Mesh or Fleece

[Sargan]

Could do with some advice from those that know far more than me (just about everyone)

I posted previously that I started Veg growing for first time last year, and had great crops, the only issue was Brassicas which were decimated by Cabbage White caterpillars.
Going to do something about this year ...
My plan is to have a tunnel, with enviromesh similar to this:
Brassica Netting – against Cabbage White Butterfly « K’s Garden
The question I would like to know, is that several people have posted about using Fleece covers ... just draped over the plantings.
Is it worth me starting under fleece, then changing fleece out to an enviromesh tunnel ? .... or is it a case of one of other.

[billathome65]

I'm new too all this stuff too first time veg for me this year and defiantly no green fingers. But as I have read it If you still have a lot of frost then fleece would be used to protect against frost and keeping the soil warm and the mesh can go over once the frost has gone and stake it in. Don't know if this is right but that's how I have interpreted this.

Bill

[hussybeen]

Where do you live? my first reaction in mesh b/c you're skin will breath better, but if you are in a COLD climate, fleece might be necessary to keep you warm. but yea- cotton is best.

[Sargan]

South Wales ... on the coast so pretty much out of the cold & frost areas.

[vegetable-gardener]

I used enviromesh last year - I draped it over the plants and that worked when they were small but as the cabbage grew the enviromesh lifted up and the butterflies got in underneath. So willbe rethinking my plane this year.

[Tom J]

where in south wales are you? im in bridgend, my brassicas failed last year, pretty sure they were shocked as i didn't harden them off well enough, are you growing from seed? i propogated and then put them outside, this year going to grow them direct in the ground but with a plastic 2ltr coke bottle cut off as a mini greenhouse over each one to protect it to begin with

[Tom J]

oh and the butterflies are crafty, i even had fleece over but they sneaked their way in somehow, the amount of yellow eggs on leaves i was killing, was trying to grown calabrese, but they all went straight to flower

[malcolmx]

use enviro mesh but you must peg it into the ground all arround and bury the edges
usr sigle prop in middle to act like tent pole . keep mesh at least 2 inches off crop