As many have learned, without net protection, many successful harvests are zilch. The best place I have found for nets is Seven Springs. There have been various posts here about frameworks or PCV pipe quonsets to support the netting. To hold down the edges of the netting, what I have found is easiest is to fill gallon jugs with water. I save empty jugs year round. I string them on a cord for ease in transport and storage. In spring I easily distribute them where needed, then fill them with a hose. In fall I empty the water and restring them onto a cord, which can be hung from a rafter or hook on a wall for storage. After a year or two in the sunlight, the jugs tend to spring leaks, but it will just water the ground. My orchard is in a rural area where looks don’t matter. I find this much easier than weighing down edges with rocks or buying boards, etc. I store the nets in metal garbage cans to protect them from mice. I have also had critters chew the extra length I left piled on the ground at the end of a row during season, so be aware. If there are any holes in the net, the birds WILL find them, so keep them in good repair.
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