Lidl fruit bushes

[Twynyrodyn]

I bought a selection of fruit bushes from Lidl. I think that I may use them as sacrificial plants to attract wildlife. Is it better to plant them in a wildlife plot or amoung an existing hedgerow? Is it a silly idea?

[Jay-ell]

Or possibly a fruit plot and eat the fruit?

Most of my soft fruit are from Lidl or aldi and are doing well.

Once you have them you will taste the fruit and want to eat it yourself

[Twynyrodyn]

I know that you are right, but I had agreed (with myself) that I was going to focus on the veg plot and greenhouse this year and that the wild life plot, pond, fruit trees and fruit plot are tasks for other years. Fruit cages look quite expensive. I suppose that I could have them as sacrificial plants this year and cage them next year.

[Snadger]

Birds don't usually eat apples or pears until they drop. On my plot they don't bother with black currants but decimate the red currants and white currants. They don't seem to bother raspberries and gooseberies for me either. One year I had tall nettles growing through the red and white currants and had a smashing crop. Which just goes to prove that nettles, as well being useful for nettle tea,can also deter birds!

[Bex2012]

You might not need a fruit cage - the birds didnt touch my raspberries last year. I didnt have any currants planted, but the guy on the next plot does, and I dont recall the birds being particularly obsessed with them.

[Jay-ell]

I haven't caged my fruit and last year enjoyed strawberries, black berries, raspberries, black currants and gooseberries. The red currants the birds got, but then again there weren't that many of them last year.