[AnneB]

I know: fruit.  However, space will be in a premium.  What types of soft fruit will benefit most from being in a cage, and what will be happier and less bothered by birds outside planted anywhere?   

Help gratefully received.

[Yorkie]

I think the currants and gooseberries are the classic ones inside a fruit cage.

Also things like cherry trees, but as space is a premium then that's likely to be a no-goer.

[AnneB]

Thanks Yorkie. 

Currants and gooseberries it is.  I think the space we have allocated would be too small for a cherry.   We should have room in a long narrow bed at the other end of the allotment for raspberries and we already have a raised and netted bed for strawberries.

[JayG]

Thanks Yorkie. 

Currants and gooseberries it is.  I think the space we have allocated would be too small for a cherry.   We should have room in a long narrow bed at the other end of the allotment for raspberries and we already have a raised and netted bed for strawberries.

You didn't mention blueberries so presumably you don't have any, but for those that do I can advise with 100% certainty that blackbirds in particular love them, and when I say "love" I mean LURRVVVV (as in Barry White!)   

[AnneB]

I don't have any of the soft fruit yet other than strawberries - but we want to get the cage built so we can plant the new bare rooted plants later in the year.   So blueberries will be added in to the mix too.   So at the moment it is currants, gooseberry and blueberry inside, raspberries and strawberries outside, but netting the strawberries when they are getting ripe.

So thanks for the blueberry tip JayG.

[Yorkie]

Would the soil conditions for blueberries be OK?  They like an acidic soil whereas I'm not sure that the other soft fruits do?

[sunshineband]

We have our blueberries in a separate bed for that reason --- and net it too 

[shokkyy]

The birds never seem to touch my gooseberries, but they do go after the currants (red and black), raspberries and strawberries.

[AnneB]

Mmm

Was thinking of putting the blueberries in a separate bed inside the cage. 

Not sure now, following Shokkyy's reply whether the raspberries should be in or out.  I think probably out, other people on our allotments have raspberries outside, although one has them inside, but there are not many fruit cages on site yet .....

I think we can fit currants, blueberries and gooseberry inside, but the raspberries would take up too much room, so they may stay out.....

[Ropster]

for a point of comparison, I didn't cover my rasps last year and got a handful off them. This year they are covered and I have had 5 pounds already.
strawberrys last year uncovered, about 2 meals worth. This year covered 20 pounds
currants defo need netting, I lost most of mine and they were netted just not well enough

[AnneB]

The plan for the fruit cage may just have expanded sideways a bit... 

Thanks for all the help.

[sunshineband]

Be warned -- ours is now 13m by 2m and a separate bit for the blue berries 

[Salmo]

Like shokkyy I never have any trouble with birds taking gooseberries and would say that they would take a lot of room. Maybe they only take gooseberries left to get ripe. I pick mine for pies when they are still tart.

Autumn raspberries are not taken and do not need a cage.

Summer raspberries, black/red/white currants and strawberries always need protecting. Strawberries are probably better under their own low level net as they need to be moved every 3 years.

[shokkyy]

My strawberries are netted, but I haven't had a single one despite a heavy crop. The mice and squirrels have been sharing them out between them and they don't even wait for them to get close to ripe.