Fed up with fleece!

[Pumpkin Becki]

I'm completely fed up with fleece!

Not only did it try to strangle me when I was singlehandedly putting it over my raised beds way back in spring, but when I went to check my precious crops this weekend, not only have I got carrot root fly, but my brassicas are being demolished by hundreds (possibly thousands) of caterpillers!!

I've been sooo careful! The fleece is in a double layer, and its long enough that I can take it right down the outsides of the raised beds and peg it to the grass paths - I don't know what else to do!

Am I the only person who can't work fleece?

[Flummery]

It's seriously unwieldy isn't it? Like the landscape fabric I used under the bark-chip path in the front garden. I decided to start the path on the windiest day of the year and the fabric AND I nearly ended up in the pond!

The problem with fleece seems to be that if the insects get under, they are stuck there. Don't know what the answer to that is.

[Pumpkin Becki]

I felt so virtuous - it didn't look very pretty, but it was doing a very practical important job...or so I thought. Maybe you're right Flum, maybe I've created an all-you-can-eat buffet for the local creepie crawlies. I might start taking bookings!

[chris]

Tell me about it, I was so mad yesterday - 6 slugs have basically demolished all our salad leaves, our peppers, tomaotes, AND my herbs.. I was so mad ! I just feel like I'm loosing the battle now, almost decided to jack growing stuff in all together yesterday.

[chris]

(that's like 6 average per plant/pot, btw)

[Cutecumber]

One of the problems with fleece is that you tend to adopt an "out of sight, out of mind" approach.

Ironically, had you not had the fleece on you might have at least noticed the eggs of the butterflies on the leaves, which you could have squashed.

There's no such thing as an absolutely insect-proof cover, you really do need to keep a close eye on things.

As for slugs and snails, the best thing you can do is to go out in the dark tonight with a torch and a bucket - keep doing this and you will eventually make a difference to the population.

[Hazel at the Hill]

Did you not see that I have some Nemosys caterpillar killer that I wont be using to give to someone with caterpillar problems? The thread is here. PM me your address if you'd like the pack.

[Pumpkin Becki]

Did you not see that I have some Nemosys caterpillar killer that I wont be using to give to someone with caterpillar problems? The thread is here. PM me your address if you'd like the pack.

Hazel, I didn't think it would still be up for grabs - I'm PMing you now

[Two_Sheds]

Fleece is rubbish. It rips, tears and blows around.
Voile (net curtain) is much better.

Neither will keep slugs & snails out though ~ in fact, they provide a perfect warm moist environment for the critters.

[Pumpkin Becki]

Fleece is rubbish. It rips, tears and blows around.
Voile (net curtain) is much better.

Neither will keep slugs & snails out though ~ in fact, they provide a perfect warm moist environment for the critters.

Yeah, but i've been diligent with my Nemaslug this year, so that' not been too much of a problem, and get you with your voile curtains! Hope you asked Mrs Two Sheds permission first!

[TonyF]

And they don'e deter carrot root fly, especially if you have it pegged into the path. Carrot root fly need to fly UNDER 20cm from the ground - so what you need to do is either build a barrier round the carrots or elevate them in raised beds, sandier the better, to get longer roots.

I just don't understand why people would be using fleece this time of year - open the plants up to the elements, they want direct sunlight and rainwater, too much coddling going on and that is why, I'm afraid, you have the problem - once the pests are inside the fleece, unless you open it regularly which you should do anyway to check out your plants, they're likely to be doomed!

And from the development of the problem, sounds like you had them for some time, it wouldn't have gone from eggs to caterpillars in just a few days.

[Pumpkin Becki]

I just don't understand why people would be using fleece this time of year - open the plants up to the elements, they want direct sunlight and rainwater, too much coddling going on and that is why, I'm afraid, you have the problem - once the pests are inside the fleece, unless you open it regularly which you should do anyway to check out your plants, they're likely to be doomed!

And from the development of the problem, sounds like you had them for some time, it wouldn't have gone from eggs to caterpillars in just a few days.

Oh dear, and I thought I was doing the best thing. We can't get to the lottie very often at the moment as it is quite a drive from our current house, so it has to fend for itself, sometimes for a fortnight at a time. I'd rather cover things than spray, but I completely take your point.

Once we've finished building the new house we will only be about two minutes walk from the allotment, so next year I should be able to keep on top of things much better.

[TonyF]

Sorry Becki, not trying to be hard nosed about the fleece but so many people here want to coddle their plants - vines and trees especially, they're DESIGNED to get hot and wet - sometimes it gets a bit sort of frustrating.

Plants have evolved to get hot/warm and wet - let them enjoy the sun and rain tho you need to take precautions to ameliorate the worse of conditions, like the carrot root fly thing, let them just grow, you'll be surprised what the little buggers are capable of!

[Pumpkin Becki]

Sorry Becki, not trying to be hard nosed about the fleece but so many people here want to coddle their plants

No offence taken Tony I guess I'll get less like an over-protective parent as time goes on.