Protecting cherries…

[CurlewKate]

i gave my dh a very tiny cherry tree as a present brought from TicToc shop!) to our amazement it had some lovely blossom and now has 6 tiny cherries!🥰 We need to protect them from birds- but I’m worried that birds might get trapped if we put a net over it- is that a thing or am I catastrophising? The tree is about a meter high, and is in quite a big pot. Please don’t laugh at us-we’re excited about our harvest!🤣

You can get fruit protection mesh bags to tie around them. Should be easy enough with 6 cherries to protect them. No mocking here, we had one kiwiberry between 4 of us last year 😁

People put all sorts over the cherry trees at my allotment site! Tights, plastic bottles, special covers, carrier bags...

Proper fruitcages are 'best' but needs must sometimes! The things that cover individual branches seem more successful than nets that go over the whole tree, although the the squirrels can rip most things off if they wish.

You can get finer mesh - butterfly proof - that birds don't get stuck in. But one of those reusable supermarket veg bags will probably be enough for 6 cherries.

Do you know what kind of cherry tree it is? Some produce eating cherries and some cooking cherries.

I've put the small organza bags you buy in 50s for jewellery gift bags over my strawberries. Could that work for you?

Are you sure that the cherries are edible and not just ornamental?

No idea! If they survive we’ll check. It’s become a challenge to save them til they’re ripe now!

Damn. I wish I’d read this before I bought a bag to cover the whole tree-I’ve got a million of those little ones!