Protecting strawberries

[Guest guest]

>

> But I heard somewhere that the nets can catch the birds and become a trap

> for them, I would not like to do that unless absolutely unavoidable.

> We have already a few mulberries, and goseberries too, maybe as the

> different plants of the garden grow bigger year after year they will protect

> eachother. Last year was the first year for the strawberries.

 

Mulberries are supposed to be good as a diversion crop to draw the appetites of

birds away from more valuable berries.

 

I have used the netting on blueberries, and one day a large black snake,

about

6 foot long, was stuck in it. they are large and scary looking but harmless to

humans and good vermin predators. It started through the holesand got stuck

going forward, then when it tried to back out, its scales got caught like

barbs (does that make sense? they are overlapping so going forward they slid

through, but going backwards they got caught).

 

It was quite an experience cutting the netting off. I worked from the tail

forward, and by the time I got to the head, if I hadn't felt responsible for

his predicament, I would have abandoned the task. I think he was in their for

quite some time before I found him, as he seemed weak. Blueberry season had

passed, and I hadn't been in the patch for some time. I should have removed

the netting immediately , but was not timely, and didn't think it would hurt

to leave it on. Even in his weakened state, it was still very touchy cutting

the multiple layers of netting from his head, as they were imbedded into the

scales from his exertions. I didn't want to hurt him, and did manage to not

draw any blood but it was slow going and my natural fear of snakes had my mind

giving me all kinds of rationalizations for abandoning the task before it was

complleted. It was also complicated by the fact he wasn't percieving me as a

savior, and seemed predisposed to strike, which is painful I assumed even

without any venom.

 

As for birds, they can only getr stuck if they can get under the edges. In

strawberries, the edges should be to the ground all around. In the

blueberries, we used clothespins to close openings around the bottom as best

as

possible, and didn't have too much trouble.

 

The "scary eye" type ballon from japan will deter flock type birds (the many

types lumped together as black birds) and that is a lot of your problem, but

other types weren't phased by them.

 

Mulberries, "scary eyes", and a little tolerance can replace netting, but

netting is the best.

 

Still not reading all the em ails, but strawberries caught my eye.

 

we are eating fresh berries, rhubarb/strawberry chutney, and have even

started

drying a few.

 

Hare Krsna

gosh

 

PS

 

My adult league soccer team just beat the top ranked team in the league 5-3

last

Sunday, after losing to them 6-1 in the first go around, so I am happy. All

detractors please note - I play soccer and enjoy it. Something else to throw

out when attacking me personally (don't say I never did anything for you!).

[Guest guest]

"COM: Madhava Gosh (das) ACBSP (New Vrindavan - USA)" wrote:

 

> [Text 2390328 from COM]

>

> Still not reading all the em ails, but strawberries caught my eye.

>

> we are eating fresh berries, rhubarb/strawberry chutney, and have even

> started

> drying a few.

>

> Hare Krsna

> gosh

>

> PS

>

> My adult league soccer team just beat the top ranked team in the league 5-3

> last

> Sunday, after losing to them 6-1 in the first go around, so I am happy. All

> detractors please note - I play soccer and enjoy it. Something else to throw

> out when attacking me personally (don't say I never did anything for you!).

 

Soccer sounds like a good way to build community relations with non-devotees.

I'm

sure your team mates know you are a Hare Krsna. Often friendship first and

then

philosophy is an effective way of preaching. You are just one of their buddies

(presumably non-drinking) but then when something goes wrong such as divorce or

death or accident, they may turn to you for advice, since they perceive you as

some

type of "spiritual" person. Unfortunately, I'm not at all athletic. Though I

did

walk from New York to Maine once -- but that was years ago. Today it's a

challenge

for me to hike up a moderate-sized mountain.

 

Anyway, congratulations on your championship -- and enhanced preaching

opportunities.

 

your servant,

 

Hare Krsna dasi

[Guest guest]

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

> As for birds, they can only getr stuck if they can get under the edges.

> In strawberries, the edges should be to the ground all around. In the

> blueberries, we used clothespins to close openings around the bottom as

> best as possible, and didn't have too much trouble.

Thank you for the explanation when I finally understood that it wrote

clothes-pins and not clothe-spins it became quite logical.

>

> The "scary eye" type ballon from japan will deter flock type birds (the

> many types lumped together as black birds) and that is a lot of your

> problem, but other types weren't phased by them.

We mainly have blackbirds. That was a good idea, never heard of that

before.

 

Thanks for the dramatic story too, gave a nice mental picture of the

kindness of a devotee.

 

Your servant Gunamani d.d.

[Guest guest]

> Several possibilities:

>

> 1. Netting. We have a neighbor who is a florist and has a garden and

> fruit trees. He covers the fruit trees with netting to keep away the

> birds. It is woven with big holes in it, something like a fishing net.

> Since we live next to the ocean, perhaps it is fish net.

 

Netting works but it is relatively costly and if trees are netted summer

pruning is difficult.

 

> 2. Plant trees for the birds. I have heard that you can plant a very

> bland-flavored berry such as the mulberry. Birds prefer this to the

> berries which humans like. They like strawberries, but if they can get

> mulberries, they like them better. (Obviously, this solution is not one

> that will work for you this year.)

 

Sacrilege, mulberries are delicious. I have spent hours in mulberry trees

picking buckets of them. This was in a hot dry climate and maybe the berries

are sweeter there. It was a grape growing area. We have recently planted a

mulberry called the King Shatoot, it has long white white berries up to

100mm long with sugar content of 30%. maybe I will use strawberries as a

diversion crop to keep the birds away :-)

So mulberries are a great bird attractor but then what can we use to keep

the birds from the mulberries? Maybe they will leave enough mulberries and

strawberries for us if we plant alaeagnus a fruiting tree that fixes

nitrogen. The birds reportedly like the fruit but again so do humans, what

to do, the list can go on endlessly but at least there will be plenty of

variety to eat.

 

> 3. Cats.

 

Cats eat birds but they also eat lizards and frogs. Birds, lizards and frogs

are predators of insects, slugs and snails so I deter cats at all costs.

 

> 4. Dogs.

 

Great for eating that vermin cat :-)

 

Your servant, Gokula das.