Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Yana on April 15, 2014, 08:54

Title: Strawberry netting conundrum
Post by: Yana on April 15, 2014, 08:54
Quite a few of the strawberries have flowers and behind the flowers I can see the fruit developing. Should I be netting now or wait until the majority of the plants have fruits forming before netting? I use the debris netting.
Title: Re: Strawberry netting conundrum
Post by: BabbyAnn on April 15, 2014, 09:05
All you really need is something to keep birds out so a cheap wide mesh netting would be better than debris - if the strawberries get another flush of flowers while the fruit are developing, you'll be in another dilemna of whether to lift the debris netting up or not.  You could leave it as long as possible as birds (notably blackbirds) will wait until the fruit are ripened and will happily pick them just before you get a chance  ;)
Title: Re: Strawberry netting conundrum
Post by: Weston grower on April 15, 2014, 09:36
Be careful with the netting you use. Last year I covered mine with debris netting and I think that stopped the pollinators getting in and hence didn't do too well in what was a good year for fruit. Not sure what I will do this year?

Regards, WG
Title: Re: Strawberry netting conundrum
Post by: Yana on April 15, 2014, 18:58
I wondered if the debris netting wasn't right as last year the harvest wasn't as good as others at the lottie. Need to invest in netting with larger holes but smaller than bird size!!
Title: Re: Strawberry netting conundrum
Post by: RJR_38 on April 15, 2014, 19:04
I used the cheap netting from pound land last year and got a good crop despite it being the first year. I use debris netting for everything else :)
Title: Re: Strawberry netting conundrum
Post by: Yana on April 15, 2014, 19:06
I used the cheap netting from pound land last year and got a good crop despite it being the first year. I use debris netting for everything else :)
I'm off there on way to collect OH from statiomn tonight. Will have a look.
Title: Re: Strawberry netting conundrum
Post by: RJR_38 on April 15, 2014, 19:09
I used the cheap netting from pound land last year and got a good crop despite it being the first year. I use debris netting for everything else :)
I'm off there on way to collect OH from statiomn tonight. Will have a look.

I think they call it pea netting or similar. I am going to net mine up this week as well
Title: Re: Strawberry netting conundrum
Post by: wbmkk on April 15, 2014, 19:54
I used the cheap netting from pound land

How much was it ?  :D
Title: Re: Strawberry netting conundrum
Post by: Muppetgirly on April 15, 2014, 20:00
That's great info about the netting. I was going to ask that same question as mine have started to flower also. I have inherited them with the plot so I don't know what variety they are or how they will do, but want to give them the best chance!

Ill be off to pound land at the weekend!!!
Title: Re: Strawberry netting conundrum
Post by: GrannieAnnie on April 15, 2014, 20:54
I use the black pond netting from Wilko for my blackcurrant bush as its stiffer than pea and bean netting.  Not so cheap as poundland, but lasts quite a while!
Title: Re: Strawberry netting conundrum
Post by: Yana on April 16, 2014, 06:21
I use the black pond netting from Wilko for my blackcurrant bush as its stiffer than pea and bean netting.  Not so cheap as poundland, but lasts quite a while!
I did look at the netting in poundland but it didn't look very strong. I'll have a gander at the pond netting in Wilko's.
Title: Re: Strawberry netting conundrum
Post by: cadalot on April 16, 2014, 06:27
My worry was more Basic Brush digging then up, so I have used Chicken wire over a hoop frame, I'm guessing little birds could get in but it should keep the big ones out 
Title: Re: Strawberry netting conundrum
Post by: RJR_38 on April 16, 2014, 07:28
I use the black pond netting from Wilko for my blackcurrant bush as its stiffer than pea and bean netting.  Not so cheap as poundland, but lasts quite a while!
I did look at the netting in poundland but it didn't look very strong. I'll have a gander at the pond netting in Wilko's.

I do find the quality of their stuff varies from year to  year :(