The defences go up...

Due to the continued depradations of the local Fox community  I have had to re-plant most of my lettuces for the second time in a week. Enough is enough, I thought, so I have erected some netting to keep the pesky creatures away.

Here is a sequence of photos that show what I have used.

The frame is formed from some stiff but flexible 1.2m plastic hoops purchased from Gardening Naturally, held in place by some aluminium tubing. The hoops came with some 10cm black plastic "anchors" for this purpose, but I have found them to be too short, and not really up to the task.

The plastic hoops, with anchors

The hoops in place with the aluminium anchors

Once the frames were in place, I draped over them a length of anti-butterfly netting. The diameter of the squares is about 2.5cm. It is a light, knitted material and quite soft so it drapes easily over everything.

The netting draped over the hoops

Unfortunately the Celeriac plants at the end of the bed, and the lettuces immediately surrounding them, are outside the netting, because the Celeriac is too tall.

Finally I have weighted down the edges of the net with a few spare bricks.

The net weighted-down with bricks

OK Mr.Fox, see if you can beat that! (I'm probably tempting Fate here...)

Incidentally, I applied the same procedure to my newly-planted chicories, because they are very small and vulnerable too.

The chicories netted too

Later on I may replace the net with some fleece, to protect the plants from the weather instead of the animals.