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Birds and soft fruit.

adrian

By Adrian

stroud glos, United Kingdom Gb

Can anyone please enlighten me ?
Do birds go for gooseberry ( traditional and red ), raspberry and it's fellow hybrids ? Yes, I'm sure they do but it's a pain in the **** having to net them up. I'm lazy.




Answers

 

Not sure about raspberries but I have green gooseberry bushes and the birds have never touched them Probably the thorns !!!

26 May, 2009

 

If you want to eat any, net them! We've had raspberries for about 5 years and it's been touch and go who got to eat most, us or the birds. Until last year when we were away for the first week of them being ripe, and then came back to empty canes. Not a one! Spent a morning this spring knocking up a cage. I have one gooseberry bush which I have never had a crop from [might not be birds, could be mice??] that I've now thrown some leftover fruit mesh over.
Did you think gardening was about sitting back and enjoying it?! No time!

26 May, 2009

 

I don't know whether it's an old wives tale but I've heard that birds are less likely to strip berries which aren't red. It would be interesting to hear from someone who's grown the yellow-fruited raspberries to see if they've noticed any difference. I've been OK so far with uncovered whitecurrants but I'm only in my 2nd summer with them so maybe the birdies haven't caught on. Not having redcurrants, I can't tell if they would be more popular.

26 May, 2009

 

the birds do tae gooseberries, so that is why they are now in a cage. and as long as i remember to close the door i should have a decent crop this year.

26 May, 2009

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