Netting your garden is primarily a method to protect your plants from pests. However, if your crops rely on insects for pollination, you need to manage the netting carefully.
Protecting Your Garden with Netting
Using netting creates a barrier around your garden beds, acting as a "Fortress" to keep out unwanted pests. This helps prevent damage to your plants and crops.
Managing Netting for Insect-Pollinated Crops
A critical consideration when netting your garden is the need for pollination. As highlighted in the reference video snippet, if your crops are insect pollinated, the netting will prevent beneficial insects, such as bees, from reaching the flowers.
- The Problem: Netting can keep out pests, but also "you're not going to be able to get the good bugs into your Fortress."
- The Solution: To allow for successful pollination, you must temporarily remove or open the netting.
According to the reference: "when you see your plants flowering pull the netting back to let the good bug."
Practical Application for Pollination
To ensure your insect-pollinated plants get pollinated while still benefiting from pest protection:
- Identify which of your crops require insect pollination (e.g., squash, cucumbers, many fruit plants).
- Watch for these plants to begin flowering.
- During the flowering period, particularly during the hours when pollinators are most active (typically daytime), pull the netting back or remove it completely.
- Once pollination is complete (flowers fade and small fruits/vegetables begin to form), you can consider replacing the netting for continued pest protection, though this depends on the specific crop and remaining pest threats.
Here’s a simple guide based on the pollination need:
| Crop Type | Flowering Stage | Action with Netting |
|---|---|---|
| Not insect-pollinated | Any stage | Keep netting in place for pest protection. |
| Insect-pollinated | Before flowering | Netting can be in place for early pest protection. |
| Insect-pollinated | During flowering | Pull netting back or remove to allow pollinators. |
| Insect-pollinated | After flowering (fruit/veg setting) | Consider replacing netting if pest pressure remains. |
By temporarily removing or adjusting the netting when your insect-pollinated plants are flowering, you allow essential pollinators to access the blooms, ensuring a good harvest while still utilizing netting for pest control during other growth stages.
