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Netting for brassicas on UK cabbage and kale

Updated: October 2026

Pigeons have shredded the kale, and caterpillars have windowed the cabbage. Netting for brassicas has to answer both, and they do not take the same hole. A 20 mm bird net can stop a pigeon and still let a cabbage white lay on the leaf. This page stays with UK cabbage, kale, broccoli and sprouts. Carrot fly is a different cover. The listings are the twelve on the [vegetable protection net comparison](/hub/herb-seeds/vegetable-protection-net), captured on 15 October 2026. Written from RHS crop pages and those UK listings. Nothing here was trialled on a plot. A qualifying purchase through our amazon.co.uk links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Pigeons have shredded the kale, and caterpillars have windowed the cabbage. Netting for brassicas has to answer both, and they do not take the same hole.

Our top picks

KINGLAKE KINGLAKE 2 × 5 m, 35 g/m²

Best overall

KINGLAKE KINGLAKE 2 × 5 m, 35 g/m²
8.2/10about £14.99
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WOHOHOHO WOHOHOHO 2 × 5 m, 1 mm

Best value

WOHOHOHO WOHOHOHO 2 × 5 m, 1 mm
7.6/10about £8.99
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OAHAO OAHAO 2.5 × 10 m

Alternative

OAHAO OAHAO 2.5 × 10 m
7.8/10about £16.99
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On this page
  1. 1.Pigeons and cabbage whites are different holes
  2. 2.Which nets in this set match a brassica bed
  3. 3.When the cover goes on
  4. 4.Why the leaves are still damaged

Pigeons and cabbage whites are different holes

The RHS says to cover cabbages with insect-proof mesh on hoops or canes, against caterpillars, cabbage root fly, whitefly and pigeons, and to rotate the bed. A closed 15–20 mm net stops pigeons if they cannot walk underneath. It does not stop whites. One net for whites and pigeons means the insect-mesh rows, not the green bird roll. Some secondary pages claim 15–20 mm stops small whites. This page follows the RHS and does not use those pages against it. Straame’s title says fine mesh, and the holes are 2 × 2 cm. A leaf pressed against that is a place to lay through. Keep foliage off anything coarser than fine insect mesh. On a sprout bed that means hoops that rise as the plant does.

Which nets in this set match a brassica bed

KINGLAKE and OAHAO state 0.8 mm, so they are the brassica sheets in the fine band. KINGLAKE names cabbage whites in its bullets. OAHAO is the longer cut for a row of sprouts. Reviewers of both mention brassicas and tears at the pegs, so the hole is right and the cloth still splits. WOHOHOHO covers whites, and it is coarser than 0.8 mm where whitefly on kale matters. The RHS says cabbage whitefly is often tolerated, except on kale, so kale is where the finer hole earns its place. Pop-ups around 38–45 cm, and Taydin’s 46 cm bags, do not span a cabbage row. DIVCHI’s tunnels might cover a short row, and the hole is unstated, so they are not the 0.8 mm sheets. Price and reviews for the fine sheets are on the best vegetable protection net page.
KINGLAKE KINGLAKE 2 × 5 m, 35 g/m²

Testsieger

KINGLAKE KINGLAKE 2 × 5 m, 35 g/m²
8.2/10about £14.99
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When the cover goes on

Put the net on at planting, not after the first white. A few weeks in May leaves last year’s pupae free to emerge underneath, so rotate or you seal the fly in with the crop. Rocket Gardens, writing in October, says they are still laying into autumn, and that pigeons are a year-round risk. The English Garden wants a taut winter cage. Firm the soil so sprout stalks do not rock. Bury the edge at least 5 cm, or use a board half sunk in the soil. Pegs, tears and that edge are on how to fit vegetable netting. Fleece on a frost night is a different cloth, set out on fleece or mesh.

Why the leaves are still damaged

Three failures look the same from the path. Stretching the net over the hoops widens the holes, so a printed 0.8 mm is coarser once you have pulled it tight. Slugs eat seedlings under a perfect seal, and the RHS treats them as a separate job. Slime on a seedling is a slug, not a reason for a finer hole. Replace a torn panel rather than pegging the same split.

Common questions

What net stops cabbage white butterflies?
Use insect mesh in the RHS fine band of about 0.8 mm, or standard mesh around 1.3–1.4 mm, on hoops so the leaves stay off the cloth. A 4–7 mm butterfly net can work on that same condition, and none of these listings states 7 mm. KINGLAKE and OAHAO state 0.8 mm. WOHOHOHO states 1 mm. A 15 mm or 20 mm bird net is for pigeons, not for whites.
Is bird net enough for kale if pigeons are the only problem?
Yes, if you accept whites, whitefly and root fly. MAIYADUO and RIFNY at 15 mm, and Straame at 20 mm, need a taut cage rather than a drape. Those holes still let whitefly through, which matters more on kale than on many other brassicas. If you want one cover for birds and caterpillars, buy a stated insect mesh instead.
When should the cover go on?
Cover at transplanting, after you have checked the leaves for eggs. Waiting for butterflies leaves the first laying bare, and eggs already there hatch underneath. Keep the cover through autumn, because whites can still lay then. Cabbage root fly protection is an all-season cover plus rotation, not a short spell in May. Close the edge the same day you plant.
Do I still need it in winter?
You need a cover if pigeons are visiting, which on many UK plots is all winter. A taut insect mesh or a sound bird net does that. Bird net will not stop whitefly. Mesh will not give fleece-level frost protection, so a hard frost is a separate problem. Take a torn or flapping sheet off and store it, rather than leaving it on the soil.
Why are there caterpillars under a new net?
The eggs were usually on the plant before you covered it, or a gap let a butterfly in afterwards. Look under the leaves on planting day, then check the soil line, the corners and any tear. Leaves touching a coarse net let whites lay through the holes. Squish what you find and close the edge. The net does not remove what is already inside.
Will 0.8 mm also stop cabbage whitefly?
The RHS fine band, about 0.8 mm, is the one that adds whitefly on top of moths and butterflies. Standard mesh does not reliably do that. KINGLAKE and OAHAO state 0.8 mm. Whitefly is often tolerated on cabbage and a real nuisance on kale, so kale is the crop that justifies the finer hole. A 15–20 mm net does not stop whitefly even when it stops pigeons.

Related pages

Vegetable seeds

Vegetable protection net

Best vegetable protection net: top pick and best value

Insect netting for vegetables: which mesh you need

Fleece or mesh for vegetables: frost versus insects

How to fit vegetable netting: hoops, edges and pegs

Sources

Public UK sources named in the digest. Listings captured on 15 October 2026.

  1. RHS insect-proof mesh (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  2. RHS fleece and crop covers (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  3. RHS carrot fly (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  4. RHS cabbages (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  5. Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, section 1 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  6. GOV.UK wild birds: prevent damage (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  7. RSPB on netting (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  8. BBC Gardeners’ World fleece (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  9. Crocus Enviromesh ultrafine (retrieved 16 October 2026)