Having a fruit cage is important to protect fruits, vegetables and plants from the wildlife and can save on hundreds of damaged plants a year. But to get the most out of your cage it's best to know what your needs are as well as what is suitable for the surrounding environment.
Let’s break this down into three key sections:
Weather: What is the weather like in your area?
British weather can be pretty temperamental, and it rains for over 40% of the year in some areas of the UK so it's important to choose a cage that can withstand rain, wind, snow or storms and other harsh weather conditions.
There are a range of materials that can be used to build fruit cage frames from galvanised steel metal fruit cages, pop up cages or wooden fruit cages.
Heavy-duty fruit cages made from galvanised steel are perfect for a stable, durable structure that can deal with harsh weather conditions and require little maintenance. These are more of a permanent option and can take a little time to put together but offer a strong protective result standing the test of time.
Pop up cages are perfect for a quick solution to a temporary problem and are easy to put up and take down. However, because of being lightweight, they are not as stable as permanent structures and can blow away during winds, collapse from the weight of rainfall or become easily damaged. These types of cages are a quick, cheap but temporary option.
Wooden cages are aesthetically pleasing to look at and merge well into the surrounding environment. However, they will need maintenance and expertise on how to put together. To prevent wood rot the wooden cage will need weatherproofing and could end up damaged by termites if not properly looked after along with harsh weather conditions.
Accessibility: Do you need to be able to access the plants easily?
Some plants require more care than others and you may want to check up on them every now and again or you may want to leave them to it.
Low cages are perfect for storing a large number of rooted plants and protecting rooted plants and vegetables. However it would be harder to access them as you would need to interfere with the netting or crouch down and this can be uncomfortable.
Having a walk-in cage means you can access fruits, plants or vegetables easily, getting up close with them to see the progress and acting on any maintenance needed. Although more space is needed for a walk-in cage, it will be accessible for standing up and walking around in.
Protection: What is the level of protection you require?
As well as there being different types of fruit cage frames there are also different types of nettings to protect the plants. two main types are listed below:
Insect netting is perfect to stop pests from accessing the plants and is typically made of a very fine plastic mesh to prevent insects from getting to your vegetation. This netting can be quite expensive and limits the amount of sun that enters the cage.
Bird netting is perfect for preventing birds and other animals from entering the cage while not compromising the amount of sunshine that enters. This option offers a cost effective solution and is typically the most common netting used.
Lockinex Fruit Cages
At Lockinex we currently stock heavy-duty galvanised steel walk-in fruit cages with an access door that come in kit form and require minimal tools to assemble.
Our cage comes with all the necessary components to put together and heavy-duty bird netting made from thick nylon woven plastic which is sure to deter any unwanted creatures from accessing your plants, fruits or vegetables. To utilise the most of the space, Lockinex fruit cage kits also come with hooks to hang baskets or tools.
All of our kits come with instructions on how to put them together.
We also have an overview video on how to assemble our on our website and YouTube channel which you can look at here.
Key clamp and tube are all available from stock should you wish to create your own bespoke fruit cage with netting of your choosing.
Speak to one of our sales advisors on how we can help bring your project to life
References:
https://www.onaverage.co.uk/weather-averages/average-rainfall-uk