Netting/mesh?

[ColourMeSurprised]

Hi all,

Was wondering if anyone could suggest a source of reasonably priced mesh for protecting veggies from birds/insects? I have a bed that's 6'5"x3'2", so I guess I could do with either 7'x4', or two lengths of 7'x2'.

Any ideas?

[Kristen]

Scaffolder's Debris Netting? Relatively cheap, but you may well be able to blag some from a building site when they are taking the scaffolding down - its often thrown away at that point.

[Alison]

Depends what insects you're trying to avoid, sadly to keep them all out you need a fine gauge so debris netting is good. I splashed out and bought enviromesh and its lasting very well. I use this for all brassicas and carrots. If you need insects to get in for pollination and are more concerned with bird damage then much bigger stuff is better, think over soft fruit. I don't net anything else.

[Kristen]

Good point Alison, Debris Netting won't keep out the smaller insects like Carrot Fly - need Enviromesh, or similar, for that.

[veggiechicken]

Try Lill curtains from the big Swedish shop http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ken_80210.html

[ColourMeSurprised]

Carrot fly I'm not too worried about because I'll be growing all of my carrots in one of these guys: Buy Greenhouse Grow Bags Online | Marshalls-Seeds and have read that that'll be too high off the ground for the carrot fly to bother with.

Other than those I'll be growing kale, broccoli rabe, perpetual spinach, swiss chard, beetroot, spring onions, radishes, lettuces, dwarf french beans, mangetout, courgettes, squash, potatoes and tomatoes. XD

I thought I'd need to protect the kale, spinach, and chard at least, to stop the butterflies laying their eggs there (which they did to my lettuces last year > ) which are all in the same bed. With regards to the rest, I was hoping to pre-empt any pests and net everything that can be netted, rather than dealing with the critters when they strike XD

Thoughts on what should and should not be protected?

Oooh, that's a good idea, VC! How fine is the mesh on those?

[Alison]

Agree re netting the kale but I find the biggest threat to spinach is slugs. Chard, beetroot etc are pretty bomb proof and I've never had insect problems with the others - that said, some people suffer with pea moths so have to net against that.

Re carrot fly, wouldn't assume they can't fly that height, they can round here even though hat story is regularly pedalled.

[ColourMeSurprised]

Agree re netting the kale but I find the biggest threat to spinach is slugs. Chard, beetroot etc are pretty bomb proof and I've never had insect problems with the others - that said, some people suffer with pea moths so have to net against that.

Re carrot fly, wouldn't assume they can't fly that height, they can round here even though hat story is regularly pedalled.

Hmm, okay. Still, netting the chard and such wouldn't do any harm, would it? It'd be in the same bed as the kale, and it's hardly a huge bed, so I kind of feel like I might as well net it, if the sheet is big enough.

Ooh, I've been lied to then! I'll definitely net the carrots, in that case. Any idea if those curtains VC posted would be fine enough for carrots?

[Martin H]

Round our way we have to net all brassicas to keep off the flying tree-rats.

[Alison]

Hmm, okay. Still, netting the chard and such wouldn't do any harm, would it? It'd be in the same bed as the kale, and it's hardly a huge bed, so I kind of feel like I might as well net it, if the sheet is big enough.

Ooh, I've been lied to then! I'll definitely net the carrots, in that case. Any idea if those curtains VC posted would be fine enough for carrots?

No, won't matter netting the chard, netting things you don't need to is only really a cost and pollination issue which isn't an issue for chard.

Think the Nets would be OK, I've not used them but am sure other people in here have and been successful.

[Kristen]

have read that that'll be too high off the ground for the carrot fly to bother with.

I'm with Alison on this - even one or two carrot fly, that get swept up by an air current even if they can't actually fly high, will wreck a crop of carrots. Not worth the risk, and I net mine with Enviromesh.

Re: Chard. I net mine because some years the Pigeons take a fancy to them ... not always though, and they seem to prefer the wide-ribbed white stemmed varieties

[Bohobumble]

Carrot fly I'm not too worried about because I'll be growing all of my carrots in one of these guys: Buy Greenhouse Grow Bags Online | Marshalls-Seeds and have read that that'll be too high off the ground for the carrot fly to bother with.

Other than those I'll be growing kale, broccoli rabe, perpetual spinach, swiss chard, beetroot, spring onions, radishes, lettuces, dwarf french beans, mangetout, courgettes, squash, potatoes and tomatoes. XD

I thought I'd need to protect the kale, spinach, and chard at least, to stop the butterflies laying their eggs there (which they did to my lettuces last year > ) which are all in the same bed. With regards to the rest, I was hoping to pre-empt any pests and net everything that can be netted, rather than dealing with the critters when they strike XD

Thoughts on what should and should not be protected?

If it's just protection from birds/butterflies for your brassicas and legumes you're worried about maybe this Wilko Garden Net 3m x 2m at wilko.com or this Wilko Crop and Pond Net 4mx2m at wilko.com would be enough?

Perhaps just use smaller amounts of the expensive stuff on the areas you think really need it?

I have bought the 2nd net for my brassicas (smaller mesh size, larger net). I probably won't bother netting beans and peas as mine had no issue without last year from these pests.

I don't know anyone that protects their potatoes on my site (even the guy that enters lots of shows) and the concern regarding blight on tomatoes wouldn't really be helped with a net - I am growing more susceptible varieties under glass and chose resistant seed for outdoors.

Hope this helps!

[KevinM67]

Carrot - really fine mesh to deter carrot fly

kale, broccoli rabe, perpetual spinach, swiss chard, lettuces - something like debris netting to deter butterflies / birds.

beetroot, spring onions, radishes, dwarf french beans, mangetout, courgettes, squash, potatoes and tomatoes. - I don't bother with anything (never had a problem with birds and my tomatoes)

I've butchered your post a little - but the above has worked for me on my plot. Although might not be suited or required for other growers.

[ColourMeSurprised]

Thing is, those net curtains are so big that if they ARE fine enough for carrot fly, I might as well get those, chop them into sections and use them where any sort of netting could help. I see your point, re using wider netting for brassicas and legumes but wouldn't it be something of a waste of money to go out and buy it, if I had the finer netting available?

From what everyone had said, I'm thinking of protecting the carrots (definitely). The kale, chard, spinach, beetroot, radish and broccoli (purely because they're all in the same smallish bed with the protected kale. And then the peas & beans. The rest I'll probably leave.

[ColourMeSurprised]

Oh, and maybe some small pieces over the lettuces in the raised beds.