Paranoia about not protecting crops

[Forage420]

Basically everything I put in the ground I net, no matter what it is. There are foxes at the back of the plot and I think their recreational area is on top of my vegetables.

Do you think I'm over-protective though?

These are some garlic coming up planted last year and I want to make sure they don't get trampled by something, but for the purposes of weeding the ground I might take up the netting. I'm scared though.. The bulbs were in a few weeks before I netted and lo and behold birds pulled up about 6-7 of them. Every time I fail to net anything I lose some crop.

[Bren In Pots]

Forage like you say netting is the only way to protect your crops so I'd carry on doing it. Are others on the plot having the same problem?

[the big lebowski]

ive never heard of anyone netting garlic but if you`ve had a prob with foxes dancing on top of them and this stops it then id keep it on ,cheers

[Bigmallly]

I'd make some 3ft/4ft tall net cages rather than having it low down, the plants will soon push through plus animals can easily step/land on it. Or you could push some hoops in the bed & drape the net over the hoops.

[johnjohn]

If you stop netting you're only going to get more paranoid

If you're going to do it, do it as BM suggests, make something with a little more structure, I'd make a frame that can be lifted on and off.

Pidgeons are a real pest for us, they'll lift anything until it's established so onions, garlic etc all get a cover until they have enough root to hold their own.

Last year I made individual cages out of wire mesh just to protect my squash and pumpkins, it would seem ridiculous to others but necessary until they've been in the ground for a few weeks.

[Dalrimple]

Last year I made individual cages out of wire mesh just to protect my squash and pumpkins, it would seem ridiculous to others but necessary until they've been in the ground for a few weeks.[/QUOTE]

I put old hanging baskets over mine till they get going and it stops the wind knocking em about,


forage it looks like youv'e a bit of net turned under that you could use to lift it up abit so i'd put some hoops under like BM said even if you lift it 10 to 12 inch (300mm) it keep the birds and foxes off till they grow higher then you can use the net some were else good luck and I will be putting nets over most of my stuff apart from taties.

[DataMonkey]

Couldn't you plant a few spares in pots to fill any gaps ?

That's what I did, and I tend to do it with everything, broad beans etc. I always get 10% failure rate so I either accept it as par for the course or sow some spares if I'm really bothered or have a few left over.

But if stuff is getting decimated by insects or birds I'd probably go with netting.

There's just no point in growing fruit for the birds to eat the whole lot, or to feed the neighbourhood cabbage white population.

[Kirk]

I put a coarse net over mine as I get a squirrel that digs holes to put bits in, even the netting does not always deter it. Find that the netting has top be a bit above the soil level otherwise it just tries to make a small hole through one of the net holes. But it minimises any damage.

Garlics are going through it happily, will need to ligt the netting before long but have a while to go yet.

If netting reduces the damage then keep it.

[happyhumph]

Like the others have said, keep doing it if it works. I don't net enough (at all!), hence my epic brassica failures & have promised myself to do it this year.

Remember, it's not paranoia if they're really out to get you (or your veg!)

[Mr Bones]

We cover newly planted garlic and elephant garlic with chicken wire to stop foxes pulling them up. They don't damage the pulled cloves but leave them lying about and unfortunately you can't see where they've dug them from. After a few weeks they leave them alone.

[Snadger]

I have garlic in pots outside at bench height. The tops have been decimated. I had no idea what had done it, surely it wasn't foxes? I thought it could have been pigeons.

[Mr Bones]

Deffo foxes with us, their paw prints are every where. Even though an elle clove can be a good three inches below the surface and neatly raked over the fox sniffs them out and pulls them up. It's almost as if it carefully covers the hole back over, you just cannot see where the clove came from until the others grow and there's a gap.