Protecting Brassica Plants

[MarkHackwell]

I was just lying in bed thinking this morning about how to protect my Brassicas from Cabbage White Butterflies as I usually buy lots of blue MDPE Pipe and make hoops before putting a net over top however I find I need to take it all off to weed and peg it all back down again. It was then I thought if only the hoops were bigger, and thought what about buying a polytunnel frame and putting a net over that? Anyone have any ideas on if it would work and has anyone done it?

[Bren In Pots]

Mark I added poles to the ends of my pipe to make a tall cage then to open it I un-peg the top and one side, it seems to work out fine for me.

[MarkHackwell]

Mark I added poles to the ends of my pipe to make a tall cage then to open it I un-peg the top and one side, it seems to work out fine for me.

Looks good Bren How did you get the pipe to stay on the poles and what poles did you use?

[Bren In Pots]

Mark my pipes around 2inch thick underground electrical conduit and its just pushed then screwed onto brush handles. So for you pipe you'd need thinner poles or even grey waste pipe and push your pipe into that.

Forgot to say that the netting around the base is stapled to wooden laths.

[polc1410]

Or use some wood with holes drilled the diameter of the pipe to make a base and then some bits of cane as legs that get pushed into the soil. Then you have a reasonably solid "cage" to lift off when you need to. End of the season it should dismantle and roll up...

Cant find a picture. There was one in one of the mags recently.

[Bigmallly]

Hi Mark, I cobbled this one together with blue pipe & debris netting, just make sure the metal tubes are well hammered into the ground. The tension of the hoops will keep the pipe in place, you can also add extra supports if needed............

If it's a smaller one you need, you could make a 2"x2" timber base, drill some holes in it to take the hoops then cover with netting. They can then be propped up with a piece of wood while you work under it.................

[Kristen]

Would it be heresy to put mulching fabric down to stop the weeds? Might be cheaper than having to build a structure large enough to get into to weed?

Won't help with picking though - if you still have a net on by then? (I replace my Scaffolders Debris netting, for Cabbage White protection, with bird netting in winter to stop the Pigeons eating them - but allow any snowfall to go straight through as its weight collapses fine-mesh debris netting, poles and plants )

[Bigmallly]

(I replace my Scaffolders Debris netting, for Cabbage White protection, with bird netting in winter to stop the Pigeons eating them - but allow any snowfall to go straight through as its weight collapses fine-mesh debris netting, poles and plants )

That's a good point Kristen, I used to turn my small cages upside down in the winter to avoid snow collapse. The larger one, I plan to cover the netting roof with polythene.

[Dorothy rouse]

I really need to think about doing something sensible like this, I'm really rubbish at netting and hoops and stuff, get myself in a right pickle!

[Kristen]

I really need to think about doing something sensible like this, I'm really rubbish at netting and hoops and stuff, get myself in a right pickle!

Some pictures on my blog (of the low type of protection) in case it helps
Brassica Netting – against Cabbage White Butterfly | K's Garden

[Dorothy rouse]

Had a look, thanks, I will get some of the blue tubing stuff, our allotment shop does sell it, this year I'll get sorted!

Have covered my broad beans already, with cane hoops and netting.

Think one huge net over all of the plot might be good idea!

[MarkHackwell]

Some pictures on my blog (of the low type of protection) in case it helps
Brassica Netting – against Cabbage White Butterfly | K's Garden

Looks great Kristen I used Debris netting a few years back but it didn't work as I felt that it didn't let enough light through :/ do you find the same problem?

[Kristen]

I know what you mean, as it seems very dense, but I've grown lots of crops under it and not noticed anything suffering.

Not sure that Enviromesh lets any more light through? but saying that, I'm heard of scaffolders debris netting used as a greenhouse shading, so if that is right there must be some light reduction and maybe my crops would be bigger without it - if not eaten by caterpillars!