[JohnB47]

Hi. Now that I've decided to buy some blue water pipe and make up some hoops to make a tunnel to protect my berry plants, I need to buy some netting. I want to go for that woven polyethylene stuff but maybe there are different qualities of this.

I can see some sold by Harrod Horticultural called "high density polyethylene" and some sold by an ebay seller called "UVS polyethylene". The ebay stuff is much cheaper and is post free but I want to buy something that will last. Any thoughts? Any other good and cheap suppliers?

And a second question - how do I decide what size to buy? One site says you loose a lot of length if you stretch it to it's full width (and presumably vice versa). For example, using a hoop system, imagine a tunnel with length 4.5 metres and height 95cm. I've worked out that the circumference of each hoop is 3 metres. I initially thought that a piece 8m by 5m would do  - the 8m would be along the length and down the ends of this tunnel and the 5m would be over the hoops from side to side. I don't want the netting to be too taught - about 20cm slack all round would be ideal. Do you think I've got it right or should one or other of the dimensions be longer?

Any advice much appreciated.

[JohnB47]

Darn it - after getting it wrong recently, I thought I'd be clever and actually think what would be the best section  to post this on. Now I see that everybody uses the 'Grow Your Own' section to talk about netting. Arrrrrg.

Could a kind moderator please move this thread? Thanks.

[mumofstig]

done 

[JohnB47]

done 

Thanks. Life's a trial sometimes.

[Nikkithefoot]

I use debris netting, width 2m from memory. The hoops for most things I cut at 1.5m but I use cut broom handles to 'lift' the hoops a bit. Any bigger hoops (ie for brussels sprouts or other tall brassicas) then I cit the length of the debris netting to fit over the hoops and have several bits 'side by side' across the length of the row.

Hope that makes sense!!

[JohnB47]

Thanks. Yes, thats a way to do it - but i was thinking that it would be easier to use just one piece. Hmmm, you' ve got me thinking about using more than one bit to cover my tunnel now.

[parttimer]

I normally use a black 10mm plastic netting that I buy from my local garden centre. Off the roll it's in 2 meter widths.I find that stretchy stuff is a nightmare.

Regarding debris netting I always worry that the insects will not be able to get in to pollonate.

But I stand to be corrected.

[fatcat1955]

I make a frame out of 38mmx20mm roofing batten's. Drill holes in it to take a short lenght of bamboo, slide the blue pipe over the bamboo and then stretch the netting over the hoop's. Staple the netting to the batten's and you have a cloche that can easily be moved for weeding etc. Mine are 8ft x 3ft and i can lift them with 1 finger.

[DD.]

Regarding debris netting I always worry that the insects will not be able to get in to pollonate.

I use debris netting on a lot of things, it gets moved around as needs be.

As regards fruit, there's no point netting until the fruit has set, therefore no pollination problems.