"Netting" means four different things in a garden: stopping birds, excluding insects, shading seedlings and supporting climbers. Use the wrong one and you either lose the crop or lock out the bees. Here is the match-each-job guide.
“Garden netting” is one phrase that covers four very different jobs. The net that stops a pigeon is not the net that stops a whitefly, and the net that holds up a row of beans is not the net that shades your lettuce. Match the mesh to the job and one roll does a season’s work; mismatch it and you either feed the birds or bake the bees out of your flowers. Here is how to choose.
Everything in a home garden falls into one of four buckets: bird protection, insect exclusion, climbing support (trellis) and shade. Each has its own mesh size and weight, and the single biggest mistake we see is buying one “universal” net and being disappointed when it does none of them well.
For fruit, brassicas and seedlings, a bird net with a 20 mm opening is the working standard: it keeps pigeons and blackbirds out while still letting bees and pollinators through. That last part matters — a net fine enough to stop every flying thing also stops the pollination your cucumbers and tomatoes depend on. For the smallest birds, drop to a 1/2 in (12 mm) mesh, but know you are trading away some pollinator access.
Drape bird net over hoops or a light frame so it sits off the plants, not directly on them — birds will peck fruit straight through a net that lies flat on the crop.
True insect netting is a different animal: a fine mesh (typically under 1 mm) that physically excludes aphids, flea beetles, carrot fly and cabbage white butterfly. It is the one option that does not let bees through, so you lay it over crops that don’t need pollination, or lift it at flowering time. It also raises temperature and humidity under the cover — fine for cool-season veg, but you’ll need to manage ventilation in summer.
Peas, beans, cucumbers, squash and clematis all want something to climb. A trellis net with 50 × 50 mm squares (or 1 1/4 in mesh) gives the tendrils something to grip while staying open enough to reach through and pick. String it tight between posts or a frame — a slack trellis sags under the weight of a full crop and tangles the vines. For a tangle-free season, a low-cost 3/4 in–1 1/4 in mesh does the job of a wooden trellis at a fraction of the weight.
For delicate seedlings and leafy greens in a hot climate, a shade net cuts light and heat without smothering the plants. Choose the shade percentage to your crop — 30% for sun-lovers, 50% for general veg, 70%+ for shade-loving greens and nurseries. Shade net is about regulating light and temperature, not excluding pests, so don’t confuse it with bird or insect net.
| Job | Mesh / spec | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Stop birds | 20 mm (or 12 mm for small birds) | Lets bees in; drape off the crop |
| Exclude insects | Under 1 mm | Blocks pollinators too; lift at flowering |
| Support climbers | 50 × 50 mm / 1 1/4 in | String tight; open enough to pick |
| Shade seedlings | 30–70% shade | Regulates light and heat |
Some nets are genuinely multi-purpose: a 20 mm bird net doubles as a light pea-and-bean frame, and a mid-weight utility net will support climbers and keep birds off. But the honest advice is this — if you are serious about both insect exclusion and bird protection, buy two nets, because the mesh sizes are simply different. One roll trying to do all four jobs will do none of them well. Our bird net, insect net and shade net are knitted to their own spec, so you match the net to the job rather than forcing one net onto everything.
Not sure which you need for your plot? Tell us what you grow and what’s eating it and we’ll recommend the right mesh and GSM.
Related: read our insect netting for vegetable gardens and bird netting mesh size guide.
A 20 mm bird net is the standard: it stops pigeons and blackbirds while still allowing bees and other pollinators through to your flowers and fruit.
Not well. Bird net is 12–20 mm; true insect net is under 1 mm and blocks pollinators too. If you need both, buy two nets matched to each job.
50 × 50 mm squares (or 1 1/4 in mesh) give peas, beans, cucumbers and clematis something to grip, while staying open enough to reach through and pick.
No. Drape it over hoops or a light frame so it sits off the crop — birds will peck fruit straight through a net that lies flat on it.
Match the mesh to the job: 20 mm for birds, under 1 mm for insects, 50 mm for climbers, 30–70% for shade. Tell us your garden and we’ll spec the right net for it.
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