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One of the great pleasures of gardening is to grow your own
plants from seed. Unfortunately the exhilaration of planting out
can quickly be followed by the anguish of seeing young plants
nibbled by wildlife or blasted by unseasonal weather. Protecting
plants while they get established is never a job to put off –
in fact decide what you might need to keep them safe as soon as you
get your packet of seeds.
In the Kitchen Garden at Harlow Carr newly emerging veg crops
are always vulnerable so we make great use of the
different crop protection fabrics that are available such as
fleece, shade netting and mesh netting to keep our veg safe.
Spun fleece is ideal for warming early sowings when the air is
still chilly. Even more importantly it can save tender crops such
as potatoes and courgettes from a late frost or seedlings from hail
damage.
Shade
netting has a multitude of uses throughout the year. In
winter it prevents overwintering crops like broad beans from
getting flattened by snow and wind. The mesh appears quite coarse
but will also provide a slightly warmer environment while allowing
rain to pass through – perfect for bringing on growth early
in the season. In spring it can be used to foil hungry pigeons
waiting to devour young brassicas. As its name implies shade
netting can shelter thirsty crops such as celery or lettuce from
intense heat and drying winds, reducing the need for watering.
Fine mesh netting is the perfect choice for protecting veg
crops from serious insect pests in summer. The tiny size of the
mesh stops carrot flies getting through and even prevents cabbage
white butterflies laying eggs on brassica leaves. Air can still
circulate through the netting so temperatures are not excessive
underneath. The mesh is light enough to float on crops or can be
supported on hoops.
In the Kitchen Garden our raised beds are 1.2m wide allowing
beds to be worked from either side without the need to stand on the
soil. Wide shaped protection loops fit these beds and can support
sheets of fine mesh or shade netting over taller crops. The fabric
can easily be rolled back to allow weeding, watering and last but
not least harvesting.
Woven
bamboo cloches are attractive as well as bird-proof; en masse
they can provide a feature in their own right. At Harlow Carr we
have also used them to train trailing squashes into low mounds,
allowing some fruits to form off damp soil so they are less likely
to rot.
To make sure veg plants have the best possible start seedlings
raised in a
greenhouse or on your windowsill should be properly hardened
off before you plant them out. They will be far less vulnerable to
attacks by slugs, cutworms and birds.
‘Soft’ plants may not survive transplanting or will
take a severe growth check and a
cold frame is ideal to harden off these young plants. Leave the
frame closed at first, then open up during the day and finally
leave the frame ajar at night.
 Once fruit bushes start
to ripen birds will soon strip any fruit left un-netted. Small
shade tunnels are perfect for keeping determined blackbirds
away from rows of strawberries. Currants and raspberries are more
easily grown in a
fruit cage; if you’ve ever battled with odd-sized bamboo
canes and old, stitched-together pieces of net it’s a dead
cert that you will always appreciate being able to step inside your
own
purpose built fruit cage.
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