If you grow blueberries, you want to safeguard every berry from birds and pests, and the best way to do this is by enclosing your plants in cages, much the same as you would a tomato plant. Unlike caging tomato plants, all portions of a blueberry bush must be protected from the ground up, as all parts are attractive to some type of pest.
Measure the height and the circumference of the blueberry bush, and add 2 to 3 inches to these figures to allow for overlapping ends and growth.
Cut four wooden stakes to roughly 12 inches taller than the blueberry bush, to allow for growth, and trim one end of each into a point so you can drive it into the ground.
Trim the top, or long, edge of the chicken wire so it measures the same height as the wooden stakes and cut enough off the roll to measure the same length as the circumference of the bush. Wear gloves when cutting and working with chicken wire.
Divide the circumference figure by 4 and place the stakes on the ground, with the sharp ends facing down, and roughly one-fourth of the distance from each other.
Unroll the cut piece of chicken wire across the stakes on the ground, and adjust the distance between the stakes so two of them are positioned at the ends of the wire mesh. Position one stake one-fourth of the way along the chicken wire and the other three-fourths of the way along the chicken wire. Staple the mesh to the stakes from top to bottom, leaving no gaps.
Lift the cage up and wrap it around the blueberry bush with the pointed ends of the stakes facing the ground. Pound the stakes into the soil. Make sure no branches poke through the chicken wire.
Bring the front two stakes together and attach them together with plant ties. Put more plant ties down the length of the stakes.
Measure the diameter of the top of the cage and cut a piece of bird netting to fit. Allow a few extra inches for overhang. Drape netting over top of cage and secure it with plant clips or spring clothespins.
Remove the netting and undo the plant ties to open the cage when the blueberries are ready for picking and close it up again when you're finished.
Remove the bird netting, open the cage and fold it in half, and then in half again, to store it for the winter.
Things You Will Need
- Measuring tape
- Wooden stakes
- Sharp knife or small saw
- Wire cutters
- Chicken wire
- Staple gun and staples
- Hammer or mallet
- Bird netting
- Plant ties
- Plant clips
- This cage can be expanded to fit around two or more blueberry bushes by using more stakes and making the chicken wire longer.
- You can leave the cages up year-round. Remove the bird netting before winter if it snows in your area.
- Photos.com/Photos.com/Getty Images