Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: nickmcmechan on April 14, 2011, 07:12
-
I need to buy fleece for my allotment and need a good amount but not sure where to buy and if there are different types. The other allotmenteers tell me there are plenty of 'pests' - deer, rabbits, grouse, wood pidgeons, magpies, slugs etc so everything must be covered or you lose it - Quick!
I want the fleece that lets in water and light. I need 200m2 but don't want to spend a fortune.
I'll also be buying netting for when the seedlings grow up too.
Where to you get yours?
-
this will be moved somewhere else (different section)
take care with the fleece. even though fleece protects plant from the pests they dont let enough sunlight. last year I did experiment on lettuce (iceberg) and 3 were in the fleece and 3 just outside (both in the pots with same compost) and the fleeced one struggled while the unfleeced one went on rampage. couple of others confirmed the same. and you being from scotland you shouldnt deprive your plants the least bit of sun you get. :)
on buying the fleece try shopping around in the net and there must be someone who has done the same like you.
for netting I do have a like from e*bay in my favourites i think. if you need it I can post the link.
-
we get ours from our local horticultural society worth looking on Google to see if you have one? They are all volunteers and sell everything at cost so can get everything from onion sets to fleece at a very good price
-
i bought my enviromesh here
http://www.gardening-naturally.com/acatalog/Enviromesh_Insect_Netting.html
it seems expensive but it can last up to 10 years. I also have debris netting which i bought of ebay on a 25 metre roll for about £25 with free delivery ( was a couple of years ago though)
fleece i tend to buy whenever i see it cheap, say in poundland because i have found that even the more expensive stuff breaks up after being out in the daylight for a season
-
I agree fleece isn't up to the job...........it disintegrates after a few months.
Debris netting (flea-bay) or environmesh (wherever you can find the best price :ohmy:) is the way to go
-
It's horse for courses, and as Prakash says it's best not to use fleece where netting will provide sufficient protection as its light and water transmission is relatively poor.
Enviromesh is expensive but long lasting and much better than fleece (which is best used for frost protection rather than as season-long form of pest protection.)
The most economical solution would be cheap netting for non-brassicas, debris netting for brassicas (smaller mesh size keeps the cabbage whites out) and enviromesh just for carrots (and parsnips if you're fussy!) as carrot fly protection.
You can safely use slug bait under the netting as it won't poison other wildlife there, especially if you use the "Growing Success" version rather than the older metaldehyde formulations.
-
Wilkinsons are quite cheap
-
It's horse for courses, and as Prakash says it's best not to use fleece where netting will provide sufficient protection as its light and water transmission is relatively poor.
Enviromesh is expensive but long lasting and much better than fleece (which is best used for frost protection rather than as season-long form of pest protection.)
The most economical solution would be cheap netting for non-brassicas, debris netting for brassicas (smaller mesh size keeps the cabbage whites out) and enviromesh just for carrots (and parsnips if you're fussy!) as carrot fly protection.
You can safely use slug bait under the netting as it won't poison other wildlife there, especially if you use the "Growing Success" version rather than the older metaldehyde formulations.
I got mine from Wilkinsons too, its my 1st year so not sure how I will get on... but I'm going with Jay on this one I think :) thanks jay
-
Just got some from a company called Wondermesh (South Aberdeenshire). They claim to be better than enviromesh and come in a variety of mesh sizes - not cheap, but shoudl last quite afew years and keep most nasties out!
http://www.wondermesh.co.uk/gardenpacks.htm
edit to add link
-
Debris netting off of Fleabay for me - 50m x2m for £35 last year - got so much was giving it away to me neighbours and relatives!
(http://i255.photobucket.com/albums/hh138/Bluedave78/P1220798.jpg)