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How to fit vegetable netting

Updated: 16 October 2026

The net is on the bed and the kale is holed. On a UK plot that means a gap at the soil, leaves against the mesh, or a tear at a peg. How to fit vegetable netting is the sequence that keeps the hole size you bought: support, a closed edge, pegs that do not become doors, then wildlife and storage. The twelve listings are on the [vegetable protection net comparison](/hub/herb-seeds/vegetable-protection-net). Written by the Products Compared editorial team from RHS guidance and the fixing notes on the UK listings captured on 15 October 2026. This is not legal advice. A qualifying purchase through our amazon.co.uk links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The net is on the bed and the kale is holed. On a UK plot that means a gap at the soil, leaves against the mesh, or a tear at a peg.

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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MAIYADUO MAIYADUO 4 × 5 m bird net

Alternative

MAIYADUO MAIYADUO 4 × 5 m bird net
7.4/10about £7.99
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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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On this page
  1. 1.Support the sheet before you peg it
  2. 2.Close the edge
  3. 3.Pegs, tears, and getting back in
  4. 4.Wildlife and packing it away

Support the sheet before you peg it

Put the frame in before you tension the cloth. Hoops or canes hold the net off the leaves. The RHS says insects lay through mesh that touches foliage, and that 4–7 mm butterfly net only works while that gap remains. Fine 0.8 mm mesh is more forgiving of a light touch, and it still fails once a cabbage grows up into a drum-tight sheet. You bring the hoops. Most of these sheets are a folded net, not a frame. Leave slack to grow into. Stretching over a hoop widens the gaps, so a 1 mm hole you pull hard is no longer 1 mm.

Close the edge

Flies walk under a hem that only lies on the soil. The RHS asks for the edges buried under at least 5 cm, or anchored to a board that is itself half sunk. On a raised bed, a batten screwed to the outside of the timber can trap the net so there is no open corner. Bury the whole perimeter, including the short ends, and bury or clip any overlap so it cannot flap. A garden-net retailer suggests pegs about every 50–60 cm and overlaps of 15–30 cm. That is the retailer's advice, not an RHS measurement. If you open one side to weed, close it the same afternoon. A gap left overnight in June is enough for eggs by morning. When to start on cabbage and kale is on netting for brassicas.
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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Pegs, tears, and getting back in

Light mesh splits where you pin it. Reviews on OAHAO, WOHOHOHO, and KINGLAKE mention holes at the pegs, and KINGLAKE's bullets say to avoid sharp pins. Peg a folded hem, or trap the edge under a board. Check the box. RIFNY includes six staples and 100 ties, on a 15 mm bird net of about 22 g/m². MAIYADUO includes pegs, the count is not in the bullets, and reviews say there are not enough, with one reviewer mentioning 12. To weed or pick, roll one long edge back, do the work, and re-bury it before the end of the day. Do not leave the sheet on the path, where grit punches holes. If the crop needs bees, the cover comes off for flowering. That choice for beans and strawberries is on the buying guide.

Wildlife and packing it away

Fine insect mesh is one of the safer nets for wildlife if the edges stay secured. Loose net tangles birds. The Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust also warns about mesh near ponds, and about snakes and amphibians in discarded net. Do not use a vegetable sheet as a pond cover. If a bird is only under a slack hem, lift the net off and re-secure the edge. If a larger animal is trapped, or the mesh is tight on a wing or a leg, do not cut it free. Help Wildlife's advice is to call a rescue. Section 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 sets out offences around harming wild birds. Dry the sheet when the crop is finished and store it off the ground. Switching to fleece for frost is on fleece or mesh for vegetables.

Common questions

Do I need hoops?
You need hoops or canes if the holes are in the 4–7 mm butterfly range, because that net only works while leaves stay off the cloth. Most sheets here do not include a frame. A pop-up only replaces hoops if it is actually as long as the bed.
How do I stop flies walking under the edge?
Bury every edge under at least 5 cm of soil, the RHS figure, or trap the hem under a board that is half sunk. Corners and the join between two sheets are the usual gaps. A brick on each corner still lifts in the wind. Carrot fly and cabbage root fly both use a gap at soil level.
Why did the mesh tear where I pegged it?
Light insect mesh splits at a sharp pin. KINGLAKE's listing says to avoid sharp pins, and reviews of KINGLAKE, OAHAO, and WOHOHOHO describe holes at the pegs. Peg a folded hem, use a wide head, or screw a batten over the edge. Once the tear is there, that hole is the way in.
Can butterflies lay through the net?
Yes, if the leaves touch the mesh. The RHS limits 4–7 mm net to covers that keep a gap. A 0.8 mm sheet is harder to lay through, and a leaf pressed against it for a week is still a weak point. Eggs already on the plant before you covered it will still hatch underneath.
How do I open the bed to weed?
Roll one long side back, weed or pick, and bury or re-batten that side the same day. Do not bunch the spare onto a sharp peg. On a flowering crop that needs bees, take the insect mesh off for that period rather than leaving a permanent gap. Put it back if the pest you bought it for is still flying.
What if a bird gets caught?
If it is only under a loose edge, lift the net off and then secure the hem. If the mesh is tight, or a larger animal is caught, do not cut it free. Contact a wildlife rescue, which is the line Help Wildlife gives. A vegetable sheet is not a child-safety cover.

Related pages

Tomato seeds

Vegetable protection net

Best vegetable protection net: top pick and best value

Netting for brassicas: mesh for pigeons and whites

Insect netting for vegetables: which mesh you need

Fleece or mesh for vegetables: frost versus insects

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)