Netting for vegetable bed?

wookie6

Hi,

I have a raised vegetable bed. I have built a frame and plan to cover with netting to avoid any unwanted pests (birds, slugs, snails, caterpillars, flies etc), or cats using it as a giant litter tray! 

There seem to be a lot of different types of netting and size of holes in the netting. Can anyone recommend which netting is most suitable for this use and a good place to buy it? I already have the frame so just need the netting itself.

Thanks in advance for any advice! 

twopenny

The black plastic with small square holes will be needed to keep out cabbage white catterpillars and birds.

Slugs and snails will get in somehow. They say copper tape stops them getting over it so you could try that around the walls of the bed. I found it worked up to a point but needs replacing every couple of years. Sheeps wool works well if you can get enough. You can buy it as pellets but that's expensive and it's a bit late to start collecting it off fences.

I've also used soot around the plants and that really works but needs topping up or replacing after heavy rain.

If you want to keep carrot fly out you need fleece a couple of feet high secured as a wall around them.

Just remember that if you are growing beans or fruit and such you need the bees to get in.

wookie6

Thanks very much for the advice @twopenny, lots of bits there I wasn't aware of. 

As for the netting, having searched a bit more I've come across https://www.harrodhorticultural.com/insect-mesh-netting-pid7513.html which looks like it may serve the purpose quite well.

twopenny

That looks serious stuff!

As long as you don't want anything polinated.

It looks quite dense. Does it let enough light and rain in?

wookie6

I assume it does (the guy on the video says it does). Yes, pollination would certainly be an issue, however I am looking to primarily grow brassicas, leaf greens and root vegetables. 

I'll need to come up with another plan for fruits

d0nkeyk0ng

I used veggie mesh from a different supplier. You can buy aluminium tubes and connectors to make a frame to support the mesh. Clips will keep the mesh fixed to the frame. 

twopenny

Brassicas then keeping the butterflies out is a must. I've watched them determinedly find a way under netting then actually squeeze out through the holes. I had no idea they could squidge their wings up like that and fly away uninjured.
You've reninded me that I must make more effort with new netting this year.
Pigeons I've got sussed. They aren't as clever as butterflies.

Caitykinss

Looked outside this morning to find a cat using my onion netting as a hammock.

I just use normal 'garden netting' from Wilko - the green stuff with big square holes. It's only good for keeping birds out. I was very careful with my carrots last year and didn't need to net them, and planning to do the same this year. Sowed far apart enough not to need thinning.

I lost all my kale last year to cabbage butterflies though, so determined to net them better this year. I've got some veggiemesh type stuff (The Range own brand), I just need to build a frame for it. 

scrummy-mummy

I understand that scaffold netting is also popular as it's cheap.  It depends what you are trying to net obviously, but it should be fine for brassicas.

I plant my carrots with onions to address the carrot fly issue.

Caitykinss

@scrummy-mummy I didn't know that about the onions. My carrots are in the same bed as my onions, and were last year, so maybe that's another reason they didn't need netting!

wookie6

Have now bought some insect mesh and netting clips from ebay that appear to be similar to the link above as it was far cheaper. Will see what it looks like when it arrives. 

I'll also be sure to place onions with the carrots, as I'll try and keep the netting off more often than not if possible but I wanted to have it ready to use if needed! 

Just had a search on veggiemesh and found this:

https://www.gardening-naturally.com/veggiemesh-insect-netting

I think the mesh / netting with 1.35mm holes seems like a good option. Interestingly in the description of this on it says "Light passage = 90% and air passage = 95%" which also sounds fairly good.