Allotment nightmare
 

The past two or three weeks has been a nightmare with the rabbits wiping
out every damned thing I planted with the exception of my broad beans
and rhubarb. Everything was under plastic netting and they chewed
through it like it was made of cabbage leaves.

It was silly planting out anythng I guess, but a new allotment on a new
site, and I just wanted to get going and plant out. It puzzles me
though, why the rabbits chewed through the plastic to get at the peas,
beans, cabbages, sweet corn etc, and yet left the broad beans alone and
they're under netting as well? The rhubarb is bare in the bed, but
with poisonous leaves they know enough to leave this one well alone.

But, today the agricultural fencing contractor starts to erect the
rabbit prooff fence, and being a believer in belt and bracers, I've put
my own 3' fence in as well. So damn 'em, see if they can get through
that lot.

The pigeons of course will be another curse altogether.

Peter

--
He spoke with a certain what-is-it in his voice, and I
could see that, if not actually disgruntled, he was far
from being gruntled.
P.G. Wodehouse 1881 -1975

Allotment nightmare
 

On Mon, 5 Jul 2010 11:05:30 +0100, Peter James wrote:

But, today the agricultural fencing contractor starts to erect the
rabbit prooff fence, and being a believer in belt and bracers, I've put
my own 3' fence in as well. So damn 'em, see if they can get through
that lot.

Did you bury the bottom edge of your fence 18" down and extend
outwards 12" like an uppercase "L"? If not the little beggers may
well dig or push under it. I hope that the contractor is burrying the
edge or it ain't going to be "rabbit proof" either.

--
Cheers
Dave.

Allotment nightmare
 

"Dave Liquorice" wrote ...
Peter James wrote:

But, today the agricultural fencing contractor starts to erect the
rabbit prooff fence, and being a believer in belt and bracers, I've put
my own 3' fence in as well. So damn 'em, see if they can get through
that lot.

Did you bury the bottom edge of your fence 18" down and extend
outwards 12" like an uppercase "L"? If not the little beggers may
well dig or push under it. I hope that the contractor is burrying the
edge or it ain't going to be "rabbit proof" either.

I only buried it about 9 inches but with all the bricks and stones in the
soil we just covered the edge with stones, you have to keep it clear of
weeds etc, anyway to see if they are trying to get in.
Pigeons, we bought a 6m x 6m fruit cage for our brassicas and move it every
year in accordance with our 4 year rotation. Takes 2 of us a morning. You
can make up smaller movable cages and cover them with netting, just throwing
netting over the plants is not much good, the little buggers just sit on it
and peck through IME. Don't forget you will need to get at the plants for
weeding etc. and a loose net is a right pain in that respect, also dangerous
for wildlife.
How about moles, rats and mice? Got any of those? :-(
Forked a mouse whilst digging up some earlies today!
--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

Allotment nightmare
 

On 5 July, 12:50, Janet Baraclough
wrote:

* *Plus, remember the gate is essential; anjd *you will need to protect
the space under the gate.

A couple of 3 foot paving slabs will do that, and reduce the wear
caused by your boots. The fencing wire can cross right under the
slabs.

Allotment nightmare
 

On Jul 5, 11:05*am, (Peter James) wrote:
The past two or three weeks has been a nightmare with the rabbits wiping
out every damned thing I planted with the exception of my broad beans
and rhubarb. *Everything was under plastic netting and they chewed
through it like it was made of cabbage leaves.

It was silly planting out anythng I guess, but a new allotment on a new
site, and I just wanted to get going and plant out. *It puzzles me
though, why the rabbits chewed through the plastic to get at the peas,
beans, cabbages, sweet corn etc, and yet left the broad beans alone and
they're under netting as well? *The rhubarb *is bare in the bed, but
with poisonous leaves they know enough to leave this one well alone.

But, today the agricultural fencing contractor starts to erect the
rabbit prooff fence, and being a believer in belt and bracers, I've put
my own 3' fence in as well. *So damn 'em, see if they can get through
that lot.

Great Uncle Victor told me in 1944, "If youm can't outsmart a rabbit,
boy, then his family deserves the food more than yorn!" With that he
stalked off to the shed and got out his snares. Later in the week we
had the vegetables AND rabit stew.

Allotment nightmare
 

On 05/07/10 17:38, Bob Hobden wrote:

we bought a 6m x 6m fruit cage for our brassicas and move it
every year in accordance with our 4 year rotation. Takes 2 of us a
morning.

Sounds interesting.. Where did you buy that cage from? Was it expensive?

Ed