Kitchen Garden Forum

This year I’ve been totally fed up with losing most of my young vegetables, from beans to beetroots, to ravaging hoards of sparrows, aided and abetted by a flock of pigeons.
I plan to try and enclose my 15 x 10ft salad and bean plot in a “cage”. Not being able to afford a proper metal fruit cage-type structure my basic idea is to erect six 8ft x 3” posts in a rectangle and make a netting cage to cover the whole area, including the 8ft runner bean poles. What I’m looking for is advice on what types of “netting” could I use, solid or flexible? And what would be the best way to make a “door” to access the slab path that runs between the salad patch and the beans? Any ideas welcomed!
Thanks, John N

Hi John

I built two just last year for the very same reason but in addition to keep the pesky badgers off my sweetcorn

I used some salvaged metal poles as corner supports with chicken wire two widths in height running all round (apart from one section for a doorway)...a section of ordinary polyester netting over the top supported by wires running the length of the constructions....

this has worked so well to the extent I have had some wonderful cauliflowers, sweetcorn,Gooseberries and ooodles of redcurrants....brussel sprouts still to come

Hi John,
It is probably best to make a purpose built door and frame. I use tiling batten from the builders merchants for making my cages and it really works our fairly cheap. These are sections that can be screwed together and unscrewed and moved to another site at will. The doors are simply made of the same material and can be properly secured. I use normal bird netting which is secured to the frame with
very thin wood battens (plastering laths if available) or I make my own from the tile battening.
It has been very successful over a number of years.
I make half height for the Brassicas and cover with anti White Fly netting.
Hope this give you a few ideas.

Hi John,
I use scaffold netting,- and it will last you for a good few years once in place,(no need to take it down).It is also bird friendly,as they can "see it".
Ask for it at any building site with scaffolding up,and you should get some,- also check the skips at these sites.
If out of luck,ask any scaffolders to sell you some,- they love a bit of beer money.

Regards,
Mark.