The photo doesn't really do it justice, but during the heavy snow in December, my fruit cage collapsed. We haven't rushed to repair is due to the weather, time, and things haven't been growing. However, spring is springing here in Essex and the fruit bushes are raspberry canes are starting into growth, so we spent a few hours on Saturday getting it rebuilt and having a general tidy. Whilst Mark had the cage dismantled, I spread a good thick layer of my home made compost over the raspberry area, so we will either be rewarded by monster rasps in the summer, or all the plants will die. :-? ( photo / image / picture from EJ's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from EJ's Garden ) Here you can see the menfolk taking down the shattered roof from my tomato house. This serves a double purpose. Firstly, by keeping the tom plants dry, it hinders the speed that blight attacks. Secondly, the corregated plastic roof is sloped down to the piping so I can harvest the rainwater as we do not have access to mains water on our allotment site and the very small stream dries up in about April and doesn't flow again until late winter. ( photo / image / picture from EJ's Garden ) ( photo / image / picture from EJ's Garden )
I would love to have space for a fruit cage like your one EJ. I have to keep an eye on all my fruit bushes as the blackbirds have a habit of beating me to the berries. I'm glad your cage could be repaired after all it had to withstand during the winter.
Repairing the ravages of winter gives you that fresh start feeling along with a farewell to the old season. I'm sure the raspberries appreciate the new compost. Is the fruit cage sturdier now? My snow has to melt this year..... Jerry
To be honest, the cage is probably just as sturdy as it was when it collapsed under the weight of the snow. In the 10 years we have had a fruit cage, it has never done that before. Yes, we have had to make it bigger, or do general repairs, but we had so much snow here in essex, the netting just couldn't take the weight and it snapped all of the wooden uprights. It is a great thing as within are 5 goosberry bushes (one being pink) 1 red currant, 1 jostaberry, 1 black currant and the raspberry mass. I do have other fruit bushes dotted around both plots as everytime I prune them I have a tendancy to stick the stems into the ground and they root so easily, but these are the only ones I cover. Funny thing is, if I don't close the cage, the birds are in and strip the fruit, but the bushes outside stay laden with fruit all summer long with no takers.
I have always admired your fruit cage, EJ. I guess that it will be all nice and sturdy now. My fruit cage is smaller and I do not have a top on it, so it is open for most of the year...when the berries begin turning blue, I then have this great net that I throw overe the top and Bob's yer uncle--I have a closed cage. All was good until this past year when the blue tits discovered that they could get through the chicken wire mesh. So now, I will have to add a smaller meshed net or wire...always a problem to be solved, what!
Very smart way to collect the rain from your tomato house roof too since watering is such a challenge for you.
It certainly looks like a day well spent! Your compost looks good and rich ... I'm sure the berries will love it!
It would seem that stolen fruit must taste better to the birds. Or it could be the compost. Smart birds. Jerry
