right type of netting

[pongeroon]

We are in the process of building a netting cage for growing brassicas and other stuff in. The main reason is to keep the cabbage whites off. It is a large permanent structure with enough room for rotation of brassicas, so the netting we use will need to be tough and long-lasting. I was looking at some shade netting yesterday which is good strong stuff, but will it be too shady for veg?

[sally wright]

Dear Pongeroon,
1cms netting is perfectly adequate for keeping the caterpillars off. Just remember to have a wider netting available for the top in winter. Just in case we actually get any snow...
Regards Sally Wright.

[pongeroon]

Thanks Sally. Hadn't thought of snow...

[Catherine]

Hi Pongeroon We have spent all day sorting our brassica frame. We put 20 x 45mm wooden posts in the ground round our bed then fastened a frame round the top screwed in so we can remove in winter. Then we draped 10mm black mesh over. We put small screws round the raised bed boards and hooked the mesh over the screws. and then trimmed the mesh to fit.

Because the wind was so bad today we have also fitted fleece on one side to ease it. But we have also put discs round each plant to protect them as well. Probably over kill but better safe than sorry.

[oldherbaceous]

Dear pongeroon, now this is just a thought, if you run short of netting, you could always use some of your fishnet stockings.

[Parsons Jack]

Dear pongeroon, now this is just a thought, if you run short of netting, you could always use some of your fishnet stockings.

Or you could always donate some of your old pairs if she hasn't enough

Cheers, PJ

[oldherbaceous]

Dear PJ, the ones i've had my rough hands on wouldn't keep an Ostrich out, let alone Cabbage whites.

[Parsons Jack]

Dear PJ, the ones i've had my rough hands on wouldn't keep an Ostrich out, let alone Cabbage whites.

Hi OH,

The mind boggles

Cheers, PJ.

[alan refail]

Dear PJ, the ones i've had my rough hands on wouldn't keep an Ostrich out, let alone Cabbage whites.

OH

It's your hairy legs that are causing the problem. I'm sending you one of these

[oldherbaceous]

Dear Alan, thanks for that link, but i think i will stick to the scythe.

[sally wright]

Dear Pongeroon,
I should have also said that the wide winter top netting should be fitted first and the smaller butterfly netting put on top. This allows for easy removal of the mall mesh for the winter and the wide mesh can stop there permenantly.

A good two year rotation alternate with the brassicas would be peas as the netting will keep off the pigeons quite nicely.

For a three year rotation perhaps brassicas, peas and tomatoes. It would not be too difficult to use the uprights of the net cage to hold up some polythene to keep them dry and blight free. It also has the advantage of keeping the birds off the fruit.

You could also try fitting in a few strawberries if you could grow them on in pots for a year and then plant out. I feel this would work best as part of a four year rotation with the peas and brassicas.
Strawberries do not fit in all that well into a normal fruit cage as they need replacing after 3 years which the bushes do not.
Regards Sally Wright.

[pongeroon]

Thamks Sally for sensible advice, unlike the boys...

We thought brassicas, carrots and lettuce(and other bits and bobs)as these will be protected from the rabbits too, but peas safe from pigeons would be good too.

OH, Alan, Parsons Jack, just behave! Or I will have to get cross, and you don't want that, do you???

I can't get that image out of my head now; you lot dressed up Rocky Horror Show stylee...

[WigBag]

Just a word of warning from my experience.
I "inherited" a large section of black netting that although plastic was very soft. Having under estimated the partiality of rabbits, pigeons and other migrant grazers to my brassicas in my first year at the lottie, I decided to use it in my second year. I draped it over the blue hoops and threw a few weights at the end to hold the excess.
When I next came down, I found a dead song thrush that had caught its foot in the folds - I have never used that soft netting again.

I have bought the stiffer fruit netting and have it trimmed to the size of my beds. I may be a thoroughly unreconstructed man, but I don't want any other wildlife martyrs on my plot.

[Parsons Jack]

OH, Alan, Parsons Jack, just behave! Or I will have to get cross, and you don't want that, do you???

I can't get that image out of my head now; you lot dressed up Rocky Horror Show stylee...

Hi Pongeroon,

How about a centrefold spread in the mag

Cheers, PJ.

[Tigger]

You wish.......