I am looking to protect my new in-ground blackberry patch from birds this summer. How do you choose the most suitable overall length and width based on your patch size and plant height? I appreciate all of the forum posts with manufacturer recommendations.
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If you buy a longer net than you need, put the excess end in a metal can with a drain hole, because if you just lay it in a pile on the ground the critters might get in it and chew holes in it. Ask me how I know. If your net is too short, then it is problematic how to connect a second net to it. PCV pipe hoops stuck over remay posts are easy to relocate as needed. For a longer hoop, get a larger or smaller diameter of PVC for a center section to connect two side PCV sections together. That makes one able to walk under it. I weigh down the edges with milk jugs filled with water. When finished with them I drain the water, string them on a rope, and put them in a shed out of the sunlight. That way the jugs will mostly last for two seasons. And yes, the American Netting green nets are the way to go. Don’t get those cheap black plastic kind they sell at the Big Box stores. They just tangle into a mess! Clothespins are useful for repairs and closures. I use 50’ and 100’ nets and cover bush cherries and honeyberries I might use it on the blueberries this year, too. So far, I have gotten by with chicken wire cages around each bush for those. Squirrels do not like crossing areas of tall grass. That works at my rural orchard, but not possible for my yard fruit trees, which are plagued by the squirrels and chipmunks.
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Hi @northwoodswis4. Thanks for the tips. I’m thinking about cutting the net about a foot longer on each side so I have some slack and don’t need to use a metal can to keep the critters out.
I like the idea of using hoops to support the netting. I found some 8ft posts on Gardener’s Supply website which look promising to place over the simple V-trellis I’m planning to build in a few weeks. I went ahead and ordered the 15ft x 100ft net from American Netting. The 15ft should be enough to go up, over and down the narrow part of the row and I can cut the 100ft down to a manageable size. Then I can use the remainder for other container berry plants which also need protection. The only threat I have seen so far is Baltimore Orioles but I’m sure the word about my berries will spread over time. Just trying to be proactive about it.
Cages are an interesting idea. I had thought about building a large enclosure for the entire patch out of wood or galvanized electrical conduit and hardware cloth but decided to give the bird netting a try first to see if it will do the trick. I have small cages to protect my young plants from squirrels in my neighborhood who like to dig and bury their food. Thought about making larger cages for my dwarf berry plants.
So many garden tasks. I’m going to need to enlist some help soon.
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My netting ran too short, but only two birds found their way under it and got trapped the entire year. The shorter netting made it easier to reach under and pick.
I added t post extensions to the existing trellis and that worked to hold the netting up and over. Thorny blackberries and netting= problematic no matter what.
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