Cherry tree netting?

[Snadger]

I have a Stella cherry in a large pot that is full of blossom. Asuming the blossom equates to cherries...how can I protect the cherries from bird predation?

I only had ONE cherry last year and the birds got it!

Can I just drape netting over the tree once it's finished flowering? Or how about stringing black thread throughout the branches....would this work?

I really want some cherries from it this year but I'm not prepared to build a 10 foot high purpose made fruit cage around it!

[janeyo]

I hung milk bottles on strings and those little tinfoil cases that pies and cakes come in (got the family to save them up), and strips of tin foil on mine as it's too tall for a cage or netting that I can realistically put up. I also hung old cds all around it too. It looked like some kind of homemade xmas decoration lol!

The birds didn't get any, whereas the year before they got them all.
They like to eat tem the day before we would pick them - sneaky!

[Snadger]

I hung milk bottles on strings and those little tinfoil cases that pies and cakes come in (got the family to save them up), and strips of tin foil on mine as it's too tall for a cage or netting that I can realistically put up. I also hung old cds all around it too. It looked like some kind of homemade xmas decoration lol!

The birds didn't get any, whereas the year before they got them all.
They like to eat tem the day before we would pick them - sneaky!

Thanks janeyo.............my fellow allotmenteers will think I've finally cracked, but so what, if it protects my cherry crop I'll try anything! Lol

[janeyo]

It will look 'the dogs' I tell ya! And we will want to see pics of the masterpiece!

I am sure someone will tell you that there are other methods more reliable.

[Victoria26]

My neighbour used to tie lengths of videotape film around the branches and let them flutter about and never had bird problems.

Just an idea...

My cherry tree has loads of leaves but no blossom or fruit. (Mind you when I bought it 2 months ago it was a bare stick so I'm happy!)

[Nicos]

I've not had any success for the past 3 years with mine.
Each time we've wrapped netting round the whole of the crown- and each time the fruit has been eaten

One year the ends of the branches grew through the netting- and it got ripped taking it down.
Last year our neighbour watched a jay climbing up the trunk to get inside a small gap in the netting!!!!

Like the idea of the 'Xmas tree'

[Sue]

I did get some fruit from mine last year but a pidgeon had landed on the top branch to get the fruit and broken it so this year it is netted. I was also totally surprised at how early they go for the fruit, before I learned from experience my jostaberry was still at the tiny green blob stage when it got stripped bare so that's netted as well!
Sue

[TonyF]

We've got three cherry trees one of which is 25' tall and the others are at least 15'.

Every year we get thousands of cherries and we've spent many happy morning watching the birds (mainly jays) and pine martins stripping the trees of the fruit, I think last year we got 3 kilos of cherries. And we find little piles of pine matrin poo all round the garden full of cherry stones

Trees are far too big to net so have to live with it tho we're taking the largest tree down cos the fosse lady says it's growing through our soakaway, which probably explains why it's so prolific.

[scarey55]

... And we find little piles of pine matrin poo all round the garden full of cherry stones

Ahah, so that's who it is. Thanks Tony.

No idea how to stop the birds though

[janeyo]

I have cherries and I have been eating them!

Tree was decorated with the little foil tin trays and just for good measure I moved the scarecrow in front of it too.

Cherries are delish - one up for janeyo - nul points for the birds

[starloc]

I use hot foil printing ribbon tied to the branches, its shiny one side, white on the other , it scares them as it blows in the wind reflecting light, no more bird attacks since the apricot and peach trees early on before i put it up

[eye1der]

ive a stella cherry in the garden grown against a fence, its 12 years old since i planted it as a maiden i harvested about 10 kg from it last year. no problem with birds, my two maine coons take care of that!
got two cherrys on the plot, I dont know about those though...

[Incy]

Something just stripped my cherry tree
We were really pleased it had some cherries this year as we have only had it for 2 years. I didn't realise they were at risk before they even started to ripen!
Then I spotted it also has loads of little black aphids on all the new leaves that haven't yet finished uncurling
I can't get my crop back but are the aphids a problem, if so any suggestions on how to deal with them?

[NOG]

Spray the tree with soapy water....or hire a load of lady birds.

[Incy]

Last night while I was watering I tried blasting the individual leaves with the hose. This worked but will they come back. Do I need to blast everyday?