Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: 3759allen on April 25, 2014, 15:39
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does anyone know if i could allow insect mesh to touch the leaves of brassicas?
i need the netting to protect against cabbage whites leaving caterpillars to demolish my crop.
i'm looking at mesh with 1.3mm x 1.3mm holes.
any advice would be great.
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I've always been told not to as they can lay eggs through the mesh onto the leaf if it is touching it.
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Unfortunately the butterflies are able to deposit egg through the netting on to the leaves if they are touching. It is better to put up a frame to support the netting and holdit well away from the leaves.
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It has been observed that cabbage whites can and will fly through netting with folded wings if you don't use fine enough netting.
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i observed this first hand last year. little blighters.
i'm struggling to find a fine net in 3m width that doesn't cost the earth. seems like there's a lot of affordable products in 2m widths. i made the structures to take 3m wide netting last year (to allow plenty of space so the leaves don't touch the netting) and really don't want to look at making new structures, also don't want to reduce the height and width of the net if they can lay eggs through the netting.
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What about this? Debris netting. It's what I use and worked well last year (you just need to be sure to either sew up the holes in the middle or I weaved thick string through it which worked for me
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3M-X20M-GREEN-DEBRIS-NETTING-SCAFFOLD-SHEETING-GARDEN-SCREEN-CROP-NET-NETTING-/251442852438?pt=UK_H_G_Ladders_RL&hash=item3a8b297256
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Thanks for posting that link RJR. I've just ordered some. Just need to sort the frame out now.
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No problem. I bought 2m last year (although I was torn between2 and 3). I wish I had bought 3m width now as 2m is very tight and it means some beds can't be used at all as brassica beds :(
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I have known my crop to survive with doubling up with the much cheaper green 7mm to 10mm netting. Seems to confuse and put them off. But I do admit to having slowly increased my stash of enviromesh to be doubly safe early on in the season.
Also, later in the season, when plants are large enough, and at your discretion, it is possible to uncover, when the wasps are about. I've watched them do a good job at the tail end of the year. fascinating how efficient they can be. Not only that, but you can then join in the bug hunt yourself and do a bit of weeding at the same time. And it's a relief to get some of that pesky netting out of sight. It's such a vista destroyer.
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What about this? Debris netting. It's what I use and worked well last year (you just need to be sure to either sew up the holes in the middle or I weaved thick string through it which worked for me
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3M-X20M-GREEN-DEBRIS-NETTING-SCAFFOLD-SHEETING-GARDEN-SCREEN-CROP-NET-NETTING-/251442852438?pt=UK_H_G_Ladders_RL&hash=item3a8b297256
i have purchased similar to this that is due to be returned as it was not advertised as having the holes. however i'm thinking ,after a long look around, sowing the holes up may be the best option. especially no you have said it works.
how robust have you found the netting?
it looks like the stuff i have are made of very thin weave, but guessing as it's meant to be debris netting must be fairly robust.
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I have known my crop to survive with doubling up with the much cheaper green 7mm to 10mm netting. Seems to confuse and put them off. But I do admit to having slowly increased my stash of enviromesh to be doubly safe early on in the season.
Also, later in the season, when plants are large enough, and at your discretion, it is possible to uncover, when the wasps are about. I've watched them do a good job at the tail end of the year. fascinating how efficient they can be. Not only that, but you can then join in the bug hunt yourself and do a bit of weeding at the same time. And it's a relief to get some of that pesky netting out of sight. It's such a vista destroyer.
i did try up to 3 layers of the cheaper bird netting last year. it was left over from netting newly sown grass from pesky pigeons, so didn't cost anything. but the butterflies managed to fly through, think we got swamped last year that would go through most things. we're the only ones growing things in our back garden in our neighbourhood so i'm guessing they're competeing to get on the brassicas.
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What about this? Debris netting. It's what I use and worked well last year (you just need to be sure to either sew up the holes in the middle or I weaved thick string through it which worked for me
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3M-X20M-GREEN-DEBRIS-NETTING-SCAFFOLD-SHEETING-GARDEN-SCREEN-CROP-NET-NETTING-/251442852438?pt=UK_H_G_Ladders_RL&hash=item3a8b297256
i have purchased similar to this that is due to be returned as it was not advertised as having the holes. however i'm thinking ,after a long look around, sowing the holes up may be the best option. especially no you have said it works.
how robust have you found the netting?
it looks like the stuff i have are made of very thin weave, but guessing as it's meant to be debris netting must be fairly robust.
Debris netting will always have the holes as it is how it is attached to buildings. I think if you want to be absolutely 100% sure then sewing them up is the best option! however our plot was filled with cabbage whites last year and nothing got through my weaving method and it is a lot quicker.
In terms of robustness mine is only on its second year but I am not known for being gentle and it is absolutely fine - it has had bamboo sticks jutting out and all sorts and has survived intact. If you think about it, it's main job is to catch bits of falling debris from building sites so it has to be strong!
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thinking about it now it does make sense why the holes are there. it was just a bit misleading as the title stated insect / bird netting. the description did say could also be used as debris netting, but no mention of the holes.
may just keep it and sow the holes up as after looking at proper insect netting it's out of my budget and hard to get the width that i want.
as you've got experience of it being strong enough to last a few seasons i'm seeing less problems with it.
thanks for all the replies.
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debris netting is strong enough - if that is what you have ;)