netting cabbage

[gypsophelia]

wongering how people net their greens- last few years made a frame for the whole bed but it was a real pain pulling all the netting back to get at something (esp in the middle of the bed!) Last year we didnt bother and got really hit with cabbage whites as we dont spray. Cant make too tall a cage as it has a sail effect in the bad winds- is there an easier way of netting?

[SarzWix]

I use cloche hoops and Enviromesh. But there's no way round having to pull back the mesh/netting that I know of. Tis the price of clean brassicas

Unless you're a decent carpenter, and then you might be able to construct a frame from 2"x2" or similar that you can staple the mesh to, and just remove the top to do the weeding etc?

[LolaLou]

Yup, I do the same - last/this year it was v.cheap hosepipe slipped onto bamboo canes and then just draped the netting over and used some bricks to keep the edges down. Didn't eliminate the cabbage whites but made a 90% difference and the netting still lets the hoverflies in to get at the aphids (I had a whole hoverfly convention last year going on under my netting!). More than anything the minor hassle of pulling the netting on and off when I needed to get under it repaid me ten fold in the protection from pigeons over the winter - I have some of the best plants (in my quiet opinion ) on the allotment purely because the pigeons haven't got at them. I considered building a frame but decided the cost of the wood wasn't economical and so am looking at making my own 'build a frame' using the bamboo canes I have connected with tennis balls with holes cut in this year (although I'm still not 100% this is the best answer!!).

[Qzy]

I use Hula Hoops with a net I picked up in Lidl quite cheaply, weighed down with some timber lengths! Very easy to manipulate.

[Jimmy]

I just used a Heath-Robinson affair of cans and nets.

However there were some small holes, about the size of a cup top or less.

I would swear the cabbage whites knew this as they often got in.
I watched one go in, it seemed to make a bee line for the hole.
Once it laid it's eggs it then seemed to remember the way out no problem.

So perhaps they are not a thick as you might think.
Jimmy

[Alison]

I use 4' plastic type canes from B&Q stuck into the bed (they're better than bamboo ones which kept getting broken in winds) with bamboo ones held at the top with some plastic connection blocks I've had for years. Chuck the enviromesh on top and secure with pegs / pop bottles full of water. Now I've got the hang of it it works very well but have found you can't span more than 4', tried to use 6' canes on the long side and they just kept failing. Should have taken it down earlier though as it collapsed under the snow (note, must put bigger mesh netting on over winter). Mesh was OK but the plants looked a bit scruffy and I was amazed that they recovered.

[Pies]

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...6082009019.jpg

Netting is held in place using bungee cord,so far so good

[Two_Sheds]

canes, hose & net for me too: I made it about four foot tall so I can crawl under to weed. Edges pegged down with tent pegs