Netting

[Spunky]

Apart from cabbage whites how far do you all go with netting regards birds, rabbits etc on you're allotment?
Where I am after chatting to some of the other allotmenteers (is that what we're called lol) everyone is saying net everything as there's rabbits, someone's seen a deer, pigeons etc and some poor lad had all his sweet corn eaten
I don't want to turn a blind eye to it but before I started all I was thinking of netting was brassicas and keep the slugs under control
Is this the usual done thing? I'll be growing pretty much everything bar carrots

[Kristen]

My plot is at home, rather than on allotment.

Whole garden is netted against rabbits, otherwise they destroy my achievements, which is soul destroying.

We have tall hedges around most of the garden to deter Deer, but they still get in occasionally. At times of the year they eat the bark around the stem of trees, no other damage, and that kills the trees totally

Other than that squirrels are a nuisance.

I net my Brassicas against Cabbage Whites with Debris netting, and against Pigeons in Winter.

I net my Carrots (and Parsnips) against Carrot Fly

I also use debris netting thrown, loosely, over my Strawberries after they have finished flowering, before fruits are ripe, against birds, and I sometimes use debris netting over other things if the birds start to have a go at them - some years they eat my Chard, most years they leave it alone.

[VolesAteMyPeas]

The only thing the rabbits don't eat on my plot are artichokes, squash, parsnips. When they get in my kale, beet root, carrots, chard, turnip tops, beans, flowers, broccoli, lettuce, coriander and even leeks and onions are razed to the ground! They really can devastate all your hard work overnight.

If you've been warned I'd really take the advice! I have chicken wire around my vulnerable beds. Unfortunately, this doesn't stop the voles so I have made special collars out of big yoghurt pots that seems to stop them most of the time. As for protecting from cabbage whites etc, that requires a really fine gauge net which I don't have so I pick the eggs and caterpillars off by hand.

If I remember rightly Noosner had a huge invasion problem which was down to rabbits or deer I think. I bet she has plenty of advice! Good luck!

[Bill HH]

I guess I am lucky in one way, hardly any birds and no rabbits or deer, just slugs and cabbage whites. I think the birds are kept away by the sea guls (I know they are birds too but they dont eat my garden). Since moving down to Torquay I am sriously missing the cuckoo's

[Guest]

As you have rabbits and deer - I would net as much as possible. It is one thing to allow some of your crop to go to the wildlife, but it is very demoralising to have all your crop/ hard work wiped out by greedy beggers

[Greenleaves]

I net as much as possible, if its not pigeons its cabbage whites or allium miner or leek moth or white fly....need I go on?

[skeggijon]

I use an organic spray to protect against cabbage whites, since I don't have any fine enough gauge netting.
Have to protect against Muntjac deer round here though.