There are different types of gardening disappointments. The gradual fading of a plant that never quite took, not the late frost that surprises you. It’s a surgical procedure. A row of young kale seedlings stood tidy and green in the March light when you went to bed with bare stems protruding from the ground like tiny white flags. Pigeons were everywhere. They are always present. They were done before you had your coffee.
Gardens are not frequented by wood pigeons. Known as a committed and highly motivated pest to allotment growers, they have spent generations living alongside British vegetable growers, learning what brassicas look like from above and how much of a seedling can be removed in a single visit. Pigeon pressure may prevent brassicas from yielding any crop at all, according to the Royal Horticultural Society. There is no need to overstate it. Small flocks working through an open bed on a calm morning can reduce weeks of meticulous seed-raising to nothing in less than an hour. It’s almost impressive, if it weren’t so annoying.
Most gardeners make the mistake of draping netting loosely over their plants and calling it protection, and it’s very easy to do since it seems like it should work. In a state of determination, a pigeon will land squarely on that netting, feel the give under its feet, and peck right through to the leaves below. The netting must be completely lifted from the plants and supported by bamboo canes, wire hoops, old tent poles, or whatever is available to keep the bird from landing and feeding. Most seasoned growers and the RHS recommend removing at least 15 to 30 centimeters of foliage. Structures do not have to be elegant. It must be functional, which in this case means the bird must land on the net, discover nothing beneath its beak, and ultimately give up.
A second seasonal issue is simultaneously resolved by adjusting mesh size. Butterfly netting with holes smaller than five millimeters prevents cabbage white butterflies from laying their eggs on leaves later in spring. Caterpillars from these butterflies cause damage, although more subtly and slowly than pigeons. One of those small choices that pays off throughout the growing season is purchasing fine-mesh netting rather than the inexpensive large-hole variety available at garden centers. In addition, use bricks or pegs to secure the edges to the ground because pigeons will find any gaps. There’s still time for them. It sometimes seems as if they are deliberately patient.
Gardeners who don’t want to construct a full frame structure may find the stick jungle method useful, especially those working in smaller raised beds or urban plots with limited materials. By pushing twigs, branches, or extra bamboo canes into the soil at angles around the seedlings, you create an obstruction that hinders landing and obscures the plant canopy from above. It appears somewhat disorganized from the outside, but that’s okay. Pigeons don’t care about aesthetics either. A clean landing, unhindered feeding, and free movement are all important to them. They will search elsewhere if those conditions are removed.
Visual deterrents such as reflective tape, old CDs strung on wire, and plastic hawk decoys should be added rather than used alone. In particular, pigeons are not stupid when it comes to decoys. Plastic owls that remain in the same place for four days cease to pose a threat around day two. The decoys can be moved every few days to increase their usefulness, but they are best used as part of a multilayered strategy rather than the sole line of defense. With netting, reflective movement, and strategically placed canes filling in the spaces, a bed with all three features is significantly safer than one without.
It is perhaps the most underappreciated method of all to start brassica seedlings indoors and keep them covered until they are well established-not just sprouted, but stocky and tough. Early spring direct sowing results in pale, succulent seedlings that are more resilient and less appealing than six-week-old kale plants with thick stems and well-developed leaves. The simplest option is usually chosen by pigeons. If they are given a more difficult target or nothing at all until the plant can withstand some pressure, the balance is shifted sufficiently.
The wood pigeon’s tenacity is hard not to admire. Having been outcompeting gardeners for so long, the allotment community has developed a vocabulary for dealing with it that is almost military in nature: patrols, sacrificial crops, and fortresses. Brassicas are lost to the gardeners who stop undervaluing the bird and build appropriately.
As a Senior Editor at Mini Greenhouse Kits, Hannah Kinsley is a passionate supporter of small-space gardening and urban gardening. Hannah, who is currently majoring in Environmental Policy through the University of Michigan’s Environmental Studies program, infuses her writing with a solid academic foundation and a sincere enthusiasm for the environment. You can find her playing soccer or exploring the city’s green areas with friends when she’s not researching the newest trends in city gardening or creating content for minigreenhousekits.com.