Topic: Fruit cages

[Mrs Ava]

I have finally planted my raspberry canes, and have a selection of other soft fruits on my plot.  It isn't practical to erect fruit cages to cover all of the bushes as they are in several groups - yes I know maybe I should have several fruit cages, but I'm working on a budget, and thinking of space etc.  So my question is, how necessary do you all think a cage is and if I do construct one, should it be over rasps, currants, goosegogs or strawbs?  The brambles that form a hedge along one side of the whole site were laden with fruit all late summer right into autumn, and hardly touched.  Shall I make some birdy scarers?  Advice oh fruit growers please  ;D

[rdak]

I planted some canes last year in my garden. we don't have many birds. the raspberries and blackberries I don't think were touched, but the redcurrants were stripped bare of their buds by a plague of finches!
As for the gooseberry, the caterpillars just stripped if of every leaf it had, so the birds didn't get a chance!

[legless]

i only have a cage over my raspberries and my gooseberries and blackcurrants were covered in fruit when i inherited them

also used to work picking raspberries for a grower and obviously they weren't in a cage, dunno how they scared the birds away though....

[Ceri]

I'm in exactly the same position - just planted my raspberries and no cage - I'm thinking of putting a length of timber in each corner and draping it with some form of netting - I think as long as the netting is not directly over the fruit, this should keep the birds away.  I'm sure I read somewhere that the top has to be quite taut though as a pigeon's weight could make it sag enough to reach the fruit - so I'm thinking on!

[Mrs Ava]

hmmm.  I don't like netting Ceri, don't wanna be detangling birds on a balmy summers day, also, I should think it makes picking the fruits more of a pain....hmmm..  As for pigeons on top - I know they do that to get at the sprouts and cabbages...would they do that to get at the fruit too?  I really am in a quandry on this one - last year the saw or sword, never know which, fly catterpillars stripped every single leaf off one of my redcurrant bushes.  The bush had already set fruit, and as they ripened they looked like glinting rubies - amazing, and do you know, I didn't loose one to the birds.  Infact, I reakon that the lack of leaves helped them ripen quicker and they were so delish!  I don't suppose the lack of leaves has helped the long term health of the plant, but oh what to do?!?

[Ceri]

that's that idea out the window then - never thought of birds getting tangled - presumably you would need a pretty fine mesh to stop them getting tangled, which would cut out too much light?  I'll keep thinking - chicken wire would keep big birds out but I don't know what my lottie is like for the tinies.

[Hels_Bels]

I've been thinking about the same for my beans and peas. You can get really fine mesh from Homebase - a bit expensive, but very re-usable. I'm sure the birds wouldn't get into it.

I've been thinking of a tall wigwam type thing whcih I can throw the plastic over - a bit like playing tents when you're a kid! Then you can remove on end and walk underneath.

Does that sound like a  good comprimise?

H_B

[busy_lizzie]

I have been putting some thought into some sort of protection too, especially for our redcurrants, which, although were a fantastic crop last year, the birds got most of them.  They were very unweildly last year being over seven foot in height, and totally dominated the back part of the plot.  So we have cut them down, and I am in the process of moving them(or I was until the snow), into an L shape nearby.  We did have a sort of fruit cage last year, a wooden frame with netting over, pegged to the ground, but somehow the birds always seemed to find their way under and in. So this year I thought I would try the same wooden framed posts, which will be smaller and more managable, with the netting ends attached to a wooden pole.

I thought they would be a bit more secure than the pegs and the birds wouldn't be able to push their way in, and when I needed  to have access to the fruit I could just role the netting round the wooden pole, place it on the top of the wooden frame and then roll it back when I had finished.  ??? ??? Don't know how efficient, or workable it will be but will give it a try  :) busy_lizzie

[shifty581]

Hi you all
As you know I have Just started my allotment, can you give me some advise on soft fruit bushes.
I have just bought some, raspberris, goosberry, red and black currant bushes.
If i put them in now will thay fruit this year,or will thay not develap until next year.
And when will I have to prune them back,and how much.  :-\

[Mrs Ava]

I am not going to give any advice on pruning fruit, cos I have no idea and always have to refer to my big book.  However, summer rasps I believe should be cut down almost to the ground about nowish.  I also supsect someone here will say remove all flowers this year so the plant can concentrate on getting big and strong, but I wouldn't  ::) and I am certain you will get a nice crop this summer.  :D  One thing I would say, try to resist doing what I do everytime I prune my current bushes....I stick all the long sticks into the ground around the bushes I am pruning, and I get 99% of them rooting!  I can't give them away!! :-[  Glad I have the plot now so I have been able to plant all of my year old babies, but I had to throw a load away last year!  Such a waste.

[shifty581]

Thank you for your advice E.J. much appreciated. :)