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An unexpected consequence of wild gardening

wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
in The potting shed
I look after two gardens, my garden at home which is mildly wild and part of my parents' garden which is currently very wild. I grow most of my fruit at my parents' place as there's more space and better soil. In among the jungle a brave forager can find plentiful raspberries, gooseberries, black and red currants, tayberries, strawberries, blackberries, various apples, damsons, plums and rhubarb. It's mostly free plants I've grown from cuttings or transplated from other peoples' gardens (with permission).

A few years ago I planted 2 cherry trees partly for the blosson but mostly because they were cheap and I had plenty of space for more trees. As with most cherry trees as soon as the fruit started to turn red they were eaten by birds, I didn't mind as I hadn't really planted them for food. This year though the crop has been heavy and the grass below the trees has been left untrimmed and has reached about 5' tall, enough to obscure the lower branches as they're hanging low with heavy fruit.This seems to have been enough to hide the fruit from the birds' view or maybe they're just wary of predators in the grass but I got my first crop of dark red cherries. A full bowl full of the best tasting cherries I've ever had. I might have to start thinking about netting these trees next year. Sod sharing with the wildlife...
If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.

Posts

  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Our birds don't wait till they turn red!
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    My two cherry trees have their heads wrapped in net curtains from the charity shop.  Last year the jackdaws ate the lot.
  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    Peeked through the netting today to see lots of deep red glossy globes, so off came the curtain and about thirty cherries, yum!  That was the Stella, the morellos are still quite pallid.
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    Do the nets have any effect on the trees at all? I'd be a bit worried they'd catch the wind here. Nice you got a crop though.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    wild edges said:
    Do the nets have any effect on the trees at all? I'd be a bit worried they'd catch the wind here. Nice you got a crop though.


    It looks a bit crestfallen, compared to the greengage (second picture) which wasn't netted.  I've just given it a big drink.  I didn't think the curtain would be heavy enough to weigh down the branches.  I don't think it's done any harm.
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