Review by Michael Smith (Veshengro)
Longrow Super Cloche
Lakeland Ref: 51152
UV-protected, corrugated plastic protection for your plants. Galvanised steel frame.
Protect your precious plants from the elements and give them a head start with the Super Cloche. Featuring a tall roof system and generous depth, your dwarf beans, strawberries and salads, will thank you for their uv-protected, corrugated plastic shelter. Circular panels at either end turn easily for adjustable ventilation.
Dimensions are 1.11m x 47 x 38cm high or 43¾" x 18½" x 15" for those who think Imperial.
Price: £33.99
Please note: the workable height of this product is 25cm. The height stated above is before the legs are planted into the ground.
The assembly of the cloche as per instructions are not as straightforward as would would assume, unfortunately.
The corrugated PVC panels are extremely tight fitting into the frame and in the process I, in fact, managed to break the corner of one of the panels.
Because of this extreme tight fit it is nigh impossible to fit the two ventilated end pieces which, per instructions, are supposed to be fitted after the corrugated PVC panels have been put in.
I would, therefore, strongly advise to put in the end pieces prior to the corrugated panels – as I did in the end. Once the procedure is thus reversed I found fitting to be a lot easier.
This is not he first self-assembly product where I have found that I have had to reinvent the instructions.
Once assembled, which, I must say, took me a while and a helper could come in most handy, putting the cloche upon a raised bed into the soil was very easy. All that is required is a gentle downward push on both metal hoops – DO NOT push down on the central bar.
Hoops and central bar of the cloche are of galvanized steel; much better than the aluminium frames so often used in similar products such as mini cold frames.
Tools required for the assembly of the cloche are a cross-head (Phillips) screwdriver and an 8mm spanner or better still a socket with driver. A pair of additional hands could come is useful too.
© 2010
