
