Best Way to Put Netting over Seedlings in Raised Bed?
 

The pigeons have eaten most of my french bean seedlings in may raised
vegetable bed. Anyone know a neat and easily removable way of putting
netting just a few inches above soil on a raised bed?
thanks, Davy

Best Way to Put Netting over Seedlings in Raised Bed?
 

"Davy" wrote in message
...
The pigeons have eaten most of my french bean seedlings in may raised
vegetable bed. Anyone know a neat and easily removable way of putting
netting just a few inches above soil on a raised bed?
thanks, Davy


Make a frame work of 2 x 2 timber and fix the netting to that. Works a
treat. Had it on our raised beds for years. Keeps the neighbours vermin cats
off as well :-))

Been there. Done that. Got the Tee shirt.

They stow away on top of the garage when not in use :-))

Mike



--
The Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association.
'THE' Association if you served in the Electrical Branch of the Royal Navy
Reunion Bournemouth August/September 2007
www.rneba.org.uk
"Navy Days" Portsmouth 25th - 27th July 2008. RN Shipmates will have a Stand

Best Way to Put Netting over Seedlings in Raised Bed?
 

Hi Davy,



I'm not sure whether you already have a raised bed and you want to know how
to put netting over it or whether you wanted to know how to make a raised
bed and then put netting over it - if you see what I mean (LOL)!!!!!



Anyway, if it's any help, I built a raised bed on my allotment (24ft x 4ft
or roughly 7.3m x 1.2m) last year and planted strawberries in it. I, then,
realised that I needed to cover them with netting.



I found a wide fleece tunnel (double width - covers two rows) which had
perished so removed the wire half-hoops and threw the fleece away.



I, next, cut short lengths of bamboo (roughly about 9" or 23cms in length)
and pushed these into the ground along each of the 24ft sides (at about 5ft
spacing - so I used 5 half-hoops, in all).



I fitted each ends of each wire half-hoop into hole in two of the bamboos so
that the wire straddled the bed. With five wire supports now spanning the
bed, I draped the netting (2 metres wide) over the completed "frame".



Next, I hammered galvanised felt nails (roofing nails) around the top edge
of the frame - but only deep enough to stop them being pulled out easily so
the heads were left proud.



I was then able to hook the netting over the wide heads of the nails, across
the bed, to secure it in place. The netting was then tightened merely by
stretching it a bit further over the nail heads until it was as taut as I
wanted.



To get at the strawberries was easy as all I had to do was un-hook the
netting where I needed and replace it as before after picking them.



The height of the netting over the crops can be easily adjusted by fitting
longer bamboo supports leaving the wire half-hoops unchanged. It's just the
width of the netting that limits the height.



I intend to use this in the coming year for other crops on the other raised
beds on my allotment as it's such a simple idea and worked beautifully..



This may not be what you wanted but I hope it helps.



Regards,



John


"Davy" wrote in message
...
The pigeons have eaten most of my french bean seedlings in may raised
vegetable bed. Anyone know a neat and easily removable way of putting
netting just a few inches above soil on a raised bed?
thanks, Davy

Best Way to Put Netting over Seedlings in Raised Bed?
 

John Vanini wrote:
Hi Davy,



I'm not sure whether you already have a raised bed and you want to know how
to put netting over it or whether you wanted to know how to make a raised
bed and then put netting over it - if you see what I mean (LOL)!!!!!



Anyway, if it's any help, I built a raised bed on my allotment (24ft x 4ft
or roughly 7.3m x 1.2m) last year and planted strawberries in it. I, then,
realised that I needed to cover them with netting.



I found a wide fleece tunnel (double width - covers two rows) which had
perished so removed the wire half-hoops and threw the fleece away.



I, next, cut short lengths of bamboo (roughly about 9" or 23cms in length)
and pushed these into the ground along each of the 24ft sides (at about 5ft
spacing - so I used 5 half-hoops, in all).



I fitted each ends of each wire half-hoop into hole in two of the bamboos so
that the wire straddled the bed. With five wire supports now spanning the
bed, I draped the netting (2 metres wide) over the completed "frame".



Next, I hammered galvanised felt nails (roofing nails) around the top edge
of the frame - but only deep enough to stop them being pulled out easily so
the heads were left proud.



I was then able to hook the netting over the wide heads of the nails, across
the bed, to secure it in place. The netting was then tightened merely by
stretching it a bit further over the nail heads until it was as taut as I
wanted.



To get at the strawberries was easy as all I had to do was un-hook the
netting where I needed and replace it as before after picking them.



The height of the netting over the crops can be easily adjusted by fitting
longer bamboo supports leaving the wire half-hoops unchanged. It's just the
width of the netting that limits the height.



I intend to use this in the coming year for other crops on the other raised
beds on my allotment as it's such a simple idea and worked beautifully..



This may not be what you wanted but I hope it helps.



Regards,



John


"Davy" wrote in message
...
The pigeons have eaten most of my french bean seedlings in may raised
vegetable bed. Anyone know a neat and easily removable way of putting
netting just a few inches above soil on a raised bed?
thanks, Davy




Perhaps not just a few inches, but simple to make and easy to move. I
use plastic electric wire conduit and blue water piping. Cut 2 lengths
of conduit to suit, insert into a length of piping to suit, push the
free end of each pipe into the edge of the bed, repeat once, or more,
depending on the length of the bed. You now have hoops across your bed
over which can be laid the netting. If you have a fine net it will even
keep the cabbage butterflies off. A cost effective and long lasting
solution I find, especially if you lash out for good quality netting,
not the plastic stuff.

Best Way to Put Netting over Seedlings in Raised Bed?
 

Broadback,

your method sounds good but I am not sure I fully understand it.

I use plastic electric wire conduit and blue water piping. Cut 2 lengths
of conduit to suit, insert into a length of piping to suit, push the
free end of each pipe into the edge of the bed

So two small lengths of conduit are pushed into a longer length of water
piping and the free ends of the piping pushed into the soil? What does the
conduit do inside the (middle?) of the water pipe?
Why conduit and water piping? why not make the hoops of just conduit?

You now have hoops across your bed
over which can be laid the netting.

Just lay the netting loose over the hoops? Any need to attach it?

If you have a fine net it will even
keep the cabbage butterflies off. A cost effective and long lasting
solution I find, especially if you lash out for good quality netting,
not the plastic stuff.

Not sure I have seen netting which is not plastic; what is it made of or
what should I be looking for?

thanks, Davy

Best Way to Put Netting over Seedlings in Raised Bed?
 

You're absolutely right, Broadback! I'd forgotten but that's roughly what I
do for my cabbages, lettuces, in fact all my vulnerable young crops - except
strawberries because they are planted in a very wide raised bed and it's
easier to do what I first suggested - because the netting is then all at the
same height across the bed.

For all other crops, I use 20mm blue water pipe, cut to the right length to
suit two rows and then 15mm (I think that's the size it is) grey pipe cut
shorter to suit one row. The 15mm would do in both cases but, where I live,
I can't find it in any of the DIY stores so I'm stuck with the small amount
of 15mm dia size that I bought some years ago - but then it does last
forever!

To hold the hoops in place, I use bamboo, cut to about 12" in length with
two of these tapped into the ground (about half-way), where I think best.
The ends of the plastic water pipe are then pushed over two bits of bamboo
to form a hoop. The bamboo is better if it's smaller in diameter than the
i/d of the pipe as it can get accidentally pushed up inside and jam in place
making it almost impossible to get it out without cutting the pipe.

I then use as many hoops as I feel I want, putting them as close or as far
apart as needed in order to support the netting.

I use both netting and fleece depending on what I'm trying to do and the
sides are then held down to the ground by various means, including stones or
bricks or you can buy pegs designed for that purpose, from garden centres.

I like this method better than the bought fleece tunnels because I have
found that the fleece can deteriorate and tear during the year. I also have
better control over the width and height of the hoops, which sometimes is a
godsend.

Broadback's method is not exactly the method I use, but it's basically the
same and the electric plastic pipe won't rot - so I may well change to using
that myself.

It's not my idea - I got it from the other allotment holders when I took on
an allotment about two years ago.

As regards the netting, I found, on the Internet a company called Haxnicks,
which produces a fine netting called "EcoGreenMicromesh". It seems to be
made of nylon rather than plastic (though they don't seem to say) and
should, so they say, last for ten years, if looked after. It's very
reasonably priced for the size of the sheet and is fine enough to keep out,
so they again say, cabbage root fly, carrot fly, white fly, onion fly, flea
beetle, vine weevil, aphids, bees, wasps, cutworm and other caterpillars,
moths and butterflies, and others. It will also keep the birds off.

I've only used it on my carrots, so far, but I've had no problem with them
this year.
..
Hope this helps!

John





"Broadback" wrote in message
...

Perhaps not just a few inches, but simple to make and easy to move. I use
plastic electric wire conduit and blue water piping. Cut 2 lengths of
conduit to suit, insert into a length of piping to suit, push the free end
of each pipe into the edge of the bed, repeat once, or more, depending on
the length of the bed. You now have hoops across your bed over which can
be laid the netting. If you have a fine net it will even keep the cabbage
butterflies off. A cost effective and long lasting solution I find,
especially if you lash out for good quality netting, not the plastic
stuff.

Best Way to Put Netting over Seedlings in Raised Bed?
 

John Vanini wrote:
You're absolutely right, Broadback! I'd forgotten but that's roughly what I
do for my cabbages, lettuces, in fact all my vulnerable young crops - except
strawberries because they are planted in a very wide raised bed and it's
easier to do what I first suggested - because the netting is then all at the
same height across the bed.

For all other crops, I use 20mm blue water pipe, cut to the right length to
suit two rows and then 15mm (I think that's the size it is) grey pipe cut
shorter to suit one row. The 15mm would do in both cases but, where I live,
I can't find it in any of the DIY stores so I'm stuck with the small amount
of 15mm dia size that I bought some years ago - but then it does last
forever!

To hold the hoops in place, I use bamboo, cut to about 12" in length with
two of these tapped into the ground (about half-way), where I think best.
The ends of the plastic water pipe are then pushed over two bits of bamboo
to form a hoop. The bamboo is better if it's smaller in diameter than the
i/d of the pipe as it can get accidentally pushed up inside and jam in place
making it almost impossible to get it out without cutting the pipe.

I then use as many hoops as I feel I want, putting them as close or as far
apart as needed in order to support the netting.

I use both netting and fleece depending on what I'm trying to do and the
sides are then held down to the ground by various means, including stones or
bricks or you can buy pegs designed for that purpose, from garden centres.

I like this method better than the bought fleece tunnels because I have
found that the fleece can deteriorate and tear during the year. I also have
better control over the width and height of the hoops, which sometimes is a
godsend.

Broadback's method is not exactly the method I use, but it's basically the
same and the electric plastic pipe won't rot - so I may well change to using
that myself.

It's not my idea - I got it from the other allotment holders when I took on
an allotment about two years ago.

As regards the netting, I found, on the Internet a company called Haxnicks,
which produces a fine netting called "EcoGreenMicromesh". It seems to be
made of nylon rather than plastic (though they don't seem to say) and
should, so they say, last for ten years, if looked after. It's very
reasonably priced for the size of the sheet and is fine enough to keep out,
so they again say, cabbage root fly, carrot fly, white fly, onion fly, flea
beetle, vine weevil, aphids, bees, wasps, cutworm and other caterpillars,
moths and butterflies, and others. It will also keep the birds off.

I've only used it on my carrots, so far, but I've had no problem with them
this year.
.
Hope this helps!

John





"Broadback" wrote in message
...

Perhaps not just a few inches, but simple to make and easy to move. I use
plastic electric wire conduit and blue water piping. Cut 2 lengths of
conduit to suit, insert into a length of piping to suit, push the free end
of each pipe into the edge of the bed, repeat once, or more, depending on
the length of the bed. You now have hoops across your bed over which can
be laid the netting. If you have a fine net it will even keep the cabbage
butterflies off. A cost effective and long lasting solution I find,
especially if you lash out for good quality netting, not the plastic
stuff.

Sorry Davy, my explanation was poor. The conduit is pushed partly into
the ends of the pipe, this forms a U of suitable length, the conduits
forming the straight legs which are pushed into the ground, the piping
the curved part upon which the net is laid. Is that better?

Best Way to Put Netting over Seedlings in Raised Bed?
 

Broadback,
yes that's better; sorry I was being thick.

But why use pipe and conduit? What is the advantage over just conduit? My
raised beds are 1m wide so conduit should easily bend over a 0.5m radius.
Davy


Sorry Davy, my explanation was poor. The conduit is pushed partly into
the ends of the pipe, this forms a U of suitable length, the conduits
forming the straight legs which are pushed into the ground, the piping
the curved part upon which the net is laid. Is that better?

Best Way to Put Netting over Seedlings in Raised Bed?
 

"Davy" wrote in message
...
Broadback,
yes that's better; sorry I was being thick.

But why use pipe and conduit? What is the advantage over just conduit?
My
raised beds are 1m wide so conduit should easily bend over a 0.5m radius.
Davy


Why bother with conduit?

Our beds are 4ft wide so we have 4ft netting on wooden battens and when not
on use it lives on the garage roof :-))

Mike


--
The Royal Naval Electrical Branch Association.
'THE' Association if you served in the Electrical Branch of the Royal Navy
Reunion Bournemouth August/September 2007
www.rneba.org.uk
"Navy Days" Portsmouth 25th - 27th July 2008. RN Shipmates will have a Stand

Best Way to Put Netting over Seedlings in Raised Bed?
 

As regards the netting, I found, on the Internet a company called
Haxnicks, which produces a fine netting called "EcoGreenMicromesh". It
seems to be made of nylon rather than plastic (though they don't seem
to say) and should, so they say, last for ten years, if looked after.
It's very reasonably priced for the size of the sheet and is fine
enough to keep out, so they again say, cabbage root fly, carrot fly,
white fly, onion fly, flea beetle, vine weevil, aphids, bees, wasps,
cutworm and other caterpillars, moths and butterflies, and others. It
will also keep the birds off.

I've only used it on my carrots, so far, but I've had no problem with
them this year.
.
Hope this helps!

John


An alternative (and in my case, cheaper) netting material is that used
by scaffolding firms to protect the public below from falling masonry
etc. They all use it, they have to !
They call it Debris Netting or Safety Barrier Netting or something like
that. Such firms often have some to give away, or sell-off cheaply.
Even if slightly torn it is easily repaired with some wire-ties or even
with a bit of sewing.
Worth a few calls to local firms.

p. pleater