Forum home› Fruit & veg
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

whats difference between polytunnel & fruit cage ?

dave sdave s Posts: 6
in Fruit & veg

i need to cover fruit bushes eg raspberrys  and some veg as birds steal everything, what should i choose and why between a polytunnel and a fruit cage??? how do i choose between those 2 products? 

size ill need is around 2 meters high and about 10 metres long by about 4metres wide

what brands/companies have you used and would recommend and what cost would it be for my size needs? thanks 

 

«1

Posts

  • WelshonionWelshonion Posts: 3,114
    We have made a fruit cage with blue water pipe hoops and debris netting. Very effective and reasonably cheap. We put on the debris netting after the fruit is fertilized but before the birds eat it.



    A polytunnel is something quite different. It is a permanent structure. A frame covered with poythene or similar in which you grow various crops.
  • LeifUKLeifUK Posts: 573

    As above. You only need a fruit cage up during ripening. For veg, you might not need one so tall. Friends just drape fine mesh over veg, I have a 30cm high cage for carrots etc. 

  • valerierobertsvalerieroberts Posts: 726

    We bought a poly tunnel that was cheap and it had a polytheme cover on it. Through the winter we put in things to overwinter. in the summer we bought a long piece of netting to replace the polythene. It is easy to move the frame if you just stick the ends in the soil. It does get rusty though

  • LoganLogan Posts: 2,532
    If you just drape mesh over make sure that the birds can't get underneath and get trapped.
  • dave sdave s Posts: 6

    i tried drapping netting over plants before but that just squashes plants and breaks them, i know i need to give the fruit bushes room to still grow so wont do the drapping netting on them again, yes i dont want to hurt birds ! ok so fruit cage is probably more like what im after.

  • dave sdave s Posts: 6

    can u give a link to blue water pipe hoops you mean please welshonion ? i may just buy one ready made as im time poor but if its not too hard to build one and much cheaper than buying 1 then maybe id build my own 

  • WelshonionWelshonion Posts: 3,114
    I live in a rural area where blue water pipe is very readily available at agricultural and builders merchants. Bought in a roll, cut to your desired lengths, stuck in the ground. Bamboos tied down the centre to stabilise the structure. I'm sure you can look at a similar system on YouTube.
  • dave sdave s Posts: 6

    ok thanks welshonion : ) 

  • UnknownUnknown

    When this subject arises I always ask people to consider the chances of ensnaring birds in the nets of fruit cages.

    I did this several years ago, trapping and killing a beautiful male blackbird. Shortly afterwards they were dismantled, never to be used again......and to be honest, I've found there to be ample soft fruit for both of us.   

  • dave sdave s Posts: 6

    i spend around £800 a year on bird food, i do not want to kill any but i also am fed up with birds eating all my fruit so if it does cost the life of a very common bird i will be sorry but  thats life . 

Sign In or Register to comment.