[Andy J]

Hi All,

I dug my first allotment bed on the weekend in my back garden and in it I have planted onion sets and garlic.

I was very pleased with my work only to find that half of the onions had been pulled up on Monday by what I can only guess are birds?

What do people recommend for me to cover the bed with? I want to do it as cheap as possible

Many thanks

[richyrich7]

just pop them in a little deeper, or just put them back in as the birds take them out, 
It should only last a few weeks until the sets root.
I think the birds think they are worms or something poking out of the soil

[DavidT]

As Richy says, plant them a little deeper.

[sunshineband]

We trimmed the little papery bit off the top of ours to stop the blackbirda pulling the sets up, as they were a bit too long to bury I thought --- but I did have a dozen children to help 

[DD.]

I'm with the plant them deeper crew.

This is one of those rare occasions that I'd tell people to ignore the packet.

[crh75]

I agree plant them a little deeper.

Also use a dibber (or stick) so they are not sitting on compacted soil. As the roots grow they can push themselves out! This happened to me once when I had gone to the trouble of protecting them with horticultural fleece to stop the birds.

So you can alternatively cover them with some horticultural fleece to protect from birds. In fact almost anything light weight would do just until they start showing some growth. 

Weed suppressing fabric also works very well. Just cut a cross and dib an onion set in.  It suppresses the weeds and warms the soil up so you get your onions a bit eariler and a bit larger with little effort after the initial planting. 

[greenhead]

Start them off in pots, wait until the green growth is about 1.5 in, then plant out into the beds.  The root system will form a good anchor and prevent the birds from pulling them out.
Done this for years with no problems.

[hillbilly]

I use old cd's strung up over the bed. It seems to work every time - no problem with birds and I have pidgeons(?) and pheasants galore 
They also catch the sun rather prettily and reflect flashes of light around the place 

[Andy J]

Thanks all, I think I might push them in a little further then.......

Many thanks

Andy

[Yorkie]

It might just be a turn of phrase you've used, but I think I remember reading that you shouldn't actually apply pressure to push sets etc into the ground - it can damage the root plate.  It is better to create a hole and drop the onion / clove in.

Then again, someone might be along in a minute to say I'm barking mad 

[DD.]

You're barking mad.

But correct.

[Yorkie]

 

[DavidT]

It might just be a turn of phrase you've used, but I think I remember reading that you shouldn't actually apply pressure to push sets etc into the ground - it can damage the root plate.  It is better to create a hole and drop the onion / clove in.

Then again, someone might be along in a minute to say I'm barking mad 

You are quire right, Yorkie. It also compacts the soil under the set making it harder for the roots to take hold, thus pushing the set out of the ground.

[richyrich7]

I use my finger, I never loose that unlike trowels, dibbers 

[Christine]

Green netting till they are established deters birds.