Allotments 4 All

May i first begin by saying hello to everyone and what a fabulous site, and what knowledgeable people you are. Now i have about 40 sweetcorn plants i want to plant out, however the plot is windy and we have rabbits. Will the rabbits eat the sweetcorn. I have seen mice and rats are a problem. So i am thinking about building a frame and putting debris netting around them, will there be a problem with pollination. The frame will be 4 posts about 5ft tall and some planks holding it together and the debris netting around it leaving the top open. Any advice or other ideas will be greatly appreciated. 

Hi Parsley,

We had a rabbit problem when we first got our allotment before the fencing was replaced.  I found just by putting canes in with netting attached it was enough to keep the rabbits out, and once the sweetcorn is strong and sturdy it is not tasty to the rabbits anyway - well it wasn't here, so I would suggest only a temporary structure is needed, unless you have very determined rabbits of course.  If you use debris netting you may give too much wind protection as sweetcorn is wind pollinated, the flowers at the top drop the pollen down onto the embryo corn below and on the next plant which is why they are planted in blocks.

Hope that makes sense and helps :)

Thanks Tulipa think i will try half of them by that method , and hold half back to see how determined they are, and use the debris netting to try and stop them getting in. :)
Although another guy told he has seen rabbits sitting on top of netting nibbling whatever they could. ::)

They can also burrow underneath. >:( Hopefully at this time of year there is plenty of other stuff around for them, to eat, it's in the winter we have a real problem with them.

Thanks for that Caroline, hopefully i will have it rabbit proofed as much as possible by then. Hopefully Cumbrian rabbits are not as hardy as Yorkshire ones and wont be around. :)