Monday, July 31, 2006
Gardeners versus birds
Birds inspire mixed emotions in gardeners. Chubby sparrows twittering in the trees are cheery harbingers of spring--until they start snatching your flower and vegetable seedlings. Robins and jays earn some fans with their cocky personalities, but admirers melt away when the birds attack garden fruits and berries.
Is there any sure way to protect your garden bountry without harming avian invaders? We asked our readers to tell us which methods have proved effective for them and which flopped. More than 200 responded.
Plastic netting. Clear winner in the anti-bird sweepstakes is the plastic bird netting sold at nurseries and garden supply centers, though it too had its critics:
"I hope someone can find a way to net a tree, other than with a helicopter or crane, that does not produce an irate husband. And don't suggest a new husband--this one is fine except when you say bird net," wrote one gardener.
Alas, no one reported a foolproof way to get nets effortlessly over vulnerable trees such as cherries and figs, but one gardener devised a method that can reduce the frustration (see drawings at right). For a 10- to 12-foot tree, use a 13- by 25-foot net. For a 20-foot tree, you'll need two 13-by 45-foot nets. cost is $20 to $25 per net.
To simplify using the net over planting beds, many gardeners built support frames such as the PVC arches pictured above. Also popular were frames made of 1-by-2 redwood with netting stapled on. These were usually 1 to 2 feet high, about 6 feet long, and as wide as the garden rows; they can be easily lifted off for weeding and harvesting. (Shown is a flat frame with chicken wire.)
Stockings, bags, baskets. Clusters of grapes can be covered with nylon stockings, paper lunch bags, or pockets made with bird netting or tulle cloth secured at the top of the stems. Cover grapes before they start to turn color. Strawberry baskets are perfect for protecting vulnerable seedling such as Iceland poppies and ranunculus.
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