protecting soft fruit

Hi Vicki!

Raspberry canes will grow anything up to 8' in a season, depending upon variety, but they will usually require some sort of support, so put a row of posts and wires across the center of the bed, then 'train' the raspberry canes onto it and you should be able to keep the total height to about 6'.

If you want to protect them from birds, then they need to be covered with bird netting, either just draped over them and pegged down, or properyl erected as a fruit cage!

What we are planning to do (if we need to) is to use the support posts for our 'fedge' as the supports for a 'tent' of netting, then take it down to the ground at a 45 degree angle, so like a ridge tent of netting!

There's a few threads with info on them, the one we started which has loads of advice from lots of grapes on it is here
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ead.php?t=3367

Goosegogs should grow to about 3 or 4' tall, and form a bush, but do need pruning, try to aim for a goblet shape, another thread we started that has been of use with lots of advice from the grapes is here
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ead.php?t=3612

As for the currants advice, I'd be happy to hear some myself, as we have a small and much neglected redcurrant bush on the plot that needs our help!

Anyhows, good luck with your soft fruits, and hope this was of some help!

Most fruit bushes won't grow too tall, however if left untamed their branches can spread quite a bit to the sides, prune currants (except black ones) the same as gooseberries - there is some very good advice on the Ken Muir web site (www.kenmuir.co.uk). I don't net mine and share the fruits with the birds, however my parents used to have a large fruit cage over all the soft fruit. Due to it's size, it was built to about 6'6" to enable us to freely walk underneath to harvest etc. If you do build anything like that it is important to remember to remove the "roof" sections in winter so that it doesn't get damaged by the weight of snow etc. Obviously you then need to make sure that there are no birds in there before you put it back otherwise you're wasting your time!

With raspberry canes, the wire supports should be space 1,1/2', 2, 1/2' and 5' and then if the canes grow too long you can nip them out in early spring or loop them back round in an arc. I don't cover them, and they are rarely attacked.

I wire my Rasberry canes to a 12 volt battery with step up transformer, this supports the canes and stops the theives from stealing my crop.
Benacre

PMSL!!! Just got the picture of a cute ickle birdie landing on one of your support wires to pinch a rasp or two, then all its feathers standing on end and it tweeting loudly as the electric hits, only for it to fly off unhurt, kind of like the sneezing bird on the cold remedy advert!

Birds will only get a shock if they cause an earth that is why birds can perch on wires.
Benacre

Won't protect your crop from those thieving balloonists though! Lol