Netting cherry tree

[greatpalm]

I have a young morello cherry tree, which has fruited for the first time this year.

I'm aware I need to net it to prevent the birds from eating them all.

My question is when does this need to be done? Do the birds wait until they are nearly ripe or will they start a lot earlier than this?

Thanks
Steve

[greatpalm]

[Tin Shed]

Steve, I am no expert - my tree went in last year, but I have just draped an old net curtain over the top today. The cherries are changing colour and I found one that is beginning to turn red and filling out so thought I would try and beat the birds.

[tricia]

Tin Shed - make sure you tie the net together round the tree under the lowest cherries. We just draped netting over ours last year and the b...... birds got underneath and scoffed all the cherries in one day when we were out. Our tree is now completely covered so we are hoping to harvest the cherries as soon as they are ripe - they are only just starting to colour and are not yet filling out.

Tricia

[flossie]

I net mine and make sure that they cannot get underneath.  However, I have a feeling that i've read somewhere that they don't steal morello cherries??? what do others think?

[Spookyville]

what size netting? stuff I have seen for "fruit netting" seems to be quite large gaps bit enough for birds to get through!  ???

[Baccy Man]

I net mine and make sure that they cannot get underneath.  However, I have a feeling that i've read somewhere that they don't steal morello cherries??? what do others think?

Welsh blackbirds obviously don't know that. I didn't secure the netting properly one year & had my morello stripped & a blackbird trapped inside the netting, I saw the same bird stealing cherry tomatoes last year so I may have to start netting them too.

[dtw]

I've got a Stella cherry tree in my garden, and the birds don't start eating them until they are ripe.
I haven't bothered to net it before, as soon as I see them eating, I pick them all.

I don't get a great deal of birds in my garden, as my cats like to play with them.  ;D