[MrsR]

OK I need something to cover my small plot to keep pigeons and slugs, etc ok - cannot be too costly.

[GrannieAnnie]

Costly isn't in my vocabulary either MrsR!!!! lol  I've got some fleece that I bought at a garden centre when it was half price 3 years ago, which I use mainly for my carrots and parsnips, and I've got 2 bits of netting each are about 2m x 4 m, £3.50 each from Wilkinsons which I covered my brassicas with last year.  This year one bit is trying to keep the birds off my blackcurrants, so my brassicas have to fend for themselves, with carrier bags tied onto to bamboo canes and old CD's tied to bits of string between canes waving about in the wind.  

The outside of the brassicas have been eaten a bit, but at the moment, the hearts are looking good!!  I must admit, the netting keeps the birds off, most of the white butterflies, although some squeeze through, but it doesn't keep the whitefly off, so I am spraying with rhubarb leaf water too!

[DD.]

You won't find one thing to do all!

The only thing that will keep pigeons off my stuff is netting - but that won't work for slugs.

[ytyynycefn]

I'm using enviromesh made into a tunnel with blue water pipe - not as cheap as fleece, but it's supposed to last for years.

[splodger]

try old net curtains - they are fab for keeping out many things.
i use them on my carrots and my greens - keeps birds, large flies, butterflies etc at bay - and cheap

[Gwiz]

best thing to cover veg?
gravy.

but before you get to that stage, i'm finding the enviromesh fantastic for cabbages.

[little sweetpeas]

Yep, enviromesh is great and I too have made a mini tunnel using the blue waterpipe. Should last several years. Fleece is also good but rips easliy.

[flowergirl]

im only new but was told yesterday by someone who i think was probably born on the allotment! to cover my seeds (that i threw in and hoped!)with net, so i got some pond cover netting from wilkos £3.50 and used some old canes and flower pots and made a kind of cage type thing ,it was a 2 man (1 woman 1 child in my case)job now got to figure out what are weeds and what are food!

[Beanzie]

Got to agree with the enviromesh option

[GrannieAnnie]

Keep you eyes open flowergirl with the Wilko netting.  I got 2 of them last year and strung them together to cover my brassicas, and sometimes I'd stand there and watch the smaller cabbage whites fold up their wings to get through the net!!!!