A hint for protecting your "fruits" of your garden.
@BearArtistLady (5382)
United States
June 3, 2018 3:05pm CST
As many of you know I live in an area where we have a LOT of critters who love to eat our veggies before we get some. We don't mind sharing with our critter neighbors but they don't leave us any of the veggies. With deer, raccoons, possums and birds there isn't too much food for us after all our labors.
One day I got tired of feeding everyone but me, so I had some nylon net that had been used in a wedding gown that I was recycling, so I covered all of the garden with nylon net. It was the first year that we got to enjoy tomatoes, squash, corn, beans, peas and so much more from the garden. So every year that I have a garden I get nylon net (it isn't that expensive and you don't feel badly about recycling it at the end of the growing season) and I cover the veggies and fasten the net to the ground so that it can't be pulled up by the critters. I wish I could take full credit for the idea, but I swiped it from the vineyards that cover the vines when the grapes are coming in and ripening. They want the grapes on the vine as long as possible so they need to protect the grapes. They have a heavier grade that they use, but it's a great idea! Even for your small pot gardens on your patio or deck can still be protected this way. Happy gardening!
9 people like this
9 responses
@BearArtistLady (5382)
• United States
3 Jun 18
@BearArtistLady Gee, I sound like junior ghoul here!
@MALUSE (69413)
• Germany
3 Jun 18
@BearArtistLady Good pieces of advice, though. I think hedgehogs love snails.
@shaggin (71666)
• United States
4 Jun 18
That is a good idea. I will have to look up what kind of net this is. Things always eat our fruits and veggies here too. We live in a pretty rural area and there so many wild animals. Birds, bear, fox, coyote, rabbits, squirrels, chipmunk, racoon, turtles, opossum etc are all animals I have seen in my yard.
@LadyDuck (458091)
• Switzerland
4 Jun 18
@BearArtistLady No, we cannot trip in the nets, look at the photos how we arrange them. We have hail stones a few times during summer. Most of the time small things that do no damages, time by time it is a serious matter.
@BearArtistLady (5382)
• United States
4 Jun 18
I hadn't thought of using them in case of hail...but in my area of the United States we don't get hail too often, just late in the winter if there is rain and the temperatures drop to a certain level.
Nylon net is also very useful in tripping yourself! I usually go out and tend my garden in my sandals and I usually wear ones with decorative buckles on them. Of course the buckle gets caught in the net and I manage to trip myself. I'm not too graceful as it is, so it is a riot to see this old cow of a woman go dancing through the garden trying not to fall on her fat a$$!
I usually go out and tend my garden in my sandals and I usually wear ones with decorative buckles on them. Of course the buckle gets caught in the net and I manage to trip myself. I'm not too graceful as it is, so it is a riot to see this old cow of a woman go dancing through the garden trying not to fall on her fat a$$!1 person likes this
@BearArtistLady (5382)
• United States
4 Jun 18
@LadyDuck I totally understand, I studied the weather patterns in your country and know about your having hail during the summer.
Unfortunately where I live I can't put up nets like that. First the home owner's association wouldn't allow it. They tend to take precedence over everyone else. Secondly the deer and other wild critters could come through and munch down on the young leaves and fruits. As much as I love the critters, I love having fresh fruit and veggies on my table for my boyfriend and me to eat. So I have to lay the fine nylon net over the plants and take my chances on dancing down the aisles of plants after catching my sandal buckle in the net. I must be quite a sight twirling and flailing my way down the row to keep from falling on my fanny!
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (325758)
• Rockingham, Australia
3 Jun 18
This is a really good idea. Do you lift the net from time to time when you want to weed or fertilise or whatever? I guess that's a pretty silly question. 
@JudyEv (325758)
• Rockingham, Australia
7 Jun 18
@BearArtistLady That makes sense. I could use netting quite easily to keep the rabbits out of my garden. When I get home I might start doing that.
@BearArtistLady (5382)
• United States
4 Jun 18
Actually it isn't a silly question at all. I have the net set so that I can weigh it down with rocks and when I need to fertilize or weed all I have to do is move the rocks along that area and the plants are easily accessible. The other nice thing about the nylon net is it keeps the number of weeds at a minimum rather than spending a lot of time weeding the garden. I can leave the net over the plants when I water though, it acts like a rain shower for them. For the taller plants I put wooden stakes or dowels along the row of plants so the netting can sit above the plants and doesn't crush them. I push the stakes in the middle of the planted row so that the net can stretch over both sides of the plant and be anchored to the ground with whatever you choose to use that is heavy enough to hold down the net.
1 person likes this
@mlgen1037 (29886)
• Manila, Philippines
4 Jun 18
You are not only creative, but resourceful as well, Toni. Thank you for that. 
@sallypup (57869)
• Centralia, Washington
3 Jun 18
Good one. Not sure what was up but when I lived in town the starlings used to behead the pansies. Sure made me mad, seeing those pansy flowers on the walk and not on the plant.
