URBAN FOOD GARDEN

   

GARDEN MANAGEMENT

   

Netting Fruit Trees and Berry bushes

 

Heavier white netting on loganberry bushes.

Lighter black netting over strawberry
plants.  The frame is made out of
19 mm irrigation piping.

 


Many fruit trees and most  berry bushes (blackberries, currents, loganberries raspberries, strawberry plants  etc...) will have to be covered with nets to protect them from birds as the fruit ripens.  There are basically two types of bird netting available in Australia - a heavier woven white netting and a lighter black nylon netting.  I personally believe that the white netting is the better of the two as it -

    A. Is heavier, so it doesn't blow around
      in the wind.

  B. Tears less easily than the black netting.

  C. Deters birds more effectively - for some
      reason birds seem very reluctant to get
      under the white netting while if there is
      even a small gap in the black netting
      they readily go through.

  D. It is cheaper than the black netting.


 

 

 

 

 

The only advantage of the black netting is that it is less visible.  The white netting looks like a garden version of Alcatraz.  For that reason I use both types of netting in our garden.

When putting netting over fruit trees there is no need to completely seal off everything.  Even if birds can get in at some points they are usually reluctant to do so as it makes them easy targets for cats as they cannot escape quickly.  However if you can completely seal off smaller plants (such as strawberries) it is better to do so.
 

 

 

 

About the Garden Management Section
Netting fruit trees and berry bushes
Planting
Citrus trees
Summer pruning Apple & Pear trees
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