Agricultural Insect Netting

In 2022, we started using agricultural insect netting for insect problems. I’d been hearing about it for years on British gardening programs but hadn’t been able to locate a source for it.

A few weeks before the season started, I finally found a source and immediately ordered it. Agricultural insect netting is a durable netting that comes in many widths and lengths. The holes are so tiny, aphids haven’t even gotten through it! That’s a big plus as far as I’m concerned.

My experiences with Tulle netting

You might recall that we used to use Tulle, which is bridal veil netting. I loved it because you could see through it much more easily than with floating row cover. That meant I didn’t need to lift off the netting to check how the plants underneath it were growing. I don’t want to sound lazy but it’s so nice to immediately see the plants. That way, you can spot a problem much more quickly.

The problem with Tulle is that it’s very fragile and prone to tearing. After all, it was meant for weddings and making tutus, not being out in the garden! In addition, aphids were often able to get through the holes in that netting. That’s not good at all.

We found the agricultural insect netting!

In 2022, we bought some of the new netting and covered three beds with it. One was the broccoli bed because they are so prone to aphids and cabbage worms. I also covered the lettuce and Swiss chard beds. While lettuce doesn’t have much in the way of insect problems, birds love to eat the leaves. So that was my rationale for covering it. And leaf miners cause a lot of damage to Swiss chard and beet leaves.

By the end of that growing season, we were totally sold on the new netting! Everything grew beautifully under it and no insect problems. I shot a video that year called Row Cover Comparison which I recommend you watch.

An unexpected problem arises

We used the agricultural insect netting again in 2023. And again, it worked beautifully, no problems at all. Last year, it worked well but we discovered a problem with it on two beds.

You might recall how Bill and I made special hinged row covers for 2 of our raised beds. The hoops on them were made with black plastic poly sprinkler pipe. We initially used floating row cover on them. But when we switched to agricultural insect netting two years ago, we decided to swap it for the row cover. I remember how we pulled it quite tightly over the hoops so it would look nice.

Well, it turns out that after 2 years of hot, sunny summers, there was a problem. One area of the ag netting that was in constant contact with the black poly pipe melted it along the edge. We sure weren’t expecting that!

Bill and I are planning to rebuild those two hinged raised bed covers for the 2025 growing season. We don’t intend to pull the replacement ag netting so tightly this time.

Does this mean I don’t like agricultural insect netting anymore? No! I still love it. And we didn’t have this problem with our broccoli bed, where I used hoops and draped the netting over them. So we intend to continue using the netting.

You’re probably wondering about a source for them. Here it is: Gardenport.com. I’m certain there must be other sources as well but haven’t had the time to track them down for you. (yet)