Fleece or ultra fine mesh?

[aliveggrower]

Hi all,
I am new to allotment growing and am preparing for next year. I need to purchase something to protect my plants from carrot root fly, cabbage root fly, whitefly, aphids &etc. I have been surfing around looking for mesh/fleece and noticed that fleece seems to be much cheaper. Will the plants overheat when protected by fleece - I'm aiming for whatever I buy to last me a few years and to protect a variety of veg.
What do you think?
Ali

[jonohanson]

scaffold debris netting off ebay, just as good as enviromesh at a cheap cost.

[ginger ninger]

Fleece is for keeping tender plants warm in the winter. I used cheep voile, ya can wash it when it gets really mucky and it last's so much longer.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Fleece is ok to use during the growing season but being so tightly woven, it will develop its own micro climate. Environmesh is more expensive but much longer lasting and it allows better ventilation and ingress of rainwater. Debris neeting is manufactured with readt made holes for stakes/pipes and suchlike and would give an avenue for pests to enter. you pays you money and takes your chances at the end of the day.

[oldie]

My enviromesh covered frame collapsed under the weight of snow on it last winter, but the scaffold netting didn't. This year I put a wanted post on freecycle for old net curtains and got enough for myself and my friends allotments.

[Alison]

Fleece tend to tear also. I use enviromesh over all my brassicas and it lasts really well. However as said above it's not good for winter use as the snow will just sit on top of it leading to a very high loading so I use a coarser net over my frames in winter or just lay the enviromesh straight on top of the likes of my cabbage.

[aliveggrower]

Thanks for all your advice. The net curtains idea is interesting - I'm always looking for ways to recycle - may have some tucked away in the loft! I presume their effectiveness depends on the size of the holes. Failing that it will have to be enviromesh. I know about fleece ripping, I remembered after I posted this thread that I had some old fleece mini tunnels in the garden shed at home. They are about 5 years old and a little ripped about the edges. And they ripped even more as I pulled them out from behind the deck chairs...

[jonohanson]

With the debris netting you can sew the holes up to make it 100% proof. I use this at the allotment to cover the brassica beds, the netting is draped over blue plastic water pipe hoops. With the netting being 3m wide it gives a nice hieght to the beds too.

[hawthorns]

it wont keep leek moth out. it will protect brassicas well

[endymion]

We use Wondermesh, which is the same sort of thing as Enviromesh. It's kept plants clear of all pests so far.

We transplanted some brassicas, but because of our bad planning there wasn't quite enough to cover them all. Those that weren't covered had been eaten by pigeons before we got up the next morning.

[Florence Fennel]

I've bought enviromesh. Trouble is, it's still on the dining room table waiting to be put on the veg!

[endymion]

I've bought enviromesh. Trouble is, it's still on the dining room table waiting to be put on the veg!

I suppose it might keep the woodworm away!