Kitchen Garden Forum

Hi all, what a dramatic change in the weather!! hope that you are all managing ok in the conditions, it's frustrating for us gardener's but hopefully we will soon be able to get going, I've added my latest update which I hope you enjoy, take care Steve.

http://www.myallotments.com

Morning Steve, things will soon change regarding the weather, a good spell for some outdoor photography maybe.

Glad to see the Befordshire Champion is still as reliable as ever.

Lets hope your new Asparagus knife gets plenty of use later in the year.

Hope you didn't think i disappeared too quickly Sunday night, but the phone rang then the computer went and crashed.

I'm just off to do some work in my glass bungalow, sorry i mean greenhouse, it's lovely and warm in there with the sun shining.

A good read Steve, thankyou. I think you are marvellous at building covers for stuff! . Mine look very micky mouse in comparison.

marvelous update as ususal Steve. I too admire your crop covers with a tinge of envy! I am going to have to investigate this green netting, it looks like just the ticket!

Emma.

Dear Emma, if you have a saffolding firm near you they might be able to help you, as they use this netting round the erected scaffold to stop debris falling on people passing by.

I enjoyed your update too Steve. My rhubarb is well on I have to say, and my sweet peas are lolling around and about 6". I didn't know to pinch out the tips so will get that done now.

Like you Emma, I was interested in the netting - I noticed Steve seems to have covered his tunnels with it. Thank you OH for the suggestion as to where to get it. I know a few builders so might ask them for a sample. I am planning to build a small fruit cage this year so this might work well. I am a bit worried about using the usual cage netting advertised as I have heard that birds can easily get their feet caught in it if it isn't pulled tightly enough. Does this netting allow insects through for pollination?

You may be interested in the monthly diary that I keep on my website too
http://glallotments.co.uk/diary.aspx
It goes back to 2007

Hello oldherbaceous and good morning, let's hope your right about the weather changing as with the forecast for us to have some more heavy snow over the next day or two it looks like it will be next week at the earliest before we can get gardening outdoors again. I spent an hour or two in my greenhouse yesterday and as you say it was lovely in the sunshine, no problems about Sunday night as you said that you were calling it a night on the chat, speak to you soon, regards Steve.

oldherbaceous wrote:Morning Steve, things will soon change regarding the weather, a good spell for some outdoor photography maybe.

Glad to see the Befordshire Champion is still as reliable as ever.

Lets hope your new Asparagus knife gets plenty of use later in the year.

Hope you didn't think i disappeared too quickly Sunday night, but the phone rang then the computer went and crashed.

I'm just off to do some work in my glass bungalow, sorry i mean greenhouse, it's lovely and warm in there with the sun shining.

Hello retropants, Anne Thomas and garden_serf for your replies, the debris netting is very useful and much cheaper than the garden nets found elsewhere and is uv protected and very strong, the netting on my first cage has now been on for 4yrs and has withstood all the gales and elements very well. It does keep out most of the insects though so if you are going to cover a fruit cage then I would only use it for the sides and use a net with a 1" mesh size for the roof, this is not just for the insects but if we get heavy snow like we have experienced recently then it will not settle on the roof and subsequently rip or damage it. Because the side of my Raspberry covers are not fixed in place there will be enough gaps for the insects and pollinators to get in, the birds however will not, regards Steve.

Thanks Steve and OH, I will get my dad onto that, he has lots of contacts in the building trade!

Thanks Steve for the info. I will think through using it for a fruit cage but it sounds like it might be useful to protect brassicas if it keeps 'most' of the insects out