Pros Vs. Cons Of Drip Irrigation In Your Garden

Drip Irrigation - Explore the pros and cons of using drip irrigation in your garden.

Using a drip irrigation system has its benefits, like exact delivery of water and nutrients, reducing water consumption, can be utilized on different types of plants, reducing soil erosion, and less labor cost. However, despite all of these benefits, drip irrigation has its disadvantages, too, like root growth restriction, the need for constant inspection, affects the fertility of the soil, and the possibility of tubing leakage.

The Best Month to START Your Garden & Why?

A gardener in a straw hat carefully tending to a young plant in his garden, the best month to start your garden.

For most places, late March-early April can be a great time to start their garden. During this time, most crops can be grown, and the last frost date has passed, the soil temperature and the weather are favorable for starting a garden.

How To Build A Brassica Cage

A photo of a brassica cage in a vibrant garden, showcasing healthy plants inside it, built to protect the plants from pests and harsh weather conditions.

**Unauthorized Access Error: License Key Not Found** Imagine trying to unlock a treasure chest only to find the key missing. Frustrating, isn’t it? That’s exactly what happens here. The system looks for a license key but can’t find it. Instead of gold or gems, you get an error message: {“statusCode”:401,”message”:”License key missing”}. You’ll need to find that key to access the riches hidden inside. So, **if your adventure** hit this roadblock, go **track down** the missing key. It’s the only way to proceed. **Error 401** means one thing: no key, no entry. It’s as simple as that!

These small brassicas, such as spring greens, cauliflower, kale, and the like, are a favorite of pigeons.

They love to undo all the hard work you have put into nurturing these little seedlings to a size where they can meet the world. Don’t let this hard work go to waste, Build a brassica cage to protect them, and we will show you how in this blog.

Tools You Will Need.

  • Wood Saw
  • Pencil
  • Tape Measure
  • Screwdriver / electric screwdriver
  • Heavy-duty staple gun (10mm staples)
  • 4mm drill bit for wood
  • 25mm spade drill bit for wood
  • Scissors
  • Junior hacksaw
Image of a brassica cage

Materials needed:

  • Lengths of treated wood (in this example, mine were 3.5 meters long) 3×2.”
  • Roll of scaffolding netting (you can find this on eBay in various lengths/widths, for this build, you will need a 7×2 meter piece)
  • Heavy-duty Staples (10mm)
  • MDPE 25mm water pipe (10 meters)
  • Length of roofing baton (needs to be as long as the finished cage, so in this example, 3.5 meters)
  • Black cable ties
  • Wood Screws
  • 4x angle brackets 2.5″ wide by about 4/5″ long
Image of the foundation of a brassica cage

Ok, so the first job is to decide how big you want your brassica cage to be, I made mine brassica cage 3.5meters x 0.9 meters, but in hindsight, I wish I had made four smaller ones rather than two big ones; they are a little challenging to move about so smaller is better.

Measure and cut your wood to length, two long lengths for the side rails and two short lengths for the end rails. Next, using the wood screws and metal brackets, assemble the rails into a rectangular frame (Tip try to keep the brackets flush with the top of the fence, you will see why later on) You can use the tiny wood drill bit to make pilot holes for easy driving of the screws.

The following Job is to install the “Hoops” and measure and mark the long rails on the frames, starting with the middle ones, then the two ends, followed by the final two positions between the middle and ends.

Using the 25mm spade drill bit, drill down into the rails, making holes at least 30mm deep; these will receive the MDPE water pipe; next, cut your pipe into lengths of about 1.5 meters (this is not an exact science; you can make them as long or as you want, the important thing is that they are all equal in length) now push these into the holes, they should fit snug and tight.

A brassica cage without cover

To give strength to your brassica cage hoops, the roofing baton is fitted to the top centerline of the cages; cut the wood to the required length and secure with a wood screw at each end first (again using the small drill bit for pilot holes help but do not drill into the water pipe) When each end is secured continue securing each hoop to the baton length.

A brassica cage without cover

The final job is to cover the brassica cage with the scaffolding netting. I selected the green netting as the blue can look a bit much on your plot. When you’re happy with the position, secure one long edge to the frame using the staples.

I was staring in the middle and working out towards the end. Please do the same on the opposite long rail, but pull the netting tight, ensuring it’s not creased.

Next, fold over the netting at each end and secure it with the staples (having fitted the metal brackets flush with the top edge allows you to staple just below them; you can, of course, check the bracket to the internal faces of the rails)

Trim off excess netting using the scissors, leaving a 2-3″ skirt all around. Fold this under and secure it with staples to the base of the cages. Finally, fire in a few pins along the top support rail to prevent any movement of the netting.

As this could damage it. Attach wire ties to each end hoop to tidy up the netting at these points. And that’s it. A Brassica cage that will last many seasons and protect your crops.

A finished brassica cage

FAQs on How To Build A Brassica Cage

How high should a Brassica cage be?
A Brassica cage should ideally be at least 2 feet (60 cm) high to provide sufficient space for the plants to grow and to protect them from pests. However, for taller Brassica varieties, such as kale or Brussels sprouts, a height of 3-4 feet (90-120 cm) may be necessary to accommodate their vertical growth. The cage should be tall enough for adequate airflow and easy access for maintenance and harvesting.

How do you make a net to cover brassicas?
To make a net to cover brassicas, measure the dimensions of your brassica bed. Cut a piece of netting or mesh slightly larger than the bed size. Attach the netting to stakes or a frame, ensuring it’s taut and secure. Secure the edges to prevent pests from entering. Place the net over the brassicas and anchor it in place. Regularly check and adjust as needed.

What mesh for brassicas?
The recommended mesh size for brassicas is typically 1/4 inch or 0.6 centimeters. This size is small enough to prevent common pests like cabbage worms and flea beetles from entering the cage while allowing proper airflow and sunlight penetration.

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