Author Topic: "Meshagain - like we did last Summer"?? (Read 4217 times)

tim · « **on:** July 12, 2006, 11:18:52 »

Yes, I know - 'Twist' - but a useful quote?? Apart from the one plant that was decimated before I got things sorted, fingers crossed, I can say so far so good!! And, thanks to the dry weather, only a half-dozen weeds.

supersprout · « **Reply #1 on:** July 12, 2006, 14:10:58 »

Lovely cabbage patch tim, mesh is def. magic 8)

moonbells · « **Reply #2 on:** July 12, 2006, 14:23:48 »

Aye!

No argument from me...

Red Cabbage 'Red Jewel' sowed in modules Feb 19th, planted out 2' apart under ultrafine mesh on April 30th.

moonbells

supersprout · « **Reply #3 on:** July 12, 2006, 14:36:18 »

WOW! Those are breathtaking moonbells - and the colour of the cloche supports perfect too :o
Who needs a flower garden with this going on? :D

moonbells · « **Reply #4 on:** July 12, 2006, 16:41:54 »

I have to admit I've _never_ had cabbages grow like these! (The white minicoles aren't a patch...)

I therefore blame the mesh entirely.

moonbells

tim · « **Reply #5 on:** July 12, 2006, 18:00:24 »

Perfection, mb!
How do you peg it?

Having got a (wild) rocket for pulling out our PSB too soon, She's got some brassica coming this year from that lot - I hope!

2 sowings PSB
2 sowings WSB
Kale - in use now.
Calabrese - in use now.
Cabbage - Savoy, Red, Tundra, Jan King.
Cauli - Romanesco.
Sprouts
.
And who'll have to pick them?? For the 2 of us?? Lucky we have close family & neighbours!! And a BIG freezer.
Which is just packing up, causing me to surf urgently for the best replacement.

Bang goes the bathroom redec!!

pete10 · « **Reply #6 on:** July 12, 2006, 18:38:51 »

Hope iam not being thick but what do use for the supports for the mesh .

moonbells · « **Reply #7 on:** July 12, 2006, 19:55:42 »

Quote from: tim on July 12, 2006, 18:00:24

Perfection, mb!
How do you peg it?

Blimey. Compliments indeed! ;D

I've got the ends (where the surplus is) rolled up and pegged with the green netting pegs. The sides, which are exactly the right distance apart for the supports, are pegged with stiff wire which is very carefully pushed through. I wiggled each wire end through the mesh, widening one of the holes. Then pegged it down.

I learned the hard way not to force holes on the old, standard size mesh!

moonbells

tim · « **Reply #8 on:** July 12, 2006, 20:35:09 »

And what, pray, are 'green netting pegs' ??

pete - I think she uses alkathene tubing?

pete10 · « **Reply #9 on:** July 12, 2006, 21:25:53 »

Thanks Tim looks very good all round .

moonbells · « **Reply #10 on:** July 12, 2006, 22:41:11 »

oops sorry Pete blind as bat tonight :-[, too distracted by Tim's compliment! Yes, blue alkathene water pipe from Wickes. Works best with bamboo canes strapped to the tops to keep them from collapsing to the middles. I think when I got it, it was £13 for 25m and that sounds a lot, but 4 supports of 2.4m each eats a fair bit! You can get it from Plumb Centre in smaller quantities but watch out, they only accept cash if it's less than a tenner.

Search on 'Geoff Hamilton cloche' sometime!

Hmm this thread is making me hunt for things and I'm finding all sorts of info out!
http://garden.tenaxuk.co.uk/index.php looks to have useful things! (Like the green netting Focus has stopped doing - grr - and in bulk, too.)

Green netting pegs from Netlon
http://www.birstall.co.uk/products/wnet0039.html
see piccy at top right (I get them cheaper than this at garden shows - £1.99 for 10!)
They are good if you don't want to puncture something, as the hooky bit can be used to pin down folded material.

There's also a black variant
http://garden.tenaxuk.co.uk/prod_info.php?pid=29

Though these look good - easy to get out but you'd have to push them through the netting
http://www.wondermesh.co.uk/content/view/17/38/
and they also do the mesh so we're back on topic! huzzah!

moonbells

tim · « **Reply #11 on:** July 13, 2006, 06:40:20 »

Aha!! Just what I wanted, mb.

The barbed things, that I have, that you push through the netting, tear hell out of it when you remove them.

moonbells · « **Reply #12 on:** July 13, 2006, 10:01:50 »

More hunting...

These were the folk I bought my last lot from at BBC GW Live - except they charged £1.99 a pack.
http://www.labelsnthings.co.uk/pegs.htm

However I have seen them in Focus for £2.65 or similar, again for 10 and without the postage costs of the online place. Their website's pants though. Tim, your nearest one's in Witney by the A40. If you don't want to waste time/petrol going there, then my nearest is 1/4 mile from my house so I can go and check prices and pick some up if you want.

moonbells

tim · « **Reply #13 on:** July 13, 2006, 10:26:34 »

Thanks for all that, moonbells - the green ones look even better than the black?

It's the first item - the mulch things - which ruin the fabric.

I think that I'll bide my wee, with enough 'trident' ones to tide me over - especially since I'm not pegging the mesh, & that's the main thing in use at the moment. It doesn't blow around like fleece.

We may get out to Burford Garden Centre before long, & they may have something. Failing that. I may call for help!

moonbells · « **Reply #14 on:** July 13, 2006, 10:38:13 »

Quote from: tim on July 13, 2006, 10:26:34

Thanks for all that, moonbells - the green ones look even better than the black?

It's the first item - the mulch things - which ruin the fabric.

I think that I'll bide my wee, with enough 'trident' ones to tide me over - especially since I'm not pegging the mesh, & that's the main thing in use at the moment. It doesn't blow around like fleece.

We may get out to Burford Garden Centre before long, & they may have something. Failing that. I may call for help!

I tend to go for the green cos you can put more weight on them before they snap! (something I have to consider in my flinty (ooops there's another rock) soil, though I have snapped them before!)

At the lottie, colour considerations aren't a priority... ;D ;D especially since most of the rescued carpet I use as path covering is a vile pink... and is therefore laid pile-side down!

The mulch/ground cover fabric pegs aren't that good IMO. Stuff pegged down with them comes up with only a slight gale, and so ground cover here tends to get weighted down with larger flints as well (there's a surprise).

I did have to rescue the cabbage mesh at one point during a very breezy day (the end had come loose and it was doing a good impression of a wind tunnel crossed with Mary Poppin's brolly) but the extra weight does help.

Anyway, let me know as and when.

moonbells

supersprout · « **Reply #15 on:** July 13, 2006, 12:40:20 »

The ones I used were identical to the metal ground hooks shown in your Birstall link moonbells, £1.79 for ten from Capital Gardens, made by Easy Gardener. I am trying to find out if they still do them - they are not shown any more on the website. Indispensable also for pegging down squash curly wurly style! ;D

moonbells · « **Reply #16 on:** July 13, 2006, 12:44:57 »

I just buy very stiff wire (couple of mm diameter) and cut it up with a pair of wire cutters, then bend into shape. This is what I used on the sides of the mesh after wiggling the wire through one of the holes.

moonbells

MutantHobbit · « **Reply #17 on:** July 13, 2006, 12:52:31 »

To secure my fleece, netting and chicken-wire cages, I just use metal tent pegs from Wilko's at 99p a throw for 10. Can't go wrong really, and it means I'm never short when I go camping! I really must ask Wilko's for a commission what with all the trade I'm putting their way! ;)

Dave

pete10 · « **Reply #18 on:** July 13, 2006, 13:37:05 »

Thanks for the info Moonbells :)

tim · « **Reply #19 on:** July 13, 2006, 17:46:28 »

Just a 'fleecing' thought - don't let fleece drift onto a chipped bark path.

It collects it like a magnet!!

News:

Author Topic: "Meshagain - like we did last Summer"?? (Read 4217 times)