Plant Protection

[Effigy]

I am creating a new raised veg bed, approx 4' x 20'. I've got just over half of it prepared and ready for planting and will aim to finish it this coming week-end (weather permitting )

As it is a narrow bed, I thought it would be feasable to put in some form of plant protection against wood pigeon and butterflies.

What do others do? To buy those tunnel cloche things will be a bit pricy, so I'm up for making my own.

Any tips or advice?

Thanks

[Flummery]

We (well, mainly Him but I tell him what I want - designer like Joe Swift ) make panels of treated timber frames with chicken wire tacked across. They are made in 1.8m lengths (that's how the wood comes) and the width of the bed. You only need a few ends because you can butt the side pieces together. You could fasten the cages up but they'd be difficult to collect crops from, so I tie them or wire them at the corners. This means I only have flat panels to store too. I either use another panel over the tops or stretch the cheap plastic netting over.

[Mike and Louise]

Our veg beds are also 4' wide. We have three beds 4' x 12'.
Take a look at our site (2008 page March 27 & April 10) for photos.
Basically we used plastic piping and bent it over to form an arch. Then we drape netting over them, but also put plastic sheeting over them too to make cloches.

The good thing is that the pastic pipes can stay in the ground all the time.