Excess netting

[monkeyboy]

I bought a diy kit for my raised bed, consisting of aluminium tubes, anchors, connectors and some netting.

The frame is now built (having needed to be trimmed to size) and measures 2m long, 1m wide and 1.5m high. That gives a total width of 4m by 5m.

The insect mesh netting was a little larger (about 4.5 by 5.5m) and I've draped it over the frame. The corners have gathered together and makes it look untidy. I've used clips to keep the netting against the poles.

Am I better off cutting some of the excess material? Or is it better to somehow tuck in the excess? or should I be doing something else?

[muck lover]

I personally wouldn’t cut it. But if you are only ever going to use this net on this bed and if you aren’t ever going to need a taller support (say for larger plants like some of the brassicas) then snip away!

[monkeyboy]

Advice about mesh for raised beds

I posted this elsewhere but got little response so thought I'd post here.

I've bought an aluminium frame kit and some veggiemesh for my raised bed. The aluminium tubing had to be trimmed down to fit the beds. The mesh is a bit larger than expected:



What should I do with the excess netting? Trim it down? Keep it and somehow secure it down?

Any advice would be welcome.

[veggiechicken]

Whatever you do to it, remember that you need to lift it up for access to the beds. You could roll the bottom edges around poles to keep them weighted down?

[nickdub]

Doesn't look like you have a ton of excess form what I can see in the photo - I'd just roll up the ends and stick a brick on top of them. My general experience with stuff is that often a longer piece is more useful than two pieces (my wife would say I'm just terminally lazy and untidy)

[monkeyboy]

Thanks for the help

Whatever you do to it, remember that you need to lift it up for access to the beds. You could roll the bottom edges around poles to keep them weighted down?

I think I have some 6ft bamboo canes in the shed. I could wrap it around that and maybe secure it down with garden pegs. Would that be strong enough in windy weather?

Doesn't look like you have a ton of excess form what I can see in the photo - I'd just roll up the ends and stick a brick on top of them. My general experience with stuff is that often a longer piece is more useful than two pieces (my wife would say I'm just terminally lazy and untidy)

Well the wife has decreed that it looks messy and needs sorting out. The excess goes over the edges and moves around in windy weather - to the point where it'd be easy for any insects to get through, defeating the object of having insect mesh.

[burnie]

As has been said you will need access, so I would pull the excess over to the back/far end and hang your canes from the front edges to make it look nice, the excess at the back can be held down with bricks/plant pots and the front edges can be also disguised with plant pots with some flowers in to break up the starkness, I wouldn't trim the edges as I bet they will fray if cut.

[bikermike]

I'd not cut it, a bigger piece is always more useful. Can you gather up the slack on the longest side out of sight?

[1Bee]

What Burnie said.

[veggiechicken]

I use something like this to clip netting to uprights. They're easy to unpeg when you need access.



PS Depending on what you're growing, some veg need pollinating by insects like courgettes and runner beans and netting will prevent this.

[monkeyboy]

I use something like this to clip netting to uprights. They're easy to unpeg when you need access.

Those are some very nice clips and much better looking than the ones I bought:
>clicky<

PS Depending on what you're growing, some veg need pollinating by insects like courgettes and runner beans and netting will prevent this.

Here's my bed plan: >clicky<

I'll have a read into which veg needs insect pollination.

[veggiechicken]

Your previous thread is at https://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gr...ing_96617.html
Its easier to understand with a photo!.
Perhaps the Mods could merge the threads?

Threads now merged.

[Penellype]

The problem with rectangular mesh over a raised rectangular frame is always the corners, which are needed for access (unless you buy one of the expensive ready-made covers with zips).What I would do in your situation is pull the mesh down at the back so that the mesh at the front of the bed is an inch or so longer than needed to touch the ground. Weigh the back part down with bricks. Secure the netting to the uprights at the back with the pipe clips you are already using, having first pulled the corners into triangular points, so back and sides are tight. Make sure the clips hold both the back part and the side. Fold the triangular corner pieces back behind the bed and secure neatly with the bricks. You should not need to move this part.

Get a bamboo cane and cut it to the length of the bed. Roll the front edge of the net round the cane and secure it to the net with small cable ties. Depending on the weight of the cane you may need to secure the cane with ground pegs. Use clips (the sort VC uses would be good) to attach the net to the front corner posts and fold the corners back to the sides of the bed, securing the point with either bricks or pegs. Then for access all you need to do is unpeg the sides and cane, unclip the front 2 corners and lift the bamboo cane up on top of the cage.