Does anyone have the suspicion that the C/Ws get in through the attachment slots - as I surmised a few monthe back?
We've had the most demoralising year on record.
Tim, I think there are more around this year too for some reason, certainly I have never seen so many and a friend texted me saying the same yesterday.
T.
The debris netting I use only has slots at the top and bottom and is 2m wide - nothing getting through
My problem was with some broc and cauli grown at home them planted out under enviromesh, then noticed lots of damage - sprayed with rhubarb steeped water and everything now growing well.
Could that be the trouble - imported pests??
I forgot to keep the plants under cover when hardening off, got hit by small green caterpillars but missed the cabbage whites :-\
Our 2m netting has slots all over.
Smallgreen cats? The 'small Cabbage White? Only lays a few eggs, so far & few between. But b****y difficult to see?
I've just bought a 2x50 metre roll of debris netting for next year, I'm not having any brassica ruined again :)
them's the ones, Tim..next time, I'll put my specs on when I plant them under the nets ;D
I've not had any under this lot yet, but I'm going to have to release them soon - when does the cabbage white disappear?
http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t87/ninnyscrops/DSCF1219.jpg
Ninnyscrops
Sooner the better!
You've been lucky. I notice gaps at the bottom of the net - enough for easy entry.
hi i released mine last winter only to hurriedly cover them up just after Christmas because of the wood pigeons ::), not sure if you have them in large numbers.
They certainly get through the black net.....I've watched them fly through and the holes are smaller than the butterfly...I'm still not sure how they do it even after watching them!
Have you ever seen them sidle through an overlap in 2 pieces of netting?
I have seen it said that 5mm netting is OK.
Very pleased with the Debris netting that arrived today 2x50 metres so that should give me five seperate nets for the lotty next year :)
Quote from: tim on September 02, 2008, 06:37:09
Sooner the better!
You've been lucky. I notice gaps at the bottom of the net - enough for easy entry.
The gaps are a new addition as we have an allotment inspection sometime in the future for "best allotment" and all that, thought I ought to weed and didn't earth up the nets 'cos soooo much weeding to do :(
Not hoping for anything but just doing my bit to keep the site looking good!
So, do I join two bits of debris netting together with string, change the height with pool balls on canes to help with the height ???
Ninnyscrops x
Yes & yes!
We use the ball & cane method ,with 2m wide netting. If yours is narrower, joining would be a good idea - if you have the patience. As with sewing up the slots!
And then we use these pegs - the best I've found so far.
Yes I have seen them sidle through gaps at the join, I was talking to another plot holder one day and admiring his cabbages. I was busy saying how the net I used hadn't stopped them (the butterflies!) and as we watched one just flew carefully through the join.
My biggest problem this year was the fact the net did nothing to stop the slugs which devoured my almost ready summer cabbages overnight.....usually they go for the young plants :'(
Tim, those pegs just snap when I try to push them into my soil!
Aha - but they are not pitons!!
I have found that, with a slow & steady push, they go into any soil that a fork goes into. If not, just tease the soil a little first.
Aaah! That would be my problem then!
Parts of the year I can't get a fork in!
Any suggestions on what to edge Debris netting with, Its my intention to have five lenghts cut from my fifty metre roll I was thinking of gaffer tape :)
We've sewed two lengths of 2 metre debris netting together (along the long edge) with this years baling twine
Used some old 'builder balls'+ metal rods to construct a cage for our colis and sprouts 1m high x 1m wide x 5m long
A bit tedious to do, but the result leaves me with a handy 1/2m overlap each side that can be held down with old skipdiving planks
So far (touching wood ::)) its proved skyrat and c/w proof ;D
I'm even considering keeping the cage in the same position, once we've finished the colis etc, and covering with fleece to get bush toms planted out earlier ? :-\
What am I saying? Ours is 3m.
I have had 2 types of debris netting both 2 metres wide..One had the fixing holes 2 metres apart so it was on the top and bottom of the 2 metres,which was handy for pegging it down,the other had the fixing holes 1 metre apart which wern't so handy.. So it may pay to enquire when you order it if both are available.
Addendum.
Marshalls point out that a keen C/Ws will lay eggs even through the netting.
SO - keep it off the plants!