[Charl89]

i planted my mangetout out over the weekend after starting them off in pots. put slug pellets down but when i went down today to water them all the tops of the growth have been snapped off and gone. so no chance of them growing anymore. any ideas what has done this??

[DD.]

<<Insert name of bird here>>

[Charl89]

i hoped not. they have strawberries all over someone else allotment next to me and left all of my neighbours mangetout but attacked mine      

[DD.]

Pigeons will have mine at the slightest chance.

[Chrysalis]

I agree with DD: birds!!!  With us it's sparrows and newly-fledged bluetits.  I've saved some things and put up lots of sticks with old video tape tied on to flutter in the breeze.  Worked well last year.. hope some survive for you, too. :happy:

[Charl89]

they only left 2 plants! going to start again now. but going to cover completely with netting to stop them. so annoyed lol

[DD.]

I have to net peas, brassicas, all fruit against birds, carrots & parsnips against fly.

Sometimes I think it'd be simpler to enclose the whole of the plots.

[Nicki85]

Hm I know this feeling... everything at the plot is protected be it netting or other!  Some people have indeed netted their whole plots off!!  I would think of it but I really can't justify that sort of cost... Even at home they were having a go at my small raised beds I use for salad veg.  Now netted them off as well.  Need to get a new dog- current one is too old to catch pigeons these days!!

[Charl89]

its my first allotment but always grown them at home with no problems. been down today to re seed. i cant afford the netting cost here its so so expensive.

[DD.]

Surely in that case, all you're doing is feeding the birds?

Can you not find some on ebay?

[Nicki85]

It is expensive isn't it... I went for scaffold netting (cheap if you can get it from local building site etc) and then put some wooden stakes or even bamboo canes round the outside to create a sort of fence all the way round.  Puts the pigeons off and they haven't tried getting them.

[Charl89]

try living here, i have a small DIY store and that is it....we dont have big department stores or anything. wish i could get it from ebay, the postage is so expensive to here so gave up on that option. i do have some fence netting, which i found at our garden tip so will use that for now until i find some wooden stakes to finish my fence lol....i am determined to do this without spending a penny. doing well so far, only had to pay for allotment rent and thats it