Seasonal Guide: The Best Netting for Spring, Summer, and Autumn Growing

As the seasons shift, so do the challenges facing your garden, allotment, smallholding or aviary. Spring brings tender new growth that pests adore, summer delivers abundant crops that birds quickly discover, and autumn brings wind, falling leaves, and lingering pests.

Choosing the right netting for each season ensures healthy plants, better yields, and peace of mind — and with Knowle Nets’ made-to-measure options, protection can be tailored exactly to your space.

Spring – Get Plants Off to a Strong Start

Seasonal challenges

Young plants are at their most vulnerable in spring. Seedlings are highly attractive to early insect pests, birds may peck at new shoots, and unpredictable weather can hinder early growth.

Best netting for Spring

1. Insect Netting / Ultra-Fine Mesh

Perfect for: Brassicas, salads, carrots, parsnips, leafy crops
Ultra-fine mesh keeps out a wide range of early pests — including flea beetle, carrot fly, aphids, whitefly and cabbage root fly — while allowing air, water and light through.

Browse Insect Netting & Fine Mesh Protection

2. Lightweight Woven or Moulded Mesh

Perfect for: Seedlings and young fruit bushes
A lighter mesh protects from early bird damage without overheating young plants.

Explore Garden Netting & Protective Mesh

Spring installation tips

• Cover crops as soon as they are transplanted or sown outdoors.
  

• Secure edges firmly with soil, pegs or battens so pests cannot slip underneath.
  

• Allow space above plants so foliage doesn’t touch the mesh — this prevents insects laying eggs through the fabric.
  

Summer – Protect Abundant Crops from Birds & Caterpillars 

Summer is the season of abundance - fruit swells, vegetables reach their peak, and allotment beds are at their fullest. But this surge of growth attracts an equally enthusiastic range of pests. Birds are quick to discover ripening berries and vegetables, often stripping plants just as crops reach their best. Caterpillars and butterflies are also highly active, laying eggs on brassicas and leafy crops and causing extensive foliage damage within days.

Warmer weather brings additional pressures and prolonged heat can weaken plants, making them more vulnerable to pest attack while sudden summer storms or heavy rain can bruise fruit, flatten stems or cause young plants to snap. With so much at stake during the most productive part of the growing year, choosing the right summer netting is essential for preserving your harvest and maintaining healthy, vigorous plants.

Best netting for summer

1. Bird Netting (Approx. 19mm Mesh):

Perfect for: Soft fruit, strawberries, blueberries, cherries, veg plots
This is essential once fruit begins to set. It prevents birds accessing ripening crops while allowing pollinators to reach flowers earlier in the season.

Shop Bird Netting for Fruit & Veg

For more structured protection, fruit cage roofs and side netting are also available

2. Butterfly & Caterpillar Netting (7–8mm Mesh)

Perfect for: Brassicas, cabbages, kale, broccoli, leafy greens
This medium-gauge mesh prevents butterflies from laying eggs while still offering excellent ventilation.

View Butterfly / Medium Mesh Netting (within Garden Netting):

3. Support Netting for Climbing Crops

Perfect for: Beans, peas, cucumbers, courgettes, squash, sweet peas, dahlias, and other cut flowers

Support netting is an essential tool for summer growing, especially for vigorous climbers and tall stems that can easily topple or become tangled. By giving plants a strong, structured framework to grow up, support nets encourage healthier, more productive growth throughout the season.

Good support dramatically improves airflow around leaves and stems, reducing the risk of fungal problems such as powdery mildew, which thrive in warm, damp, overcrowded foliage. It also keeps plants lifted away from the soil, helping to prevent rotting, slug damage, and misshapen fruits.

For crops like peas, runner beans and cucumbers, support netting ensures straighter growth, easier harvesting and less strain on stems. For cut flowers such as dahlias, sweet peas and cosmos, horizontal support layers keep stems upright, reduce breakage in wind, and help produce longer, straighter blooms ideal for cutting.

Using a lightweight but durable mesh means plants can naturally weave through or be lightly tied in, creating a strong, vertical growing system that maximises space — especially valuable on smaller plots or busy allotments.

Explore Plant Support Netting

Summer Installation Tips from Knowle Nets

• Add extra width and length for complete coverage
  Always allow a generous overlap when cutting or ordering your netting. Fruit cages, raised beds and soft fruit rows often need more coverage than expected once plants reach full summer growth. Extra width helps ensure there are no gaps or lifted edges where birds, butterflies or small mammals can squeeze through — even in windy weather or when plants push against the net.
  

• Keep netting pulled taut and well supported
   Sagging netting can be hazardous, especially during summer when birds are actively searching for food. Loose netting is more likely to entangle wildlife, and it can also rub against fruit or foliage, causing damage. Tensioned netting, properly secured to posts, hoops or frames, maintains a clean, raised surface that birds cannot land on or peck through. It also lasts longer, as it is less prone to abrasion and wind wear.
  

• Lift or remove netting during flowering of insect-pollinated crops
  Many summer crops — including strawberries, courgettes and beans — rely on bees and other pollinators. Temporarily lifting the net or opening a section of it during flowering ensures pollinators have clear access. As soon as flowering is complete, replace the net immediately to protect newly forming fruit, which is particularly vulnerable in the early stages of development.
  

• Secure the base firmly to prevent tunnelling or wind lift
   Birds and small mammals often investigate along the edges of netted areas. Pegging down the sides, weighing them with soil, or using ground fixings prevents wildlife from getting underneath and stops gusts of wind from lifting the net free.
  

• Check tension and fixings regularly throughout the season
  Summer growth can push against netting, and hot weather can expand materials slightly. A quick weekly check ensures no unintended gaps appear and helps maintain long-term durability.

Autumn – Protect Late Harvests & Prepare for Winter

Seasonal challenges

Autumn weather can be unpredictable: wind, storms and falling leaves become issues, while pests often remain active longer than expected. It’s also the season for securing ponds and aviaries ahead of winter.

Best netting for autumn

1. Large-Mesh Bird & Pigeon Netting (50 mm Mesh)

Perfect for: Late-season vegetables, brassicas, orchards, poultry runs, commercial game pens

As autumn sets in and natural food sources begin to decline, larger birds such as pigeons, crows and rooks become far more persistent around gardens and allotments. Brassicas, winter greens, young orchard fruit and late-season vegetables are particularly attractive — and can be stripped or damaged surprisingly quickly.

Large-mesh netting with a 50 mm square aperture is specifically designed to deter these bigger, heavier birds. The mesh is wide enough to offer excellent airflow and light penetration, yet strong enough to withstand repeated pressure from birds landing, pecking or pushing against it. Unlike finer meshes, the larger openings also mean the netting is far less likely to trap snow, leaves or storm debris, making it exceptionally well suited to autumn and early winter conditions.

In addition to crop protection, this durable netting is widely used in poultry runs, rearing pens and commercial game enclosures. Its strength and stability make it ideal for covering large outdoor spaces, where it helps keep birds contained while preventing access from predators or wild birds that may carry disease.

Reliable, weather-resistant and long lasting, large-mesh bird and pigeon netting provides peace of mind through the harsher months — keeping late crops intact, safeguarding orchard produce, and ensuring that animals in pens remain safe and secure.

See 50mm Bird & Pigeon Netting

2. Heavy-Duty Pond Netting

Perfect for: Ponds, wildlife areas, water gardens, fisheries

Autumn is one of the most important times to protect your pond, and the right netting can make a huge difference to the health and clarity of the water. As temperatures cool and trees begin to drop their leaves, debris can quickly accumulate on the surface. If these leaves sink and decompose, they release gases and excess nutrients that reduce oxygen levels, encourage algae growth, and contribute to sludge build-up — all of which create an unhealthy environment for fish, frogs, and beneficial pond organisms.

Heavy-duty pond netting acts as an essential barrier, preventing leaves, twigs and autumn debris from entering the water in the first place. This reduces maintenance, keeps the pond clearer for longer, and helps maintain a stable ecosystem throughout the colder months.

In addition to keeping debris out, pond netting is also a powerful form of predator protection. Herons, foxes, cats, and other wildlife are far more active around ponds in autumn and winter, especially as natural food sources decline. A strong, durable mesh prevents these predators from accessing fish, ducklings or wildlife that rely on the pond, offering peace of mind and safeguarding the pond’s inhabitants.

Knowle Nets’ pond netting is UV-stabilised and built for long-term outdoor use, ensuring it can withstand autumn storms, high winds, and repeated leaf fall. Whether stretched across a small garden pond or covering a larger fishery or wildlife pool, it provides a reliable, low-maintenance way to keep water healthy and animals protected during the challenging autumn season.

Browse Pond Protection Netting

3. Aviary & Animal Pen Netting

Perfect for: Smallholdings, gamekeepers, poultry keepers, aviaries, wildlife enclosures

Aviary and animal pen netting plays a vital role in keeping birds and small livestock both secure and protected, particularly as autumn approaches and predator activity increases. Species such as foxes, mink, birds of prey, and even opportunistic neighbourhood pets can pose a threat to free-range birds or animals housed outdoors.

High-quality aviary netting from Knowle Nets is UV-stabilised, weather-resistant, and designed for long-term outdoor use, ensuring it remains strong and reliable throughout the changing seasons. Its robust construction prevents birds from escaping while also forming a dependable barrier against predators attempting to enter from above or push through weaker materials.

The generous mesh sizes provide excellent visibility and airflow, helping to create a calm, natural environment for birds in aviaries or rearing pens. In larger enclosures, the lighter weight of the net compared to wire also makes installation easier while still offering outstanding durability.

For gamekeepers and smallholders, strong containment nets help maintain flock safety during periods of increased predator pressure, while also protecting valuable birds from entanglement or injury. Whether used over pens, runs, or aviary frames, this type of netting ensures animals remain safely housed and well shielded from external risks throughout autumn and beyond.

Explore Aviary Netting

Autumn Installation Tips from Knowle Nets

• Tighten and secure netting to withstand stronger winds
   Autumn often brings gusty, unsettled weather, so it’s important to ensure all netting is pulled taut and firmly fixed to frames, posts or ground anchors. Loose or flapping netting can quickly become damaged in high winds, and unsecured edges may lift enough to allow birds or animals access. Tight, well-secured netting not only performs better but also lasts significantly longer through the harsher months.
  

• Clear fallen leaves and debris regularly from pond or cage netting
   Leaves can accumulate rapidly in autumn. If allowed to pile up, they add weight to the netting, causing it to sag or collapse into the water or enclosure below. Wet leaves can also block light and trap moisture, which encourages rot and mould on the netting. Regularly brushing or lifting off leaves keeps the mesh effective and prevents long-term damage — especially important for pond netting stretched across a wide area.
  

• Inspect netting for wear, tension and damage before winter sets in
   Early autumn is the ideal time to check your netting for any weakened fixings, frayed sections or stretched mesh. Repairing or replacing damaged areas now ensures your crops, ponds or enclosures remain protected as winter conditions intensify. A quick maintenance check can prevent small issues becoming larger failures during stormier weather.
  

• Ensure nets over animal enclosures remain predator-proof
   As food becomes scarce, predators such as foxes and birds of prey may become bolder. Make sure all joins, clips and ties are secure and that no gaps have opened along fence lines or roof sections.
  

• Allow for snow load where relevant
   Larger-mesh netting is generally better suited to autumn and winter because it sheds snow more easily. If using finer netting, check it regularly and remove snow build-up promptly to avoid tears or structural strain.
  

At-a-Glance Seasonal Netting Guide

Explore the full range of netting solutions

A well-planned seasonal netting strategy keeps crops productive and protected all year long. Fine mesh in spring safeguards emerging growth; bird and butterfly netting in summer preserves your harvest; and heavier-duty options in autumn protect ponds, fruit trees, late crops and enclosures.

Why Choose Knowle Nets?

With over 60 years of British manufacturing expertise, Knowle Nets produces durable, high-quality netting designed for real gardeners, allotment growers, smallholdings and commercial users.

All netting is:

• UV-stabilised for long outdoor life
  

• Made to measure or available by the metre
  

• Available in woven, knotted, extruded or moulded finishes
  

• Resistant to stretching, weathering and wear

With high-quality, long-lasting products Knowle Nets gives you the confidence to grow through every season.