An Idea For Protecting Your Brassicas -UPDATE now covered

MRSMCAWBER

Hi all

I thought I would share and idea I have had for protecting my brassicas... as some of you will know, I grow everything in pots n tubs... anyway, after last years run in with the dreaded butterflies.. I have come up with this idea -

Her is where we are to so far (hopefully we will get it finished at the weekend) excuse the mess in the corner -I have started getting the tubs out to wash -if ever the rain stops


What I came up with was to set 3 arches into 6 crates -we are going to move it into the middle of the patio and join the arch sides using spare bars from the legs to strengthen the frame and top up the crates, then I have 4 mosquito pannels from an old gazebo -Im going to join 2 and drop them over the top and then add a pannel to each end and secure -hopefully that will keep the butterflies out..
Im going to plant a cucumber in each crate and train them up the arches..and pop a pepper or aubergine in the front of the crate... and it leaves me plenty of floor space to put my tubs with brassicas in
The arches only cost me €2 each so its a nice cheap way of hopefully protecting my broccoli, caulis etc...

Hope someone else can use the idea...
I will add photos when it is finished..

Jack's_mummy

Wow that is going to be an amazing set up you'll have this year.

What do you line those crates with? Is it cardboard boxes?

MRSMCAWBER

Hi Jack's mummy

Thanks - I do come up with some strange ideas hopefully this one will work...If it does I may be tempted to cover it with plastic for winter -we will have loads -1 of the plus points of moving so often with the army -all that packaging stuff
The crates are lined with cardboard boxes -it stays fine right through the season .... I grew carrots and allsorts in them last season...

Jack's_mummy

I thought so. I think I have one of those collapsable crates in the cupboard full of soft toys. I think after 2 years it's safe to say DS won't miss them. Yay! More carrot space LOL

[Deleted User]

That is pure genius, thanks for the tip!

MRSMCAWBER

Van1971 wrote: »

That is pure genius, thanks for the tip!

:rotfl: thankyou -i have my moments :rotfl: although -lets see what it looks like when it is covered at the weekend

troglodyte

That's a fabulous idea! My big plan this year is to try harder to protect my veggies from the slugs and snails, caterpillars and pigeons etc - I'll be looking out for cheap arches now! You could cover with fleece to warm them up too. Brilliant!

troglodyte

I was just having a look to see if I could find any cheap arches - the best so far is here at Garden Centre Online.com where they seem to be on special offer at £4.99. Might have to send for some!
http://www.gardencentreonline.co.uk/Garden-Accessories-Planters-and-Frames-Kingfisher-High-Quality-Garden-Arch-SPECIAL-OFFER-/1786-PD/default.html

RebekahR

I grew loads of different things last year in the bedroom window sill. They grew fantastically! I then moved everything outside into my little cloche and that is where it went down hill. This was my first year of growing more than just tomatoes. And everything got eaten so badly. All the leaves and even on some the stalks eaten to the ground. I take it this was slugs so this year I have a tub with slug tape round the side so hopefully this will stop them. Is there anything else I can do? Especially as later on they will be moved to the vegetable patch.

mumoftwo

Mrs M that is a brilliant idea and I love the crates, what did you do? cut up cardboard boxes to fit the crates? Or use a whole cardboard box to just slip in, does the soil not escape when it rains? sorry, I need an idiot guide to gardening, and do you still need drainage holes in the bottom?

I really fancy the idea of doing something like that, I have a few round pots, can't fit a lot in them, so the crates would be brilliant and quite a cheap option.

thanks

your friend, familygirl

MRSMCAWBER

Hi mumoftwo -seems strange calling you that :rotfl:

I set hubby on with some cardboard boxes -he just cuts 4 sides -you don't need to line the bottom and you don't need to put holes in as it will drain through the edges, If you have really thick card you can actually raise the sides and secure with really thick tape so you have deeper compost -but be warned -watch if you decide to move them once filled, the bottoms can "pop out" sometimes :rotfl: -you do need to bring the compost right up to the top so that when it gets damp the cards won't flop over at the top

The soil doesn't budge -and when we came to empty them out at the end of last season the card was still fine -
I grew allsorts in them last year -I liked them as they fit flush again walls n things -Im affraid that in this house -if it ain't nailed down and It will hold compost -"It's mine"
Im hoping to get it covered with the netting this weekend ....
If you are short on any seeds have a look on my blog at what I have -most are listed and let me know on the "other" site what you fancy -and I will send you some if I have spares;)

Rebekah
I have copper tape on some of my tubs to deter slugs -but I started going out every evening just as it was getting dark -with a torch an "slug picking" -with a stick as im not touching them I dropped them into a pot and covered with salt ....it seems the only way to "try" and keep the numbers down..
If you don't want butterflies getting your brassicas -even an old net curtain dropped over a couple of canes over the top will help..
The other thing I do -which sounds mad is -when I take off any extra leaves or damaged salad leaves etc I dropped them on the floor and the slugs seemed mainly happy to eat those instead :rotfl: