[turnpike]

I'm hoping someone can help clear up my thoughts on netting raised beds.

I've just set up beds at the bottom of the garden and I'm wondering if I should continue using the netting (debris stuff) I picked up last year and if so when and how high.

This is what I think I know..  It's worth covering the whole bed early on.  If nothing else this protects tasty young week seedlings and also the many cats from using it as a lavatory.

I've built a 5/6 foot frame around one bed as I'm growing peas in it and the sparrows attacked it a lot last year.  I might use it to try some outdoor toms too. The other beds have 2/3 foot netting with water piping supports.

The thing is, as I've got all this netting and framing, the temptation is to just leave it on permanently.  Do people do this?  Is there any reason not to?

At the moment I'm growing the peas mentioned above, tomatoes, onions, shallots, potatoes, parsnips, carrot, salad leaf, broccoli.

Cheers,
Carl.

[Goosegirl]

I have four cats so I use clematis netting supported by tied-on canes about 6" above the ground for seedlings such as onions, the leaves of which could be broken by paws although my carrots in the greenhouse seem to have survived being stood on. I use large plastic milk cartons with their bottoms cut off for my brassicas as a slug and cat protection and the handy cane goes down through the handle to keep it in place. My strawberry netting (black bird-proof stuff) was left in place last year over winter but drawn back; however, the structure was improved this year and I'll keep it in place permanently. The raspberry netting is undergoing a transformation from string and clothes pegs to a cunning horizontal wire system top and bottom (Wilko's replacement rotary clothes drier stuff) so I can get to the fruit by drawing them back like curtains, but the end netting will be stapled in place. This I will leave on permanently too (winds permitting for both). I expect some rips in the netting occurring but never mind. I have never netted my peas but keep a close eye on them as we have pheasant and partridge around so if there's any sign of damage, I will get some more clematis or netting out, or think of game pie!!! I would put your seedling protection nets between 6-12" high to enable them to attain a height so that they are big enough to withstand damage but I wouldn't leave it in place permanently - I find that cats will walk round or over established plants and game birds will not nobble them too much at that stage.

[turnpike]

Thanks. Some good tips there.

[viettaclark]

Remember your flowers will need to be insect pollinated so use wider mesh on the peas, fruit etc and debris on the brassicas to keep out the dreaded cabbage white.

[turnpike]

I've read that peas self pollinate and you can just shake them a bit now and then like tomatoes grown indoors?

p.s. based on last year and a few weeks this, debris netting stops nothing which is curious enough ;-)