Brassica - protective net

[Mothy]

Hi Folks,

This year I've tasked myself with improving our brassica success rate, which up to now has been pitiful. Cabbage decimated by caterpillars, Broccolli eaten by pigeons etc.
I want to invest in some decent protective netting, small enough to keep butterflies at bay, and wondered if any of you know what size mesh I need and where I can buy a roll at the lowest cost?

I am also looking for a source of cheap weed suppressant fabric for our fruit area, i'm going to cover it with Bark, if anyone knows where is best to buy it.

Thanks for your help  :D

[Mothy]

[manicscousers]

hiya, mothy, we use debris netting on our brassica beds, there was a lively discussion on here about it, maybe a search would find it, I'm no good at links  ;D
ebay sells it, weed control we also get from ebay but, I'm sure wilkinsons, etc get it in, our weed control was 1 or 1.5 metres wide..they also get ordinary netting in, we just prefer the debris stuff, I think there are pics on our gallery if you want a look  ;D

[nilly71]

I'd say the same ;)

Ask at local building sites when they are just taking down the scaffold netting, as they chuck it away sometimes. I think it shades the veg a bit sometimes but mine are still doing ok...http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,48141.msg487062.html#msg487062

I've just had some weed control delivered from ebay it was £14.99 for 1mx100m and had a grid printed on it to make it easier for cutting straight lines, but £9.95 delivery. I layed some yesterday and it seemed ok, not as flimsey as the stuff i got from QD's for £10 for 1.5mx25m.

Neil

[Lauren S]

I second Manics for debris netting (used by builders on scaffolding)
The mesh is small enough to keep out cabbage whites but still lets in the light/sunshine  :D

[Suzanne]

I use enviromesh as small enough to keep out the aphids as well in the summer. In winter I cover with a fairly wide bird netting to keep pigeon at bay and to let more light in.

[sarah]

i think enviromesh is the best thing for the job but is very expensive. the next best thing i think is the debris netting which is what i use. i works pretty well but is not full proof so you need to lift it and check regularly.  a much cheaper option which i havent tried is net curtains.  i think its worth investing in the best netting you can afford.  if you go for the debris netting you can get it on ebay for about 25/30 quid for a huge roll or maybe free from a building site as others have said. good luck with the brassicas.