How to cover strawberries with a bird net - 2 ways

Birds can rob you of the harvest of sweet juicy berries if you do not find a reliable way to save the beds from this "natural disaster". Most often, gardeners use a net to protect strawberries from birds - only it can guaranteed to stop the invasion. In an attempt to feast on a berry, the bird unexpectedly stumbles upon an obstacle, gets scared and does not fly anymore. But in order for the crop to be harvested themselves comfortably, it is important to choose the right mesh and how to attach it.

Advantages and disadvantages

There are many ways to protect your strawberry crop from birds. Basically, they involve scaring them away. For example, summer residents hang bright windmills, "rain", magnetic tapes in the garden, which sparkle and rustle in the wind. And sometimes dummies of berries are scattered on the ground in the form of red lids and painted pebbles. Having tried to peck them, the birds are disappointed and fly away. But some birds are not so easy to scare away.

The bird protection net for strawberries has several undeniable advantages:

• scares off;
• blocks the path to berries;
• serves for several years;
• does not interfere with watering, pollination and feeding;
• easy to install by hand.

The disadvantages of using the network can only be attributed to the need to remove it each time for harvesting. However, some of the ways to attach it make this process quite comfortable.

They say that in order to overcome the enemy, you need to know him by sight. What birds peck from the garden? Most often these are starlings, sparrows, magpies. Crows, rooks, tits, pigeons and other species of birds are not averse to feasting on sweet berries. A rare bird will refuse dessert. And not only strawberries are under threat, but also currants, cherries, cherries, raspberries. Having chosen an orchard, a flock of birds can destroy all ripe berries in a few hours.

Mesh selection

Before installing a grid on a garden bed, it is important to determine the size of the cells. It is optimal for strawberries to take a net with a mesh size of 1 by 1 cm. It should be sufficiently elastic, not stray, not sag, and let air and sunlight pass through well.

The best material is polypropylene. It does not rot and serves for many years.

Popular mesh manufacturers:

• Park. Roll of green color 2x5 m. Approximate cost - 90 rubles.
• GreenArt (Fix Price). Grid 2x5 m. The set includes 4 pegs 12 cm long. Price - 50 rubles.
• "Udachnikov". Covering material made of polypropylene with a size of 2x10 m and a mesh size of 7x9 mm. A roll will cost 350 rubles.
• "Tentmarket". Polyester mesh fabric with cells of 8x8 mm. It has a size of 3x5 m and costs about 700 rubles. Will last 5 years.
• "Diorite XXI". Small mesh net 6x6 mm. A canvas measuring 2x5 m will cost 250 rubles, 2x10 m - 450 rubles.
• "Protect". Plastic green mesh with a mesh size of 6x6 mm. The cost of a 2x5 m roll is 260 rubles.

Installation

There are many ways to stretch the net to protect strawberries from birds. If it is tough and flexible, it will be enough to bend it in the manner of a tent, cover the berries and secure around the perimeter of the planting with pegs or heavy stones. But it is much better to build a more stable and durable structure.

Methods for installing the net for protective purposes:

• Installation on a support. The mesh fabric is stretched over the frame: metal, plastic, bamboo arcs. The number of supports depends on the length of the bed. The optimal distance between the arcs is from 60 to 80 cm. It turns out something like a mesh tunnel. You can take high arcs and make a shelter in the manner of a greenhouse or a greenhouse in the height of a person. Then you should build a door that you can open and close.
• Mesh on the box. To protect the strawberry crop, you can use a net stretched over a box frame.Here you will need carpentry experience and a furniture stapler. But mesh boxes are easy to cover any crop. They can be rearranged and used many times. And some gardeners plant strawberries directly in wooden boxes, and make a lid from the net. The main thing is that the walls are not too high and let in enough light.

In the springtime, birds help gardeners to fight pests. However, with the onset of warmth, they do not leave, but begin to feast on the harvest. Moreover, they actively nest in places rich in food. Saving ripe strawberries becomes difficult. The birds are not as stupid as they seem at first glance. Something that might scare them off at first (noisy cans, scarecrow, sparkling discs) soon stops working. If birds regularly destroy berries, the only sure, and most importantly, humane way to get rid of them is to cover the strawberries with a net. You can choose a budget version of the canvas. And it is not that difficult to establish a shelter. Choose the method you like and get down to business.