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Vegetable cages

in Fruit & veg
Has anyone experience of using vegetable cages? We're losing the tops off our carrots, peas, beans, and the flowers off our potato plants. The sprouts are unscathed, as are the onions, garlic and cauli. One or two perennials and rose shrubs have also been munched. As we've previously encountered deer in the garden, and a lot of the damage is on quite tall plants, we're thinking deer rather than rabbits. Any views on veg cages/suppliers/costs?
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I live close to farmland and woods so we are plagued with pigeons.
I had a neg patch put in last year and got stormproof cages from Harrod Horticulture.
I got 3 at about £150 each.
Kale that I planted in the cages is untouched by anything, no birds or butterflies and the same with everything else - all safe
During the strong winds of a few weeks ago the net came down on one of the cages, but it's designed to do that. If the winds are too strong or there's a build-up of snow, the net unclips itself from the frame and drops onto the veg, thus preventing the cage frame from buckling.
I bought the corner braces too and I think they are essential
They've only been up since March, but so far so good
Billericay - Essex
Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
Looks effective. A bit more than I was anticipating paying, though, but if it does the trick. I went to the site and they do quite a range of different sizes. Thanks for the photos too - the dog looks well impressed.
Cheers - Sandra
There's a website called 'gardening naturally' that sell posts, corners, connectors, ground anchors and nets, all separately, all at more or less any size. They are cheaper than Harrod H, although the cage will be rather less sturdy. I also usually end up improvising a net if I see something's being regularly munched by the pigeons (my beetroot this year) using short sections of bamboo canes pushed into the ground in pairs either side of a row, then plastic pipe bent into a hoop, pushed onto the canes to make a short, wonky (usually) tunnel cloche frame and then a net thrown across the top. Often it only has to be there for a week or three until the plant is big enough to fend for itself, when the whole Heath Robinson arrangement gets moved to the next victim.
“It's still magic even if you know how it's done.”
Some interesting products on that website, raisingirl. Thanks. You and scroggin have reminded me that we bought the hoops and fabric for cloches when we planted out before Christmas - principally for frost protection. But we could use the same hoops with netting, I guess, for the veg that don't grow so high. I'll check out eBay too. Thanks both of you.
I use barrier protection for nearly all my vegetables and have a combination of expensive cages (from Harrod Horticultural), tunnels and more recently have added some pop-up domes and cloches which are much cheaper and are great for temporary protection but not as windproof or stable as the cages. They're really easy to move around though which is handy for some things.
I've found that the material from which the cloches are made has become fragile with constant exposure to UV I suspect. We've taped a few together to protect the crops whilst we get a more permanent solution, but as you say they're not as stable. I think that like you, we'll find a combination of protections will have to be utilised.