Quick verdict
Twenty-five clear plastic bell cloches, 7.9 inches tall and 6.7 inches across, with fifty metal stakes to pin them, for covering a row of transplants against frost, wind, birds, slugs and cutworms in the critical first weeks. Five cloches protect the prized plants; twenty-five protect the whole brassica row. These are smaller than the large vented bells and have no vent, so they must be lifted or removed on sunny days. Metal stakes hold in wind where plastic pegs do not.
Strengths
- Twenty-five cloches cover a full row of transplants
- Fifty metal stakes pin them against wind
- Clear plastic passes full light
- Protects from frost, wind, birds, slugs and cutworms
- Stack for storage
Weaknesses
- No vent; remove or prop on sunny days or plants cook
- Small size suits seedlings only; plants outgrow them in weeks
- Thin plastic clouds and cracks after a few seasons
The overall YardToolLab Score is out of 100. Section scores are out of 10.
A Bell for Every Plant in the Row
A few vented cloches protect the courgettes. A row of thirty brassica transplants wants thirty bells, and that is a different price. VICAMB’s pack is 25 clear plastic cloches, 7.9 inches tall and 6.7 across, with 50 metal stakes to pin them, for covering a whole row of seedlings through the weeks when frost, wind, birds, slugs and cutworms do their damage.
This review is based on the listing specifications and on how small plastic cloches perform over transplants generally. We have not used these cloches ourselves and the brand is a generic importer.
Using Them
Set a cloche over each transplant and push a metal stake through the rim holes on two sides into the soil. The bell traps soil warmth at night, breaks the wind and keeps rabbits, birds and slugs off. In the morning sun it heats fast and has no vent, so prop the rim on a stone or lift the row and replace at dusk. After two or three weeks the plants are established and outgrowing the bell, and the cloches stack for next year.
Size
Under 8 inches tall, these are for seedlings and transplants, not for the plant a month later. That is what they are for: the vulnerable fortnight. Larger vented bells suit plants that need cover longer.
The Stakes
Plastic pegs pull out of soft soil in the first gust and the cloche is in the next garden. Metal stakes hold. Fifty is two per cloche.
Durability
Thin clear plastic is what makes 25 affordable. Stored stacked out of sun it lasts a few seasons; left out all summer it clouds and cracks. Treat them as a consumable that outlasts its price.
Who Should Buy It
- Vegetable gardeners transplanting rows of brassicas and salads.
- Anyone with rabbits, birds or slugs that take seedlings overnight.
- Gardeners sowing early who want a cloche over each station.
Common Owner Complaints
Cooked seedlings and thin plastic. Vent on sunny days; store out of sun.
Technique Tips
Water the transplant before covering it, since a cloche is lifted less often than a plant is watered. Set the cloche with its rim pressed into the soil a little so slugs cannot squeeze under, and stake it on the side the wind comes from. Pull them in the morning on any day forecast above 60 F and replace at dusk; the row of bells beside the bed is the sign of a gardener doing it right.
Alternatives to Consider
HTG Supply vented cloches for larger plants and longer cover. A row tunnel of hoops and fleece for a whole bed at once. Cut-off plastic bottles for free.
Verdict
For protecting a whole row of transplants through their first weeks, 25 cloches with metal stakes is the economical answer. Prop them in the sun, stake them in wind and stack them for next spring.
Full specifications
VICAMB 25-Pack 7.9 x 6.7 Inch Reusable Plastic Garden Cloches with 50 Metal Ground Stakes FAQs
A transplant or a seedling up to about 7 inches tall and 6 across: brassica starts, lettuce, young beans, peppers for their first weeks, direct sowings.
They have no vent. Prop the rim on a stone on sunny days or lift them off, and replace at dusk. A sealed cloche in spring sun cooks a seedling in an hour.
Push a metal stake through a hole in the rim on each side into the soil. Two per cloche holds in wind.
Two or three seasons of spring use if stored out of sun. The plastic is thin by design to keep 25 affordable.
