You have grown some bush fruit in an organic garden and as the berries ripen all the birds you have fed through winter decide to feast on your well grown crops. What a good job you protected them in a fruit cage!

If you do not have a fruit cage yet, you can buy a Two Wests Standard 6′ High Fruit Cage 6′ x 12′ Cage from Amazon.

Blackcurrant and Jostaberry
Blackcurrants prefer a cool, clay-loam soil which is not too acidic pH 6.5.
They are gross feeders and like a rich fertile soil.
Blackcurrants are shallow rooting and require irrigation or good watering when dry.
Protection from frost may be needed for early flowering varieties.

Redcurrant and Whitecurrant
A potash rich, moist, well drained soil with a pH 6.0 is optimum.
Redcurrants will tolerate some shade but they prefer a sheltered, sunny site.
Early flowering varieties may need frost protection

Blueberry
Soil pH 3.5-5.5 in a free draining acidic light soil is optimum.
Blueberry will not tolerate heavy or alkaline soils.
Blueberries are shallow rooting and require irrigation or good watering when dry.
Mulch with acidic humus like composted bracken.
A frost free site in full sun is needed for best crops.

Raspberry
My father always grew his raspberries min a large cage – why feed the birds they want jam on it.
The canes tend to wander and in healthy soil need some control.

Gooseberry and Worcesterberry
Gooseberries prefer an open position with good air circulation.
Very light soils are unsuitable and a potash rich soil with pH 6.0 is optimum.
Gooseberries are the first soft fruit to flower so beware of frost.

Fruit nets are available from Thomson Morgan