Everyone loves strawberries, and for a good reason - strawberries are delicious, juicy and nutritious. The harvest of juicy strawberries does not only depend on good plant care. Protection from birds is also very important so that they can enjoy a bountiful harvest. Because not only people like the delicious fruits, but also birds and pests. Nothing is more frustrating than losing your berries when blackbirds have stolen your crop. Some gardeners don't know what to do when they see birds pecking at strawberries. Luckily, there are some easy ways you can protect your strawberries from blackbirds. If you don't take action, birds can cause a lot of damage to a strawberry garden. Below you will find out how to protect your valuable plants.
Protect strawberries from blackbirds with bird protection net
This is one of the easiest and safest ways to protect strawberries from hungry birds. A bird net is an effective and inexpensive solution to the problem. Netting, attached to a frame like a floating row cover or held over the plants by stakes with upturned flower pots, keeps birds from reaching the berries. Simply drape the netting over your berry bushes and plants to prevent pests from getting to them. Just make sure the supports are high enough so that the netting doesn't crush your plants. This allows pollinators access to the flowers while keeping birds away.
Cloche is a common method of plant protection
How can you protect your strawberries from birds? Many gardeners use a cloche to protect each plant individually. If you have a small strawberry patch, this is a good option, or if you protect your strawberries from birds on the balcony. You can make your own cloche from household items, e.g. B. made of chicken wire, plastic bottles, greenhouse film with holes. If you use foil, it should be thicker than the typical hardware store foil of 4 or 6mm. It must also be completely transparent. Remember that during the flowering periodpollinators accessto the plants.
Protect strawberries from pests with deterrent measures
You can drive birds away from your garden by taking a few deterrent measures. Birds are afraid of shiny objects and noise. In sunny weather, the surface of panes and ribbons reflects the sun's rays. Therefore, use objects that move and glow. You can e.g. B. Use old CDs and DVDs, they are perfect as bird repellents. Other helpful items include mirrors, a scarecrow made of aluminum foil, disposable cake tins hung on a string, streamers or windsocks. Noise makers can also scare birds away very effectively. Wind chimes are an excellent option. In strong winds, foil also emits low-frequency noises that scare the birds away.
Protect strawberries in the bed with sticks and twigs
Many gardeners use sticks and twigs to deter birds and it is a simple and effective trick. Place the repellent upright in the soil around the plants, close enough so that the birds have nowhere to land comfortably. At the same time, you need to create enough space so that you can properly care for the plants. You can do a lot with sticks and twigs tooPlants in the gardenprotect while they are not yet fully established and are at risk of being damaged by birds and pests.
The classic defense method with a scarecrow
The garden scarecrow is often used by gardeners in plant protection. A scarecrow resembles a human figure, so birds do not dare to approach the berries. How do you make the device? You need to form a cross from two sticks or poles. Then take a small sack, stuff it with straw and attach it to the top part of the scarecrow. This is how the head is made. Then you need to put on a mannequin or another larger bag for the body. You can also attach a hat. Additionally, you can hang CDs and various rattles that make noise when the wind blows.
Trick the birds with fake strawberry rocks
This is a very creative way to keep pests away from your berry bushes. You can easily make strawberry rocks by painting fruit-sized rocks strawberry red. How does the trick work? Place the strawberry dummies around your plants at the beginning of the growing season to attract birds.The birds willget used to the sight of strawberries before the real fruit comes. And by then they will have given up eating them, saving your delicious strawberries.
Using Fake Predators in the Garden
More tips and tricks for protecting strawberries. You can use rubber snakes and inflatable owls in the garden because they successfully imitate natural predators. Owls are considered birds of prey and scare away harmful birds. Using a dummy owl on a strawberry bed is effective against annoying birds because the bait prevents the birds from landing. Consider changing the position of the dummies every few days because birds quickly figure out that they aren't moving.
