where did you buy your bird netting from?

Axel -- I completely agree -- it's pretty worthless, overall.

When a tree gets over medium-sized, it gets just too hard to cover, no matter what. I've given up totally on standard sized sweet cherries, as they're just impossible. I've been planting the dwarf ones, and they have stayed small enough to effectively cover.

It's amazing how much fabric it takes to cover even a fairly small tree.

Your options of materials will depend, of course, on how much you want to spend on this stuff.

I bought about $300 worth of white woven poly 20 year shade cloth last year to cover my row of 12 mature blueberry bushes, a 20 x 100 foot piece. If it really lasts the 20 years it says, it won't actually be that bad in terms of cost, $15 a year. Since I put it on around the 4th of July, and generally uncover them in early to mid September when I'm sick of picking and the berries are getting sort of flavorless, I think it will hold up, it's suppossed to be all UV light stabilized, etc. So far, it's been tough as nails, no tears or punctures. I ordered mine from Gempler's in Wisconsin, and I got the 40% shade thickness -- I think this allows enough light through to satisfy blueberries, which do OK in some shade.

I used to use the heavy grade frost blanket, and that will hold up for about 2 seasons, but it does tear easier than the shade cloth. It's somewhat cheaper up front, but much more expensive, really, long-term.

Other than shade cloth or frost blanket, the other option I can think of/suggest would be just fabric remnants or bed sheets sewn together. I don't know if there is any place to buy these reasonably, you might check with thrift stores, hit garage sales, etc., or scope out the $1.00 per yard racks at Wal-mart fabric department.

Good luck.

I echo the sentiment--my experience was that it wasn't even usable the first time I tried to use it, all it did was get caught up in the leaves and fruit, and every time the wind blew, it severed the leaves and fruit. Kinda ruins the whole point of it.

Carla in Sac

Axel, I'm really glad you posted. And sorry about your experience. I loathe the gardening supply marketers. I think they should have the nursery workers market their products instead of marketing firms that buy their produce at the grocery store.

Bird netting was on my hardware store list to buy tomorrow morning for covering my Montmorency. Scratch that. I'll use the money to buy a fat steak instead. Yeah.

Either invest in a couple of bird killing cats, a pellet gun or do what they like to do in Michigan...

http://cherries.msu.edu/pdf/OrchardShow09G-Lang.pdf

I really need to start thinking about protecting my strawberries and in the future my sour/sweet cherries.

I bought some netting at Fleet Farm here and it was cheap so i'm not out much, but from just using it last year for a month, it didn't seem to strong.

I have black 30% woven polypropylene bird netting/shadecloth/hail screen. Have had it 20-30 yrs. Not used all that time but it is well worth the money. The weave is fine and tight enough that it doesn't catch on things. I'm planning to buy a lot more to cover a 30 by 30 by 10ft tall shelter over my cherry orchard.

Last yr I used a piece of the old stuff to cover three apple trees on M26. I worked great. No bird damage and no damage to the trees. It was resting on the trees and staked down tight to the ground.

The Fruitnut

fruitnut, where do you get the woven poly covering? That sounds interesting.

No, cannot help. But your plight is how thugs are nowadays. Companies, banks and the rest are out for a fast buck and to hell with the consumer. Integrity has died with the old timers.

Axel: I haven't bought any recently. But if you search for 'black woven polypropylene shade cloth' you will find many suppliers. Cost is about 10 cents per sq ft plus extra for reinforced edges and grommets. The stuff is really tough. I hang it over a single wire and tie the edges down for use as a hail screen over apples. It doesn't wear thru on the wire.

I've tried aluminet which may be a little better shade cloth over a greenhouse but is not nearly as tough and way more expensive.

The Fruitnut

Hey fruitnut,
I am having a hard time visualizing this. Do you use a wire to make a hoop over your trees and drape the netting over the hoop? This sounds interesting. By the way I also have been frustrated by using traditional bird cloth especially when the darn monster birds still peck at the peaches on the edge of the net. Darn critters.

The woven netting is also sold as straight bird netting. Maybe it's a wider weave than shade cloth but much stronger than monofilament. Comes white with green or black striping. You need to find it in 30' widths though and it only came in 700 ft rolls when I looked for it a few years ago. I'm still cutting off pieces off a roll I bought then. The white color is supposed to reduce bird entanglement and in my experience accomplishes this.

A client of mine could only find it in 15' width and sews 2 pieces together to make 30' squares.

The stuff is easy to install with poles and 2 people. Only takes 5 minutes a tree if you don't use a frame.

Unless crows are your only problem, you'll have to firmly tie the netting to the trunk of the tree so birds can't climb from underneath.

I have managed to use my cruddy plastic stuff for five years. It is a total pain to put on again, I'll agree with that. I bought enough for my grapes but all I ever covered was strawberries and blueberries, I didn't have it in me to cover 200' of grapes.

Scott

Scape: On apples I've sometimes draped it right over the tree with not problems. But a frame of pvc or wires is better. My new sweet cherry shelter is wire strung over 10ft tall poles. The poles have 1/4 inch holes near the top and wires are strung thru that. The polypropylene netting is tough enough to hang over wires without wearing thru.

In Amarillo the primary use was as a hail screen. So a single wire was run over the center of the tree row. The poly was draped over that wire an the edges were tied off to the sides to form a sloping canopy over the trees. Hail would bonce off and fall between tree rows.

On my cherries the polypro will primarily be for birds. I'll put tarps over the shelter for frost. I'm thinking right now that I'll use charcoal to heat the shelter for the frost after cherry bloom...usually 2-3 frosts per yr.

The keys of polypro netting is it is very strong, slick, and small weave. So it doesn't hang like that large hole bird netting.

The Fruitnut

Thanks fruitnut. Question, do the squirrels ever try and chew through the polypro netting?

Harvestman, I think raintree may carry the netting you describe. It comes in whatever length you want and is 22 feet wide. It sounds like the stuff you describe but of course I'm not sure.

Thanks guys,
Scape

I have often experienced squirrels chewing through this netting but it also seems to deter them just as often. Depends on how hungry they are and possibly the squirrels. I learned from a post here that in Texas they have a species of squirrels that chews through metal chicken-wire- the horror, the horror!

The Raintree netting is probably it if it is a woven polypropylene netting- 2 strands. Too bad they don't carry it 30 ft wide. I'd search the internet for it to get your best deal. I got a great deal on mine because some company was trying to dump it.

http://www.cpenterprise.com/shadecloth.html

They have 3 types of shade 30% to 70%. Which one should I get for dwarf trees? I was thinking 30% to let the most sun through, but are the holes too big and it gets tangled with 30%?

Here are some bird nettings, not sure if these are the friendly one's?

http://www.cdragonnet.com/bird_net.htm?gclid=CNS89M-kuJoCFRlcagodslMXdA

http://www.irongatevineyards.com/smart-net.html

Konrad

I have 9 sweet and sour cherry trees. The oldest are 10 yrs. and I have never been able to get a decent harvest from them until last yr. I have tried CDs, owls, netting, snakes, etc. The netting would let me get some cherries. The others were worthless. Then last yr. I was complaning about bird damage to a friend with a vineyard. He loaned me an electronic speaker device that intermittently plays a recording of various bird's distress calls mixed with the call of a Sharp Shinned hawk. I put the speaker in the middle tree turned it on and left it on. I had so many cherries that I invited many neighbors over to pick. It really works. I just borrowed it again yesterday to get ready for this season. It is battery operated and weather resistant. AND it works
RED

Red, can you give more info about the artificial distressed bird? I see all kinds online and many don't give enough info to really know how they work. Some are outrageously priced. What brand/model did you use?

Brandon I put my speakers out yesterday, while eating about a dozen cherries I might add, and looked all over for a name. I couldn't find any identifying marks anywhere. It is rather old and beat up having been used for 6 or 7 yrs out in the weather for 2 to 3 months each yr. I think Frank said he paid $300+ for it but you can spend a lot of money on netting, scarecrows, etc and spend a lot of time and aggrivation putting them up and taking them down to pick and still get birds inside.(at least I did) and this unit will last for yrs.
RED

There is a nice Bird-b-gone unit for around $120, see link below. I am in too urban an area to get one, the sounds can be annoying since they play all the time. I don't even think there is a way to set them to turn off at night unless you do it manually.

Scott

Here is a link that might be useful: bird b gone

Axel, until you've tried it for yourself, there's no way to appreciate how miserable "bird netting" is. Slam dunk solution is to buy used nylon fish nets (I've found it on ebay and Craigslist) which is easily reusable. Also, train them cherries LOW. I wrap my cherry trees around the circumference, then cover the hole on the top with a 10' x 10' piece.

Overhead (professional quality) netting installed by professionals is the best option, not draping the net over trees. Check out Bird B Gone or Feather Free Zone for professional quality for options.

Supplying the critters with water helps. I tried this last year with apples. This year will test on blueberries and cherries..