[wbmkk]

It seems most plot holders have 75% of their crops under bird netting, so I supposed I'll have to do the same, before I can plant out my cabbage / cauli / sprout plants  (I suppose I could try a few sprouts .... if they are all eaten, that'll be great .. Christmas dinner is a long way away)

Although the county I live in isn't much of a farming region, I am pretty sure the cabbage farmers don't cover their whole fields with netting, so why do us gardeners.

I think debris netting works out the cheapest option, but is there any snag, ie in relation to light levels getting to the plants. Is there any colour netting that is better than others, as far as light is concerned ?

thanks !

[Yorkie]

Debris netting is fine.

Farmers have far greater crops, so the pest damage is less noticeable and has less of an overall impact!

[Chaz1985]

I have used debris netting looped over MDPE pipes to protect my Brassicas this season,  since they were planted a couple of weeks ago they have come on in leaps and bounds so I don't think debris netting stops the light to such a degree where an issue is caused. The only thing I have noticed is that anything under a cover/netting dries out or doesn't receive as much water as uncovered crops and needs more watering. Also bugs seems to thrive in the protected environment, I caught flea beetles this evening munching on my cauliflowers, so I got the bug spray out!

[Lastcast]

Isn't the debris netting more to keep the dreaded cabbage white butterflies and their caterpillars off ? They'll destroy our precious brassica's given the chance, where as (most) Farmers spray all sorts of chemicals over their crops which kill almost all insect life !

[AnneB]

I use debris netting over MDPE pipe to keep the pigeons and crows off my brassicas.   Cabbage white butterflies seem to be able to get in on occasion, so I still have to watch for caterpillars.    I do use netting given away free by a scaffolding company though, so it is in less than perfect condition.   If you bought it new and stapled it to a wooden frame as others have done on our site, I think it would keep out the butterflies too.