We only managed to get a total of 500g of fruit from all the bushes. The birds got to almost everything, but as the bushes where in their first year we didn't expect much from them.
The fruit we did manage to save ended up in a very very nice Elderberry & Mixed Fruit Wine.
So this year I have covered the lot with netting, we want plenty of raw material for our wine making this season.
I had already moved the old arches that the Hops grew up last year, so part of the netting frame was already in place, the rest is on canes, with bottles on top to stop the netting pushing through.
Other things around the plot are doing well, Jane's Broad Beans are starting to grow, direct sown this year over a few weeks.
My hops are doing great guns, with the Fuggles now around 5 foot high, all busy winding themselves up the strings.
The Chillies and the Sweet peppers took a hit with the cold in the greenhouse (-4'C), lost a couple but the others are on the mend, with new growth showing and some with a flower or two.
Again this year the aubergines are not doing much, in fact from the 4 that went into the polytunnel only one is still alive, I'm going to have to do some research into growing these dam things.
The tomatoberries are doing good in there though, lots of new growth and it won't be long before I move the other tomatoes and the cucumber seedlings in there as well, it'll be like a forest inside the polytunnel when they all get going.
I used fleece to cover my fruit, but looking at your picture you have more than I do, and my solution is fine for my couple of bushes & dwarf cherry.
ReplyDeleteGuess we all must do what works for us
I like the idea of the fleece, we have a dwarf cherry at home, birds get to them every year, I have some fleece, so might give that a go.
ReplyDeleteI find the fleece serves two purposes, a bit of protection from wind, rain and mainly the birds
ReplyDeleteI drape it over and clip it to any convenient branch using plastic clothes pegs