The Best Vegetable Netting from WM James

Looking for a way to keep birds away from your veggie patch? Find out how to protect your vegetable crops with WM James' vegetable netting.

Many people in the UK are now growing their own fruit and veg at home. Weleda revealed that "26.7 million Britons grew their own fruit, veg and herbs" in 2021 "with 7.4 million trying it for the first time during the pandemic". To keep our veg patches safe, one of the most important tools to have is vegetable netting.

Vegetable netting is a great way to protect your plants from pests and animals. It offers an easy way to keep the birds away from your garden and grassy areas, while also allowing you to keep an eye on your vegetables.

It can be used for a variety of plants and veg, including tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, courgettes and more. Whatever you're growing, vegetable netting can help your garden to grow and flourish.

Here at WM James, we have a huge variety of vegetable netting for a whole range of purposes, from protecting your crops from birds to providing plant support for your runner beans. As one of the UK's leading manufacturers and suppliers of garden netting, we sure know what it takes to create the perfect net.

We've pulled together a handy list of our most popular types of vegetable netting to help you find the perfect protection for your crops.

Biodegradable Jute Netting

When you are growing climbing plants, you want them to be able to climb without worrying about pests and animals coming along for a snack. This is where biodegradable jute netting comes in.

Jute netting is sturdy enough to both train your plants and support them as they grow while keeping those pesky critters out!

Because it’s biodegradable, you do not need to worry about what to do with it once the season ends and you have harvested your crops. It is a wonderful natural plant protection solution that looks great in your garden.

Our jute nets come as 2m x 5m cuts with a square mesh that's the perfect size for climbing plants to grow against.

Shop Jute Netting

How to Use Jute Netting for Climbing Plants

The best way to use jute netting is to make a structure to tie it to. 

1. Measure the amount of space that you need to cover.
2. Install wooden supports or stakes.
3. Leave enough room for the plants to grow.
4. Attach the netting with ties or fasteners.
5. Check it regularly.

This netting is so easy to set up and makes it super easy to protect vegetables.

Knotless Bird Netting for Fruit & Vegetable Protection

If you want to keep birds away from your plants, then our knotless bird netting is a great way to go.

Our knotless netting design is much more effective than most knotted netting types available. Knotted netting is more susceptible to breakages over time, but our knotless design uses a consistent weaving pattern that is resistant to any kind of stress or wear and tear.

It's also incredibly lightweight, so it won't weigh down your plants or interfere with their growth cycle. Plus, the design allows for plenty of air circulation while keeping the birds away from your fruit and vegetables.

Birds can cause serious damage if they identify your garden as a food source beyond simply eating your veg. With bird netting, they will not be able to gain access.

The mesh size you'll want to choose will depend on the type of birds coming to your garden, but 20mm is a solid mesh size that will keep even the smallest ones out. It can be easily hung, is soft to handle, and most importantly, is made of strong, durable material.

Shop Bird Netting

How to Use Anti-Bird Netting in Your Garden

Using bird netting is very simple and only requires a few set-up-steps.

1. Droop your bird netting over your vegetables or install a frame into the ground, hanging the netting over the top
2. Use clips and pegs to fasten the netting to the ground or frame, making sure it’s tight and secure
3. Leave some space between your vegetables and the bird netting so they can still receive air circulation.

Birds will not get caught in the plant protection netting - unless it's damaged or weakened - so keep a close eye on it.

Pea and Bean Support Netting

Peas and runner beans are incredibly rewarding crops to grow, but they can also be irresistible to so many different types of garden pests, from birds to insects.

You will want to find a netting option that is lightweight enough to let your crops grow but stable enough to handle the elements.

Our pea and bean support netting provides invaluable help to your growing plants. If you know that your garden gets a lot of sunlight during the hot summer months, then you may want to look at a netting that is UV stabilised to reduce the risk of heat damage.

How to Use Pea Support Nets

Pea and bean netting is simple to use, and it can either be placed horizontally or vertically, depending on the type of patch you have.

1. Measure the space.
2. Decide whether you want organic material or UV-stabilised material.
3. Erect a support frame.
4. Carefully fasten the netting.
5. Drape to allow growth.

Remember that peas and beans love to be trained, so avoid blocking growth

Fine Insect Garden Netting for Vegetables

Insects are one of the hardest pests to keep out of your garden. Sometimes it seems like no matter what you do, they always find a way back in.

With fine insect garden netting, you can secure your plants from the trickiest of insects in a way that is completely natural and pesticide free.

Different mesh sizes are available depending on the size of the insects you are having the most difficulty with. Generally speaking, it is best to err on the side of caution given just how much havoc they can cause, but even fine mesh netting will keep letting sunlight and moisture through.

Insects like, cabbage white butterflies and flea beetles, will be kept out while still allowing necessary air flow to keep your greens healthy.

Shop Insect Netting

How to Use Insect Netting for Vegetables

One of the best things about insect netting is that it can either be hung from support or draped directly over your plants.

1. Identify the insects that you want to protect your plants from.
2. Measure carefully to ensure total coverage.
3. Drape over plants carefully.
4. Fasten securely with pegs or stakes.
5. Continue to water as usual.

If you have any questions about the size of mesh you need, get in touch with us.

Fruit Tree Netting

Every gardener knows that fruit trees are always going to be at risk of coming under attack from pests and birds.

Our fruit tree netting is specifically designed to protect your trees and bushes from birds. It is lightweight enough to ensure that no damage is done to the plants but sturdy enough to withstand sun, wind, and rain in addition to any determined creatures.

When you are buying fruit tree netting, it is important to look at the mesh size.

Low-growing fruit plants will often require a fine mesh, while bushy trees may need a larger mesh size with fewer holes. The netting suitable for your garden will depend on the size of the birds that you are trying to deter.

How to Use Fruit Tree Netting

Fruit tree netting could not be simpler to use. It’s the preparation steps that you need to be most careful with.

1. Check your trees and bushes for any baby birds or nests.
2. Contact the RSPCA if you find any.
3. Measure your tree for the amount of netting you need.
4. Drape the netting over the tree.
5. Fix the netting to the ground with metal pegs.

Check your netting regularly to make sure that it is still safely installed.

Fruit Cages for All-Round Vegetable Protection

Fruit cages are also a great way to provide complete physical protection from birds and other garden pests.

If you have a larger garden space or an allotment, a fruit cage is an ideal answer to your netting solutions. The metal and net structures contain your plants, keeping them totally safe from any animals that might pick at your garden seedlings or fruit from your trees and shrubs.

Here at WM James, we're one of the top manufacturers of fruit cages in the UK! Our aluminium and steel fruit cages are available in a variety of heights and come with reinforced netting to ensure the best possible vegetable protection.

Bespoke Vegetable Netting

One reason why gardeners love our vegetable garden netting is that we’re able to offer custom net solutions, giving you the most effective vegetable protection possible.

We manufacture all our garden nets in-house, so if there’s a specific width, height, mesh size or shape net you require, our team can create it for you. We also have a range of standard netting sizes and shapes to choose from, so there’s something to suit every budget and garden size.

Many of our made-to-order nets are available online, but if you’d like to discuss your options, get in touch with us by,

Summary: Why You Should Be Using Vegetable Netting

If you want to give your vegetables and fruit trees the best protection possible, then you need our garden netting. 

The best type of netting to use will depend on the type of plant you are protecting and what you are protecting them from.

You can find netting to keep butterflies away from your brassica, to keep insects off your beans and peas, and to keep birds out of your fruit trees. Plus, some netting can even keep your veg safe from bad weather; for example, frost cloche stops birds and protects your plants against the elements.

Vegetable netting is a must for any gardener who values their plants and wants to grow delicious, healthy veg.

Shop WM James' range of garden netting solutions today!

Shop Garden Netting

FAQs