Mark's taken advantage of the lockdown to perfect a prototype for what we're calling caterpillar tunnels. The idea is to block cabbage white moths from laying their eggs on crucifers. I've used row-cover fabric for this purpose in the past, but the thicker cloth overheats cool-weather crops. Plus, Mark wanted to improve upon my quick hoops, which are a bit of a pain for frequent ingress.

To cut a long story short, he tweaked and came up with a no-work organic solution for controlling of one of my least favorite pests --- cabbageworms. Of course, I mean no work for me once the caterpillar tunnels are installed. Building them was work for Mark!

He started with 2X3s, a compromise between what he wanted (2X6s for longevity, but which I argued would shade plants too much and be too heavy) and what I wanted (2X2s, which he considered too flimsy). It still counts as meeting in the middle if he comes almost all the way over to my side of the fence, right?

After building two frames out of 2X3s and hinging them together along one long side, Mark used a 3/4-inch hole saw to install our usual quick hoop pipes (1/2-inch PVC). Your measurements can match your garden, but ours were:

• Frame --- 8 feet by 4 feet for maximum use of lumber
• Pipes --- 6 feet long

A furring strip along the top gave the hoops a bit more rigidity while also providing something for the eventual covering to bite into. Since we didn't have treated lumber on hand, Mark gave it all a good coat of barn paint.

Oh, and did I mention handles? For the first prototype, Mark had some really awesome storebought handles to use. But for the later ones, he's building our own out of wood.

Anyway, back to the prototype. We covered it with wedding tulle, which  will let air and light through (meaning it's summer-garden friendly) without allowing in bugs. Various forums suggest this stuff lasts almost as long as the much-more-expensive garden netting you can buy from farm-supply sites.

How did we attach the tulle? Mark used plastic plumbers' strapping plus screws --- fast and easy as long as he borrowed another set of hands (mine) to hold the tulle in place.

Did you notice the small rip? Be careful! Splinters can damage your covering as you pull the fabric tight.

Mark also used the plumber's strapping to prevent the top from hinging all the way open. This way, it won't fall on the bed behind it and is easy to grab and pull back closed.

Here's the finished product, taking over for my quick-and-dirty tulle-only covering. The broccoli are enjoying having room to stretch out.

Oh, but, honey, I need three more....

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About us: Anna Hess and Mark Hamilton spent over a decade living self-sufficiently in the mountains of Virginia before moving north to start over from scratch in the foothills of Ohio. They've experimented with permaculture, no-till gardening, trailersteading, home-based microbusinesses and much more, writing about their adventures in both blogs and books.



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