Gourock 3/4-inch mesh nylon net is horrendously expensive, but it was what I
could find a few years back. I justified it at the time as a lifetime
investment to share between cherries and blueberries. Worked great. (My
birds were going right through the usual garden-store plastic bird netting.)
I found a somewhat more economical netting source this year, nylon 1/2-inch
mesh that looks like it could do the job -- see the Lee Valley garden tool
catalog (page 60 item #PA205 and #PA206). Comes in 12-foot width, 12 x 29 is
$31.50, 12 x 117 is $109. There's also a cheaper 1-1/4 inch mesh, but that's
probably too big a mesh for bird protection.
I also keep meaning to mention for the folks trying to root pears, Lee
Valley also offers an interesting-looking air-layer rooting kit ("rooter
pot"). I wondered if it would by chance work for black raspberries, so I
ordered a set to try.
I hate those guys -- they are always finding stuff I can't do without. :-)
Pete Tallman
Longmont, CO
(where it's been entirely too warm so far this year, and the orchard is
responding. Ure pear is in bloom already!)
[NAFEX] bird netting ... (and pear rooting),
Pete Tallman, 04/03/2005