Fruit cage for allotment

[PottingPete]

Hi,
The last couple of seasons I have lost a lot of fruit and veg to wildlife, much more than ever before so now I'm thinking of caging the allotment. My thinking at the moment is if I'm going to go to the effort of doing it shall I cage the whole space? I've been looking at this cage https://www.harrodhorticultural.com/...s-pid7530.html and looks and sounds like the perfect option. Is it worth caging everything or shall I just prioritise?
Thanks Pete

[Bigmallly]

Hiya Pete & welcome to the Jungle, I personally would only cage Fruit & Debris net Brassicas. The reason is that fruit need pollinating insects, Brassicas don't, but you need fine net to stop Cabbage Whites entering.

[sparrow100]

Like BM I only net fruit and brassicas. I made bespoke frames for the fruit bushes, which are easy to take down at the end of fruiting. You can get netting cut to measure at Nutleys Kitchen Gardens, or other places online.



I am going to build a big cage for a new fruit plantation, using 8ft stakes and bamboo canes for the structure and covering in netting that I am hoping Santa will deliver on his rounds...Should work out much MUCH cheaper than buying a cage, plus it'll be tailored to fit my plot.

[jonny the plant pot]

I'm gunna cage my strawberrys again and will be using the frame off a greenhouse and covering it in netting.

[veggiechicken]

Hi Pete and welcome
You must be a very wealthy man if you're considering netting the whole plot
I have raspberries netting tunnel and brassicas in a netted cage made from some cheap greenhouse frames. I'm growing strawberries and grapes in there next year.
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ml#post1450683
Otherwise, I use small bed-sized movable cages to cover vulnerable plants at the right time of year.

[PottingPete]

Thank you all for your advice! Yeah I know the cost is high but I'm looking at it from an investment point of view. I also saw an allotment on a trip recently that had done exactly that and it looked great!

[Cadalot]

I picked up two greenhouse frames from B&Q for a £5 when they were clearing out the dross and getting rid of stock they are going to be erected and covered in netting to keep the birds out for my fruit and trees what I really need to work out is how the hell I'm going to get it all in two 6ft x 6ft cages.

[MarkPelican]

I bought one of the aluminium fruit cages from Harrod and regretted it. The net is good but the poles bend in the slightest wind and the plastic connectors have broken as well. I like the idea of the greenhouse frames that would work better IMO.

[land_girl_dani]

Great website to take a look at

Hi there,

this is a great website to give you a rundown of fruit cage companies.

Fruit Cage Comparison - GardenFocused.co.uk

hope it helps!