Netting a tree?

Mercenary Keyboard Warrior · 21 Aug 2019 at 12:47

I have a plum tree at my allotment, it was acquired on one of the plots so no idea on the rootstock etc.

The issue I have is the pigeons. The first year I though the tree was duff, not converting the flowers into fruit. I cut it back heavily as I planned to remove it, I mean it was practically just a trunk at that point, but I never got round to getting it out so by the next spring it was bursting to life, loads of new wood, so I left it, then put the failed crop again down to it coming back to life.
Winter just gone I trimmed it a bit and sorted it out, this year it was covered in flowers and these converted to tiny plums. Then a few weeks later almost all gone, I checked very specifically under it and no sign of fallen fruit, so I came to the conclusion its the pigeons. There are a lot around and others have mentioned they do clear some of the trees.

I would build a cage over it, but its clearly quite a large growing one, its now around 3 meters or so, so impossible to pick at that height and it would be one hell of a cage to cover it.

So I was wondering about netting it. Its about the only option i can come up with, but is it even really possible? As much as I dont want to rip it out its not gaining me anything and does attract annoying flies etc. i am wondering as to whether I should give netting it a go (how?) or just rip it out and think about another tree in its place.

I do have an apple tree but its a dwarf rootstock one which should max out around 1.8m, so I will be extending my cage to cover it, which is 2.2M high and along side. (My existing fruit cage is 13M x 8M, covering half a standard allotment plot).

Anyone have any knowledge in netting a tree etc?

cheesyboy · 21 Aug 2019 at 13:01

Can't help, but surprised at plum trees getting cleared. We've got 2 plums, and a greengage, plus 3 apple trees, and I've never noticed the birds getting at the plums in any material way. We even have a wood pigeon who nests in one or other of the plum/greengage trees every year. The apples are always fine too. Late frosts are the worst - kills off the plum blossom some years.

The cherry tree, on the other hand, gets cleared at the merest hint of red appearing on the fruit. I never get to eat them

Mercenary Keyboard Warrior · 21 Aug 2019 at 13:08

cheesyboy said:
Can't help, but surprised at plum trees getting cleared. We've got 2 plums, and a greengage, plus 3 apple trees, and I've never noticed the birds getting at the plums in any material way. We even have a wood pigeon who nests in one or other of the plum/greengage trees every year. The apples are always fine too. Late frosts are the worst - kills off the plum blossom some years.

The cherry tree, on the other hand, gets cleared at the merest hint of red appearing on the fruit. I never get to eat them

Yeah thanks, the reason I dont think its the frost is the people diagonally opposite end of the site also have a plum tree and get good crops so I think if it was frost it would be that.
2018 there was a late frost, we didnt have one in 2019 after the plums appeared so 99% sure its no that.

The pigeons are a nightmare near me. Last year they would fly into my cage through a small gap I had left above the door, to eat my strawberries! It was a small roughly 80cm x 20cm hole. Right in the top corner, they learned really quickly how to get in and out. i went up there one time and one was in my cage, when I opened it he waited until I was away from the door, then flew round the edge and straight out, no panic, knew exactly what he was doing. They were eating the raspberries as well before I moved them into the cage.

I am starting to come round to killing the tree and getting a new one, on smaller rootstock, so I can extend the cage to cover that at the same time. I am not even that taken with plums it was just that it was already there when we got there.
Positive is that plum wood performs much like mesquite in a smoker

Semple · 21 Aug 2019 at 16:10

Mercenary Keyboard Warrior said:
Yeah thanks, the reason I dont think its the frost is the people diagonally opposite end of the site also have a plum tree and get good crops so I think if it was frost it would be that.

Do they have theirs netted?

My folks net both their plums and apple trees to stop natures pesky thieves from stealing the fruit. The plum tree i reckon has to be at least 2.5-2.8m tall. They've got two big nets that they essentially wrap around it and over the top and then peg it together.

I don't think it completely stops it as you'll still have fruit growing at the ends of the branches which they can get to through the net, but the bulk of the plums remain in the middle and are quite protected.

It should also help with the wasps, as there was always the problem with plums (probably being sweeter) where the birds would peck at them, but then leave the broken fruit attracting wasps etc.

Mercenary Keyboard Warrior · 21 Aug 2019 at 16:12

Semple said:
Do they have theirs netted?

My folks net both their plums and apple trees to stop natures pesky thieves from stealing the fruit. The plum tree i reckon has to be at least 2.5-2.8m tall. They've got two big nets that they essentially wrap around it and over the top and then peg it together.

I don't think it completely stops it as you'll still have fruit growing at the ends of the branches which they can get to through the net, but the bulk of the plums remain in the middle and are quite protected.

It should also help with the wasps, as there was always the problem with plums (probably being sweeter) where the birds would peck at them, but then leave the broken fruit attracting wasps etc.

No theirs are not netted, but we are close to some of the trees where the pigeons nest, where as those are furthest away from them. They do go all over, but we seem to have them far more.
One of my plot neighbours swears they spend all the time watching him to turn his back

Semple · 21 Aug 2019 at 16:22

Mercenary Keyboard Warrior said:
No theirs are not netted, but we are close to some of the trees where the pigeons nest, where as those are furthest away from them. They do go all over, but we seem to have them far more.
One of my plot neighbours swears they spend all the time watching him to turn his back

Yeah i guess typical lazy pigeons just going after the closest easiest fruit. Maybe after you've netted yours, your neighbours will notice the fruit on their tree starting to vanish

.

Anyway i don't think the nets were that expensive and didn't take that long to wrap up around the tree. Probably worth one more shot before calling it time.

NoobCannon · 21 Aug 2019 at 17:36

Interested in this as i have a hazelnut tree and the squirrels are starting to get on my natch eating all the nuts.

Dis86 · 21 Aug 2019 at 22:49

Birds of prey are your friend. Even fake ones.

Mercenary Keyboard Warrior · 22 Aug 2019 at 13:48

Dis86 said:
Birds of prey are your friend. Even fake ones.

Does nothing at our allotments, there are plenty of fake hawks, owls, all sorts of other bird scaring devices as well
Nothing works, they just get used to items and then tend to use them as perches. Nothing more annoying that spending a hour constructing a lifelike scarecrow than coming back a few days later to see 2 pigeons sitting on its arms!