[Salmo]

I need advice on the best netting to use, and just as importantly somewhere that sells it cheap.

I build a frame each year for my brassicas from 9 X 6 ft poles, eight round the edges and one in the middle.  Each side is 3m long X 1.5m high. Roof 3m X 3m.

After a few years with extruded square 7mm mesh it needs replacing. Once it gets a hole it seems to sort of unzip. Sowing it back together is simple but tedious. Is the soft woven mesh better?

My main objective is excluding pigeons with keeping butterflies out as a bonus. 7mm mesh is expensive. I could pick caterpillars off instead as there are only about 30 plants, mainly various sprouters for the Spring gap.

[grinling]

I use debris netting.

[lizt]

i use scaffold, debris netting
i recently got some off ebay  3meters wide x 50 meters long for £42 but you can get smaller sizes too.

[mumofstig]

The trouble with hand picking the caterpillars is removing the anti-pigeon netting to do it.....might as well kill the 2 birds together.

Debris netting or proper caterpillar netting
http://www.harrodhorticultural.com/heavy-duty-butterfly-netting-pid7526.html?Aff=JHAG

[Salmo]

Does debris netting let enough light through for the plants? What is the best colour?

With a bit of a stoop I can move about in the frame to pick caterpillars. Vertical sides give a lot more room than a hooped constructions.

[mumofstig]

Yes, it does let enough light through, I've grown my brassicas under debris netting for the last few years 

[Madame Cholet]

oh got some out of skip at work!

[sunshineband]

Yes, it does let enough light through, I've grown my brassicas under debris netting for the last few years 

Debris netting works a treat, and the slight light reductions seems to have no detrimental effects at all 

[Salmo]

What is debris netting like to cut?

Does it fray when it is cut
1) Crossways
2) along its length i.e. along the middle set of holes

[mumofstig]

no it doesn't fray 

[Gwiz]

I use the enviromesh, as for cheap, punt around on ebay.

[lizt]

i have white, green and black.

i sewed two lenghts of the scaffold net together to get it extra wide too.

i have my brassica's covered and they grow healthy and caterpillar free... mostly always the odd one or two that some how manage to get under!
also used it over carrots, onions and salad crops.

i found the enviro mesh a little expensive as i needed minimum 8 meter lengths

[thedadtony]

Iuse the black plastic pond netting,2mts wide £1 45 a metre from my local garden centre,It's lasted 4 seasons so far and seems to be ok.I make the frames from 20mm plastic conduit from Screwfix, hope that helps.

[grinling]

I have green and blue netting.