Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Judd on December 14, 2012, 12:03
-
If I totally net my allotment garden with butterfly netting would the pollinators be able to get in to do their work?
-
The simple answer is - it depends how big the holes are!
-
Butterflies dont eat spuds or carrots or beetroot or peas or beans or parsnips they are a bit partial to brassica's but if you have that much money to do it go ahead.
-
There is a plot on our site that has done just that - it must have been a long while ago as it is now full of large holes!
Remember though that if you do that you will be greatly altering the natural way of things, for example you may stop birds coming in, but as well as eating some of your crops many birds also eat lots of pests. Their droppings and feathers and even dead bodies add to the fertility of the soil :)
-
Butterfly netting will definitely stop the bees and other pollinators getting in :(
-
Could be a permanent home for some. :D
-
Sounds expensive, excessive and totally unneccessary. Just net what needs to be netted.
-
:( I agree with all the above. I use netting on my brassicas only and build a temporary cage with it - quite large holes but small enough to discourage the cabbage whites from getting in.
-
Have you ever watched a cabbage white butterfly fold its wings and glide through holes in netting? :)
It's one of their well known tricks up here.
-
If you're new to the growing game have a chat with fellow allotmenteers about the pests which are common in your area (for example, allium leaf miner and leek moth are unlikely to be a problem where you are - yet!)
Then use netting with the appropriate mesh size for the job - any other approach would be completely OTT and possibly also inappropriate for where you are and what you intend to grow.
-
Thanks for all the replies :blink:
It looks like I'll be having a rethink and just net the rasps and 3 fruit trees ,with some kind of moveable frame for the brassicas.
I just thought it may be easier to do it all rather than have to faff about with separate nets and frames.
Thanks again for the advice.