It may look "a bit Heath Robinson", but I think it will probably achieve the desired result. I strung a piece of nylon washing-line cord between two trees and draped a net over it, weighing it down at the edges with bricks.
The Heath Robinson effect is enhanced by the addition of a couple of forked sticks which serve to keep the net out of contact with the plants - because if the berries can be reached through the net, they will be reached.
My four Blueberry plants are quite big now and they look healthy enough, though I don't think the crop will be huge this year. You'll notice that I have got their pots standing in big saucers which help me to keep the plants properly hydrated. Blueberries are originally bog plants and hate being dry.
By the way, if I had enough aluminium rods and connectors, I'd probably build a more "regular" fruit cage for these plants, but I'm saving what I have for protecting the PSB, which is due for transplanting just as soon as the last Broad Beans finish.
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| PSB seedlings awaiting transplanting |
We have had the same experiences with blueberries and balackbirds. Blueberries, strawberries and redcurrants are the fruits tha we always make sure we cover in good time. I noticed today that some of our blueberries are read to be picked, maybe a job for tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteI cover my large blueberry plant with charity shop sheer curtains. The two small plants do not have enough fruit yet to bother. Here in the eastern U.S. if we use fine netting we quite often have snakes get tangled in it. So far (30+ years) we have never had a poisonus snake and are very glad for the black snakes as they help keep down mice, shrews and ground squirrels. It is a two person job to get a tangled snake loose, one to hold the snake and the other to wield the scissors and ruin the net.
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