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Fruit & Orchards

Using Tulle for netting on Blueberries?

13 years ago

I want to keep the birds away from my blueberries and they are currently in a position where that would be pretty easy to accomplish. I am thinking I would use tulle and drape it over the rows. Is this something at this point in the development of the fruits that would have to be removed regularly or at all? would it work? would it be worth the effort?

here are a few pics of how the berries look now.

{{gwi:105706}}

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Comments (8)

rasputinj
13 years ago
I don't have to cover them until they turn blue.
rjinga
Original Author
13 years ago
would the tulle work ok?
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I say, stick with the chicken wire and put a netting over that for chipmunks if you do not want to trap them out. If plants are still flowering when tulle goes over bees won't bet in. It also interferes with air-flow. I use chicken wire and trap them out every year before the berries are ripe. Some use rat wire on lower couple of feet which tends to discourage them.
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If you're like me and hate hate hate bird netting, you might want to try tulle fabric. It's inexpensive, very light, and excludes all but the smallest insects (as well as birds). It's not as durable, though, so you have to handle it with a bit more care. As for the repotting question, if you're merely transplanting and not excessively disturbing the roots, you could probably get away with repotting any time of year. Ideally, though, you'd go a step beyond and completely refresh the potting mix (i.e. bare root the plant), and that's best done in late winter/early spring before it emerges from dormancy.
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In the wedding dept of any fabric store you will find a couple of type of tulle as well as nylon net, which is even cheaper at about 60 cents/yard. If you just want to keep the birds out, nylon net is fine, and comes in 100 (apx) inch widths. I have a piece that moves from strawberries to black raspberries to blueberries. As an insect barrier you will need tulle, which has a finer mesh. Regular tulle is easy to fasten in place anywhere with clothespins. French tulle is slightly stretchy, a bit more durable, costs a little more. If I were to go to the trouble of sewing something, I would use French tulle.
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oregonwoodsmoke
13 years ago
Is tulle cheaper than bird netting?
planatus
13 years ago
The tulle is pretty cheap, works better than bird netting and looks better than row cover. You can pin the edges with clothespins, and easily get good coverage of blueberry bushes. I only need to cover them for the first two weeks of harvest season. Once the wild berries ripen the bird pressure lightens up and we take off the covers.

I read about it elsewhere, and when I went to the fabric store the saleslady said her sister's been using tulle on her strawberries for years.

Here is a link that might be useful: pic of tulle and blueberries
alan haigh
13 years ago
I say, build a chicken wire house with a nice door. Black plastic coated chicken wire lasts 20 years and the plants are worth it. I support the wire for snow load by putting up extra posts in the fall.
rjinga
Original Author
13 years ago
huh? build a chicken wire house? please explain
alan haigh
13 years ago
Mine is pretty primitive with raw cedar posts placed as they would be for a sturdy fence 8' tall. You want it large enough to comfortably move around in.

I didn't even run support from the tops of posts to help with snow load. I just strung up the chicken wire as tightly as I could with another person helping. The chicken wire roof is supported by poles that aren't even in the ground- pressure treated 8' 2"X2"s.

I used 6' wide 1" chicken wire and built the thing 15 years ago in a few hours and haven't had to worry about birds since. I should have buried the chicken-wire, however, so that I wouldn't have to trap out chip-monks every year.
alan haigh
13 years ago
Mine is pretty primitive with raw cedar posts placed as they would be for a sturdy fence 8' tall. You want it large enough to comfortably move around in.

I didn't even run support from the tops of posts to help with snow load. I just strung up the chicken wire as tightly as I could with another person helping. The chicken wire roof is supported by poles that aren't even in the ground- pressure treated 8' 2"X2"s.

I used 6' wide 1" chicken wire and built the thing 15 years ago in a few hours and haven't had to worry about birds since. I should have buried the chicken-wire, however, so that I wouldn't have to trap out chip-monks every year.

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