Kitchen Garden Forum

Dear All,
It says in the KG mag that nets are no use for keeping the caterpillars off your brassicas. This is not true. If you get hold of nets with a mesh size of about 1cm square the butterflies cannot get through it to get at the plants so no caterpillars. The leaves of the plants must not touch the walls of the cage and there must be no holes or gaps but they do work.
Regards Sally Wright.
ps B & Q have some suitable netting at what I consider a reasonable price.

I fleece mine Sally. Keeps off everything!

Complete agreement from me too sally - a secure mesh cover keeps unwelcome beasts and birds out. It also stops winter greens getting mud splashes!

That's encouraging, Sally. We've just built a cane and stretch netting cage above 4 feet high, over our brassicas and have been debating whether it would stop butterflies or not. Or whether we should go for the finer mesh. If it works I would rather stick with the stretch netting, as we have found it so much more cost effective for the area it covers.

Why does the netting in shops come in such small width? 2 metres may sound a lot, but is nothing when it has to be secured to the ground, goes up 2 ft (60cm) and down 2 ft (60cm). By my calculations that only 2.6 ft (80cm) left for the top, this would only cover a row.

I spent ages 2 years back sewing sides together!

I have bought 4m x 200m insect meshing from an horticultural supplier, I would have liked wider, they do upto 16m, but I would not be able to handle it....it was bad enough getting the 4m roll upto the field on the roof-rack

Hello Vivie
I've always that it was because fruit cages are based on 6 ft sections and 2m width gives you enough to cover a section plus a little extra for fixing. I agree with you that 2m doesn't cover much when you want to fit it directly over several rows.

John

Hi John,

That sounds too logical to be true

I have found the fine netting very effective for keeping butterflies out, maybe not 100% but nearly.
4 metres wide by 12 metres can be bought at Homebase and other larger DIY stores. (and netting pegs)

We can also buy it now by the metre (4 metre. wide) from our lottie stores. 60p per metre.

Find out if your local storeman will order it for you.

Beryl.

Vivie Veg, the stretch netting we buy comes in 4m widths too - the last one lot we bought was 4m x 10m.

beware of stretch or pea and bean netting from the big diy outlets . it does indeed stretch with holes large enough to let in cabbage whites. if you are only netting brassicas Harrod horticultural sell a net in various widths but with only a 10mm mesh size they also sell enviromesh in 2.6m width. also you can use windbreak netting in 4m width as i do for any brassicas planted in the summer as it gives the transplants some welcome shade whilst getting established in the heat.has anybody tried the new aphid netting from Kings seeds yet?

I'd agree with that statement. The netting I had last year was fine until it was asked to turn a corner (over a cane with a tennis ball) when it stretched in only one direction. The cabbage whites just folded back their wings and walked right in.

Just a point I forgot mention, always use square mesh netting. It doesn't stretch like round holes.

Beryl.

Hi to all
Have any of you tried demolition netting that's the green or blue netting you get around tall bulidings when they are being worked on,I have used it for a number of years now with good results. It is very strong and if you treat it right it should last you at least the ten years that I have had mine for.
Hope this is of some help

Regards

Kevin

vivie veg wrote:
I have bought 4m x 200m insect meshing from an horticultural supplier, I would have liked wider, they do upto 16m, but I would not be able to handle it....it was bad enough getting the 4m roll upto the field on the roof-rack

Hi, who was the supplier? I bought a 100m roll from gromax but it came from harrods? £250 for 100mx2m ( really 2.06m with the sides sealed).

Maybe I should ahve checked the kg ads first, has anyone tried http://www.garden-products.info/insect_netting.htm ?

Hi,

see the link below

http://www.plantsolutionsltd.com/agroguard.htm

Last years price was £168 +vat+delivery (£211.40) per roll 4 m x 200m. The largest 16m x 100m is £336 +vat+delivery (£409)