Topic: Best Fruit Cage

[portsmouth30]

Can any of you recommend a good source of fruit cages? What is the best frame material for an exposed coastal position?

[hippydave]

cant say what would be best in your position but harrod have some great fruit cages but if you look around you may well find some very good prices elsewhere.
http://www.harrodhorticultural.com/HarrodSite/category/Fruit+and+Vegetable+Cages/

[manicscousers]

if you're any good at d.i.y, have a look at ours in our gallery, ray made it and it's stronger than most fruit cages  :)

[Melbourne12]

We have a home-made one that's very strong.  If you want to buy one, these people do a very high quality fruit cage at a reasonable price (my sister has one):

http://www.lbsgardenwarehouse.co.uk/Fruit-Cages-DPTfruitcage/

If you decide to make the frame yourself, LBS are a good source of netting.

[star]

Good luck with your choice ;)

[OllieC]

I looked at the ones Harrod Horticulture have, blimey!!! I can't afford another mortgage!

[portsmouth30]

I know what you mean, bit pricey; went and looked at them up at wisley earlier in the year, wear strong but way more than i wanted to spend on one

[OllieC]

They do look great at Wisley, but just too much... We need a Poundstrecher Horticulture as well as a Harrod Horticulture I reckon!

[asbean]

We made a raspberry cage last year from a frame made of 8 ft canes, with empty tonic water bottles and beer cans on the ends, and a huge net draped over the lot.  It kept the birds out, and at the beginning of the season looked OK, but collapsed after a few months after some particularly stormy weather  :( :( :( :(

At least it was cheap  :) :) :) :) :)

[Tin Shed]

Made my fruit cage with wilkos arches, canes and netting - and it was a lot cheaper than Harrods. This will be the first winter, but so far its coping with the weather.
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/smf/index.php/topic,42782.0.html

[asbean]

That's fantastic, Tin Shed.  How wide is it?  I bought a wilkos arch last summer, and we never put it together.  The instructions are on the box, and the box has been eaten.  I think I might follow your example next year, a lot more stable than canes.

 8) 8) 8)

[mike77]

this is mine that i have just built but the burning question is "is it too loud?" your honesty appreciated when answering!! didnt look too bad when we were putting it up but i'm not so sure now? please be honest!

[OllieC]

What did you say Mike? Can't hear you over the noise of your fruit cage!

Only joking, I think it looks pretty cool.

[Lauren S]

Can you post a bigger photo please?

[mike77]

sorry lauren only just figured out how to resize hope i didnt offend

[thifasmom]

I'm wondering, wouldn't the blue net cut down on the amount of light reaching the plants ???

otherwise from what i can see it looks good and strong.

[mike77]

it does cut it down very slightly although i cant do a proper check at the moment due to a serious lack of "proper sunshine"!!!! i did a search on the forums thifasmom and quite a few people have used debris netting and seem really pleased with the results?
when you mention it blocking light out do you mean the actual netting itself or the colour of it?

[Tin Shed]

Asbean, the measurements are 6ft x 6ft x 20ft. I used one set of straight sides to elongate the top arch - if that makes sense. Luckily it slotted together with a bit of persuasion!

[Lauren S]

sorry lauren only just figured out how to resize hope i didnt offend

Oh no offence, It's just my eyesight is dreadful. I was just hoping to snatch some ideas from your fruit cage  ;)

[mike77]

any info you want lauren just let me know have photos taken before during and after....is the photo small or large when you view  it? i say that because when i view it it is huge!.
it took a friend and i 2 days to build and the biggest piece of advice i can give is to get a good staple gun and plenty of staples :D