[Hey Jude]

Do I need to net my gooseberries or do the birds find them too tart to eat?!!!!! Thank you!

[richyrich7]

My mum nets hers, else the blackbird eats them.

[8doubles]

The blackbirds never touch my goosgogs , they are too busy eating the raspberries which are only 4ft away.

[Hey Jude]

Mmmm, I'll do both my fruit rows, I'm darned if those birds are going to have a picnic on my plot! Thanks for your advice.

[DD.]

Pigeons strip ours given half a chance!

[8doubles]

A couple of years ago i was suprised to see a pair of woodpigeon gorging on acorn sized unripe victoria plums. They were doing a good job as there were far too many on the tree.

[GillyHen]

..is it enough to use bamboo canes with netting pulled over to protect fruit?

[DD.]

Make sure it's pegged well down. The slightest gap - they're in!

Then they can't get out again!

[cAnAry53]

Birds never touch my gooseberries not with all those lovely redcurrants nearby

[Babstreefern]

I must admit, nothing toches my goosgogs, but that was on my other plot, which had blackcurrant bushes in between.  On this one, I've not bothered with the blackcurrants, so I'll see if the goosgogs are touched by the birds :blink:

[woodburner]

Birds never touch my gooseberries not with all those lovely redcurrants nearby

Ooh I spy a good sacrificial crop there. I don't like them.  I was thinking of getting rid of the couple of bushes I have but maybe I will just move them to a less useful spot and give them two options. 

[richyrich7]

Make sure it's pegged well down. The slightest gap - they're in!

Then they can't get out again!

Well they won't come back again if I catch them, pigeon pie 

[jjherts]

I had a nice crop of gooseberries last year on three two year old bushes, and my friend Miranda had fun picking them - but her joke about finding a baby under them soon got boring!  As payment for picking the Gooseberries, blackcurrants and raspberries, we went half each - although I suspect she ate a lot too.  Last year the birds didn't seem to do any damage but I am worried because this year is year 3 and the redcurrant bushes have finally flowered (three years).  When is the best time to net?  i assume when the fruit is just ripening?

[Greengirl]

Blackbirds will definitely take ripe gooseberries.  Humans nicked all my netted ones one year - they didn't even leave me one!

[andreadon]

Birds never touch my gooseberries not with all those lovely redcurrants nearby

Ooh I spy a good sacrificial crop there. I don't like them.  I was thinking of getting rid of the couple of bushes I have but maybe I will just move them to a less useful spot and give them two options. 

but redcurrants are good to make pectin for strawberry jam.


to answer the question - my gooseberries aren't netted and they're fine, but the gardener in the kitchen garden has his under a net (it's a big fruit cage), so i don't know which is the best (although if a bird gets trapped in there, it's more likely to eat them...  )