Working with nature instead of against it with pesticides is always the best approach. We prepared this handy garden frame for Autumn veggies by cutting some bamboo and constructed a handy garden frame like you see below. This was to support bird netting to protect the Broccoli, Cauliflower & Cabbage that we had planted, from the Cabbage Moth but works well for keeping the Possums and other native animals at bay too.
Winter Pest.
The Cabbage Moth is really only an issue during Autumn and Winter should the days stay warm. The moth will lays its tiny eggs on the under side of the leaves of your seedlings making it very difficult to spot them. When the larvae hatch they can decimate your plants in a surprisingly short period. It is essential to protect your Cabbage family plantings (eg. Sugarloaf, Brussels Sprout & Wombok) right from the start and this is a natural alternative to sprays and it works fabulously!! The frame can also be covered with Hessian to protect from frosts through the coldest months of Winter.This structure then becomes very handy to have through hot summers when delicates like salad greens, tomato & capsicum require a little protection with shade cloth. If the leaf hoppers are a problem at your place, consider covering crops with a second hand lace tablecloth or alike. The weave of the cloth is important in that it needs to be open but not too large as to allow insects to get through. Not reducing too much direct sunlight is imperative so making the right choice is important.
An Alternative Handy Garden Frame.
The “Tunnel Structure” which is another way of constructing a structure to support shade cloth, netting or Hessian. By using irrigation hose threaded over stakes this makes for a cost effective installation that any home gardener can implement. We chose bamboo because it was readily available, but you could use tomato stakes. Don’t underestimate recycling things you may have sitting around, like the old back screen door or mount an old gate on star pickets or a myriad of other alternatives.
Over the summer, our bamboo structure will be moved into another section of the veggie garden, where soil has been prepared. Spring will see Fancy & Iceberg Lettuce, Tomato & Capsicum protected from the harsh sun of the coming Summer. Bamboo makes for a great trellis too, fashioned into a teepee type structure for peas/beans or as a frame mounted to uprights. Use your imagination, recycle where you can and save $$.
Tip: Ensure that you consider the height & width of your structure. You will need to cover your whole crop but remember winter plantings can be quite tall! We cut our uprights at 1.4m making our structure 1.2m in height after the uprights had been pushed into the soil. Secure the netting to the ground with lengths of bamboo, bricks or alike. Thankfully, the Cabbage Moth aren’t very advantageous but should one get into the enclosure you will see loss.
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