Agrotextiles
HERMEQ agrotextiles are the fabrics, netting and mesh used in agriculture, horticulture, landscaping and construction to manage ground, protect crops and control surfaces exposed to weather, foot traffic or site activity. The netting range covers bird, insect, windbreak and orchard cover nets alongside extruded polypropylene mesh. Woven and biodegradable weed control membranes give long-term ground cover, hold moisture in the soil and separate planting from mulch or gravel. Landscapers, groundworkers and site teams use them on planting schemes, site preparation and temporary works to control vegetation without chemicals. The range is held in permanent UK stock for next day delivery.
Crop protection netting
Each net in the range is chosen by what it has to keep out, from birds and insects to wind, rain and hail, or by what it has to hold up.
Anti bird netting
Anti bird netting is a knitted monofilament mesh draped over soft fruit, vines and vegetable beds, or mounted on frames and posts, to keep feeding birds off the crop. The mesh is open enough for light and air to reach the plants, so it can stay in place through the growing season and be pulled back for picking.
Insect mesh netting
Insect mesh netting is a fine, breathable polyethylene screen for greenhouses, polytunnels, ventilation openings and field crop rows. It is the choice where insect pests have to be kept out without sprays, on brassicas, salads, nursery stock and organic or food-grade production, because a physical barrier leaves no residue and needs no reapplication.
Windbreak netting
Windbreak netting is a UV-stabilised polyethylene mesh, knitted from monofilament or tape, that slows the wind across a crop, enclosure or boundary while still letting air through. It also protects against hail, frost and strong sun, and it is the net to choose for shelter and screening, with bird or insect mesh used where pests are the problem.
Cherry tree and orchard cover netting
Cherry tree protection netting is a clear, UV-stabilised cover that keeps wind, rain, frost and hail off fruit trees from blossom through fruit set to ripening. Sheltered fruit can be left on the tree to full maturity with less risk of splitting, so it is the choice for commercial cherry orchards where a later pick brings larger, sweeter fruit.
Extruded polypropylene netting
Extruded polypropylene netting is a rot-proof, UV-stabilised plastic mesh made in grades for different jobs, including aviary net, mole net and plant support mesh. Choose it where the netting has to support or enclose: climbing crops such as peas and beans, fencing around beds and allotments, pest exclusion, aviaries and overhead covers tensioned onto timber or metal frames.
Weed control fabric and biodegradable substrate
The choice of membrane turns on whether the fabric should stay in the ground for years or break down in it once planting has established. Further weed membrane grades and root barriers are in the root and weed barriers range, one of HERMEQ's geotechnical products.
Woven weed control membrane
The woven weed control membrane is a UV-stabilised woven polypropylene fabric that blocks light to the soil while letting water drain through. It is the choice for ground that stays covered for years, such as fruit production beds, nurseries, tree plantations, greenhouse floors, paths, bridleways and golf bunkers.
Biodegradable weed control membrane
The biodegradable weed control membrane is a PLA and hemp fibre needlefelt certified compostable to BS EN 13432. It holds back weeds while new hedging, woodland or amenity planting establishes, then breaks down into the soil with no plastic left to lift, so it is the choice for organic land, public green space and councils removing plastic from land management.
Biodegradable growing substrate
The biodegradable growing substrate is a soil-free PLA fibre mat for microgreens, herbs, leafy crops and edible flowers grown in hydroponic systems such as flood tables, nutrient film technique and rafts, and it is not a weed barrier.
Agrotextiles for orchards, greenhouses, landscaping and sites
Fruit farms and orchards
Orchard covers are carried on a post and wire system, so the net can be deployed ahead of frost, hail or heavy rain and retracted when the trees need light and access.
Greenhouses and polytunnels
Insect mesh on vents, doorways and tunnel ends only keeps pests out when every gap is closed, so it is tensioned or framed tight and sealed along the edges, with entrance screens on doors that open through the day.
Landscaping and public planting schemes
Weed membrane goes down flat over prepared ground, pinned at the edges and overlaps, and is covered with bark mulch or gravel, with plants set through cross cuts. The printed grid on the woven membrane lets a planting gang set out rows at even centres without measuring each position. Where a path or parking area also needs a stable base, a separation layer from the geotextiles range goes beneath the aggregate. Mature hedging can be grown on in hedge planter bags and lifted by hand or forklift onto site, so a finished hedge goes in without root balling.
Construction sites and livestock enclosures
Heavier windbreak grades cut the wind across compounds, site boundaries and livestock pens, and screen the work or stock behind them. On a temporary site the net is fixed to temporary mesh fencing panels, and because any screen adds wind load to a fence run, the run needs extra bracing and ballast where the net is dense or the site is exposed.
Netting mesh sizes, shade and fixings
Mesh size for birds and insects
Aperture is chosen by the smallest pest the crop has to keep out. A 25mm bird net stops pigeons and starlings while letting light, air and insects through, and insect mesh comes in grades for aphids, whitefly and the smaller bemisia whitefly, each finer than the one before. A finer grade also reduces airflow, so the right grade is the one matched to the target pest and no finer.
Shade factor and airflow
Shade factor is the share of light a net holds back, and it rises with the density of the mesh. Low shade grades keep light on the crop and air moving through it over vegetables and orchards, while denser windbreak grades give privacy and screening around sites, yards and storage areas.
Fixing netting to wire, posts and frames
Supports and fixings are best ordered with the net. Netting lines, fruit lines and greenhouse tie-downs run on agricultural support wire, a UV-stabilised polyamide line that is non-metallic, far lighter to handle than steel and holds its tension without re-tightening. On fence lines, windbreak and mesh are secured with cable ties, tensioning systems or battening strips, and orchard covers are fitted with shock cord, eyelets and stainless steel clips so the cover can flex in high wind.
Popular Categories
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between agrotextiles and geotextiles?
Agrotextiles work at the surface, around plants and soil: they keep out pests, slow the wind, shade crops and stop weeds. Geotextiles are engineering fabrics laid within the ground to separate, filter and reinforce soils under paths, roads, drainage and earthworks. HERMEQ lists geotextiles as a separate range within its geotechnical products.
Can insect mesh be used over crops that need pollinating?
Standard insect mesh keeps pollinators out as well as pests, so insect-pollinated crops such as strawberries and courgettes are uncovered during flowering or pollinated another way. For covered production, the range includes a pollinator retention grade of insect mesh, which stops pollinators released inside a greenhouse or tunnel from escaping through the vents.
How do you stop birds and wildlife getting caught in netting?
Birds and animals are caught in loose, sagging net, so netting is pulled taut over frames, hoops or wire, with the bottom edge buried or weighted down so nothing can get underneath. Fine insect mesh carries less risk at ground level than open bird net. Nets are checked regularly, and any net not in use is taken down and stored.
Can agrotextile netting and membranes be cut to size?
Yes. Weed membranes cut cleanly with a knife or scissors and lie flat, extruded polypropylene mesh cuts to length without fraying, and bird netting can be cut, tied and tensioned to fit field shapes and canopies. Bird netting, insect mesh and the woven membrane can be reused over several seasons.
Do weed control membranes replace chemical weedkillers?
A membrane controls weeds without chemicals by cutting off light to the soil and stopping airborne seed reaching it, so weeds cannot establish beneath. Perennial weeds are cleared before the membrane goes down, and seed that lands in the mulch on top can still germinate, though it roots shallowly and lifts out by hand. This is why membranes are used on organic land and on public planting managed without sprays.