Fruit protection from wildlife - Grow your own fruit
Would you like to learn how to grow your own fruit? One of the most rewarding things you can do in your garden is growing your own fruit, and these days almost everyone’s doing it. You just can't beat home grown produce for flavour and freshness. No matter what size your garden is it is always possible to grow some of your favourite fruit.
We have a large assortment of fruit trees and plants at Powerscourt Garden Pavilion to get you started. If outdoor space is an issue we stock many mini fruit trees such as lemon and orange suitable for growing on a sunny windowsill. Or you could plant strawberries in a hanging basket. Fruit trees and bushes are grown in many back gardens in Ireland. They provide cheap, fresh fruit and require only basic care. A key part of caring for fruit trees is controlling pests that damage the fruit and covering trees in netting to stop birds and other animals from reaching the fruit.
Effective use of netting
Using the right type of netting will protect your fruit. Using the wrong type, or badly erected netting may still protect your fruit but it can also injure or kill native birds, if they become trapped in the net.
With a little thought and care, fruit trees can be netted so you can enjoy fresh fruit and wildlife too.
What's eating the fruit?
The first step in netting fruit trees is to identify what's eating the fruit and whether netting will solve the problem.
Fruit can be damaged by a range of ‘pests’, and for netting to have any impact, it must create a barrier between the fruit and the animal trying to eat it. Netting is only an effective solution where the fruit is being eaten by larger birds or mammals like rats.
Bird damage is relatively easy to detect as birds are active during the day and more likely to be seen while feeding. Mammals are nocturnal but will leave clues behind in the form of damaged fruit with teeth marks, or a scatter of droppings under the tree or bush.
We hope you enjoy tasty fruits from your garden this summer and I look forward to chatting with you at the Pavilion.
Justin Smyth,
Horticulturalist, Powerscourt Garden Pavilion
Effective use of netting
Using the right type of netting will protect your fruit. Using the wrong type, or badly erected netting may still protect your fruit but it can also injure or kill native birds, if they become trapped in the net.
With a little thought and care, fruit trees can be netted so you can enjoy fresh fruit and wildlife too.
What's eating the fruit?
The first step in netting fruit trees is to identify what's eating the fruit and whether netting will solve the problem.
Fruit can be damaged by a range of ‘pests’, and for netting to have any impact, it must create a barrier between the fruit and the animal trying to eat it. Netting is only an effective solution where the fruit is being eaten by larger birds or mammals like rats.
Bird damage is relatively easy to detect as birds are active during the day and more likely to be seen while feeding. Mammals are nocturnal but will leave clues behind in the form of damaged fruit with teeth marks, or a scatter of droppings under the tree or bush.
We hope you enjoy tasty fruits from your garden this summer and I look forward to chatting with you at the Pavilion.
Justin Smyth,
Horticulturalist, Powerscourt Garden Pavilion 
