The spinach/turnip/chard/beet bed is now, hopefully, protected from the dreaded leaf miner flies.At least it's easily movable. The PVC hoops are pushed over pieces of rebar that have been pounded into the ground. It can be moved to any other three or four foot wide bed in the garden, for easy crop rotation, simply by relocating the rebar.
Now I just have to keep my fingers crossed that the mesh is small enough to keep the little flies out. I could have used a finer tulle, but it was only 52" wide, and I needed the 72" width of the nylon net. Speaking of fingers...it must be the camera angle, because I have long, skinny fingers, not short, fat sausages!
I am happy to see that you finally got that together....and without hitting yourself in the nose!! I was wondering whose fingers those were...they don't look like they belong to you! It must be the camera or water weight :)
ReplyDeleteHey, go see what I have been doing...finally posted pics.
Your hoop looks good! I hope it lasts for atleast this season.
ReplyDeleteWhat kind of material is it(i.e. what to ask for in the fabric store)? I might need some of that as well :)
Robin, no water weight (maybe a bit of birthday cake weight). I was sitting at the computer, aiming down on the fabric!
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Random, just plain old nylon net, like you see in tutus or bridal veils. I figured if it doesn't work for the hoop, I'll be making kitchen/bath scrubbies for all! I bought it at Wal-Mart, 97-cents a yard, 72 inches wide. You can get it in colors, but I figured an off-white would reflect heat away from the cool weather crops, where a darker color might retain heat.
Looks good Granny!
ReplyDeleteI have been using old net curtains...same effect
ReplyDeleteWow, if that works on leaf miners, I'll throw my shade cover over that bed, if it will fit! I feel like going out in the rain to check now! I think I'll wait until they sprout first, hehe. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Katrina. If it had gone according to plan, it would have looked better!
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Hazel, I actually went to the thrift shop first, looking for curtains, but couldn't find any. Mr. Granny frowned upon my idea to remove them from our windows ;-)
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Sinfonian, I just planted that garden yesterday, but I put spinach plants in a couple of days earlier. I figured I'd better get it done quickly, I'm so tired of losing so much of the crop to leaf miners.
Hmm. I saw serious leaf damage on my potatoes today. Wonder if it's too late to try this. If I can get it free! What diameter PVC?
ReplyDeleteNice hoops! My fingers photograph fat, too lol.
ReplyDeleteI really like the netting, Granny. It would be helpful at keeping all kinds of bugs out.
ReplyDeleteI've thought of tulle too, but have always been afraid it wasn't small enough to keep out flea beetles (from my brassicas. It would be big enough to keep out the root maggot flies and the moths. And it would keep it cooler rather than warmer under the cover. Maybe some day I'll try. Maybe. I like that you can see in.
ReplyDeleteAnother job well done! This cold has kept me kind of slow and waiting to pile up some energy, besides it rained here most of the day and my job is still waiting .
ReplyDeleteGran, that's brilliant! I've never even thought to look for potential garden mesh at the fabric store. I'll have to head over to the closest Joanne Fabrics. I have ton of row cover but nothing that I can actually see through.
ReplyDeleteKris, 3/4". It's the rebar that's expensive. I refused to pay over $16 for six short pieces, so I "borrowed" the six that were holding up the logs on the shed garden.
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Lisa, my face photographs old, but we all know that camera lies! LOL
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EG, I just hope that mesh is small enough to foil the leaf miner flies.
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Daphne, I'd bet the smaller mesh of the tulle would keep them out. I'll probably kick myself for not getting it. If this fails, I will go for the other and make scrubbies from this net. Heck, I pay $2 each for them at bazaars, and there's enough netting there for 15 of them for $5!
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Ginny, I hope you get over that cold soon. It seems to be hanging on way too long.
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Thomas, I have some of the Remay-type row cover, but I thought it would get to hot under it for spinach. I figured the net was worth a try. I like that you can see through it, too.
Looks good, I might just have to do something similar as those nasty leaf miners have really been having their way with our chard the past couple years....beet greens too.
ReplyDeleteMr. H., in past years I didn't even know leaf miners existed. It has only been the last two or three years that they have become a problem...and what a problem they are! The beet greens are unusable, the spinach pulled long before it bolts. I do hope the netting protects them. I hope the larvae haven't overwintered in the ground, and when they hatch they are trapped inside the netting!
ReplyDeleteI've been trying to think of some cheap ways to cover my brassicas...you are giving me ideas!
ReplyDeleteOh and the carrots, I was just way too tired last year with a young baby and two preschoolers to put that much attention into the carrots in the dead of summer! That was my first mistake!
Shawn Ann, the nylon netting should work great for brassicas.
ReplyDeleteOh I hope it works well for you AG!
ReplyDeleteMe too, Kelly! I keep thinking, what if the flies get in while I'm harvesting? I will have to open it up at some point!
ReplyDeleteThe hoops and netting look great. I hope that mesh is fine enough to do the trick, but if not, it should be a simple thing to replace it with something more fine. It would be great if it does work though because it provides more sunlight exposure which is a problem I have with the reemay and other lightweight covers... I just cannot afford to filter sunshine when it is such a premium resource in our area.
ReplyDeleteKitsap, I do have some remay, but I think it gets too hot here to use it over the cold loving crops. That's what I bought it for, then changed my mind about using it.
ReplyDeleteI had slugs last year with no covering on my paths. I was convinced it was the wood sides on the beds that gave them hiding places. I guess I'll see. If the straw doesn't work well, it will at least make great compost next year!