I just wanted to say a big thank you for all the advice and inspiration you provide! I had a wonderful first allotment growing year, fruitful and very enjoyable. Your example in growing salad leaves for winter has been such an inspiration: I was so happy just yesterday picking several salad leaves bags from my polytunnel! Amazing in this frosty weather!
Already read through quite a bit of your new diary: the more help in planning I can get, the better so I am sure to benefit.
Now for the question on netting. In the past year I bought several types of green netting, against birds in particular but they all turned out to be hard to stretch, not keep in place and break easily. I would like to know what you recommend that is long lasting and would provide protection against birds and butterflies as a good investment for years to come.
Hello Lottie and thanks for the feedback, very nice to hear.
Yes netting, a lot of rubbish is out there! Rather like plant inserts, designed to self-destruct.
I recommend the one described here from LBS, though you probably do not want a 100m roll! I hope you may find it in a smaller roll, let us know.
The 4m width means sufficient for covering taller crops on a 1.2m/4ft bed.
The filaments are uv stabilised so they last for ten or more years. I reuse the same netting year after year.
Also the black colour means it looks ok in the garden, barely noticeable in fact.
I will certainly order the woven bird netting from LBS as it seems great value! I plan on sharing the 100m.
I assume this 2.5cm mesh size doesn’t keep off cabbage butterflies. What do you use for those?
Do check mesh sizes. Sorry I thought to be recommending 12mm mesh not 25mm. I think 25mm will work against birds though.
Yes you need much finer netting to keep butterflies out, 5mm mesh approx.
