Netting trees

[The Sage of Brouhaha]

I have a little cherry tree that only has enough fruit set on it for a small bowl of cherries. The birds have already pecked little holes in a few, even though they are still green, and I don't want to lose any more to them or I won't even find out what they taste like.

What's the method for netting a tree? Should I cover the lot in a net or should I just wrap the bits with cherries on with some netting? Is there a danger the birds will just treat this a handy perch? The other I'm considering doing is wrapping the cherries in fleece so that they can't see them.

Thanks in anticipation.

[valmarg]

We have a Stella cherry tree, which is quite old, and we do get a decent crop off it (about 4-5lbs). It is more or less fan-trained against a wall, which makes it easier for protecting.

Netting is the best method of protecting the fruit, but you do need to make sure that the netting is well away from the fruit, preferably a lot further than 'beak distance'. Also it needs to be supported so that a blackbird landing on it will not weigh it down so that it can get at the fruit.

We tried using fleece, believing 'what they eye can't see', but we found the air did not circulate so well round the fruit and we lost a lot of the crop to botrytis.

You say your tree is small, but obviously over the years it will give better crops. The tree we have has not grown a lot over the years, but the crop has increased considerably.

Just remember 'enemy number one' is the blackbird. If you can keep him/her out, you should be able to get some cherries to taste.

valmarg

[Sue]

Sage
Not good news that they are tucking into them green, thought I'd have a little respite before they got going. I was going to construct a cage of bamboo as a temporary measure (before it gets enclosed in the fruit cage, when I can afford it) using canes and those ball things as corner pieces. Then drape netting over that. I shall now do it sooner rather than later.

And botrytis! I've covered my gooseberry in a box of fleece as I lost nearly every single one to pigeons last year, It does have gaps where the sides join but they are nice and flappy to frighten the pigeons, I need to keep a closer eye on that as well, will be pole-axed to lose a crop two years running.

Sue