You'd need to bend the conduit much more which might require heat to give it some inbuilt curvature. I've been thinking of something similar and was considering hammering 4 pieces of reo into the ground - near the tree base but (as you mentioned) with an outward angle. Then attaching 4 pieces of metal pipe - was unsure how to do the top and was thinking of conduit or maybe 12mm irrigation pipe.

@@BikerAU you don't need anything across the top. Let the net just span the top it doesn't need any support

@@BikerAU I literally just put 3 poles in ground leaning outward and netted it and done

@@artbyrobot1 - great - i will try that - thanks

@@BikerAU yeah you don't have to bend it, just put it in the ground non vertically facing outward to begin with, carefully design the angles to your liking before you push it into ground. my setup worked great this year. mowing was easy. I tarped around the tree first wider than my poles so you move right over the tarp edge and don't have to weed wack or anything.

Some people do it that way...depends on the tree.

Thanks, sounds like a good idea!

Great idea :)

I've heard of blank CDs hung onto fruit trees with fishing lines, they glint in the sunshine and scare away the birds ..

​@@QueenlySweetpea We tried that, the birds used them as perches to eat our cherries...

Thank you for this info

You can buy pvc couplings and glue them together. That's what I did for my fish pond.

Welcome aboard!

kzfaq.info/get/bejne/at58pqSV08fDiWg.html

Have you tried adding bird baths on the outside of your garden, even if you just put water in platters set out for the birds. Keep the water fresh. Birds are in need of liquid, and will get it from pecking your tomatoes if it is super hot outside.

I put them in far enough so they don't fall over. How far depends on the soil.

Bird netting - correct size for trees. Electrical conduit - 20mm. Possibly star pickets to tie conduit to - depending on situation.

So 3m up, 2m across and 3m down? 3+2+3=8. Minimum size 8m square. Probably get a 10m square net...maybe a little too large, but better that way than too small!

Overhead shots are from a drone.

Or from the top of a building or helicopter or super tall ladder.

I generally buy my nets from Bunnings.

4m lengths.

It's really just a 20mm (3/4 inch) pvc pipe, so if you can't find it in the electrical section try the plumbing area - pvc water pipe would work fine, but is likely to be more expensive.

@@homesteading I tried using pvc pipe but I can't get it uniform when I bend it for arches. Is there any trick to getting them to bend to the same shape?

@@carolparrish194 Try laying it in the sun for a few hours. This will make the PVC more pliable.

​@@carolparrish194 use a heat gun or hair drier. Also make it an X on top and secure both pipes with zip ties.

Bunnings

Bees need to pollinate the flowers, they cannot get thru tulle. Tulle is great for plants that do not need bees, like cabbages, anything in the brassica family. Or for on top once everything has been pollinated.

@@sn232 Well most of the year is not time for pollenation and if you are dealing with young trees pollenation is not an issue since you are focused on growth and not fruit yet.

@@artbyrobot1 Thank you for explaining that

You can remove the net once all the fruit has been harvested for the season. Then all the pollinators will have access to new flowers that bloom.

@@windybeach2184 great point!

1 inch

Any bird net, readily available from any garden store and some hardware stores (ie Bunnings) here in Australia.

homesteader fifty w/ ricky & martha thank you!

If you’re in Gippsland, Victoria, you should be able to purchase the amount you need if you try Browns Stockfeeds, Leongatha. They sell by the metre. You can also buy the correct shears for cutting the netting.

Lyndell Barnes thank you for the information, I’m in Texas (USA)though. 😊 I did go online and find just what I needed to cover my crops! I have a terrible time growing squash and pumpkins due to squash vine borers, so I think that if I can cover my plants with a mesh, it may just keep the moth off of my plants! 😊 Thank you again!

Bunnings in NSW Aus.

Agreed 100%. We got blueberries, peaches, figs, cherries, loquat and after hundreds of dollars a year on fertilizers, water, mulch, etc... we lose everything to birds, squirls, rabbits and we don't even get 1 fruit and still had to buy. That hurts!

Yes, but in countries (like the U.S.) that allow GMOs & the use of all kinds of poisons in produce, we can't easily obtain fruit that tastes good, has actual nutrients in it, and isn't going to kill us someday...unless we grow it ourselves. Farmer's markets are still a good option (for now) but the stuff @ the grocery store is routinely spoiled or flavorless. Until we get a better govt, I'll have to fight the birds for our berries!

@@joaquinsuarez6090 I have one problem only: Crows, they eat everything you mentioned above, so I don't spend much money on fruit trees, just to keep them alive without chemicals