fruit cage idea

[devonwoody]

Any ideas how to fix to a garden plot without much ground works.

 

[Benchwayze]

Woody,

I would think at least four main corner posts concreted in. (Maybe two more in between, on the longer sides.)

Maybe also use those metal sleeves. At the minimum you would need pressure treated timber for this job. (I'd use it throughout TBH.) And galvanised coach bolts or coach-screws to fix it together.

I don't see how you could get away with any less groundwork than that. You would of course need a long level!

You might consider using Concrete Godfathers at each corner instead. Depends on cost I suppose.

Edit:
:idea:
You could base the sizes on standard fence panels. Use Fence posts, and instead of dropping in fencing panels, make frames with netting attached, so these just slide in as in a fencing job. )

HTH

John

 

[devonwoody]

Thanks.

I'll tell the wife to go to Sainsburys. :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[Benchwayze]

Thanks.

I'll tell the wife to go to Sainsburys. :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Well that's a good idea too! 8)

The most basic set up is good, long gardening canes, and strong, plastic string. After all the netting is only required while the bushes are in fruit. They can be taken down after harvesting.

Again it depends on how permanent you want this to be.

John

 

[toysandboats]

DW,
I went through this about 4 months ago when we got our allotment. I ended up buying a tubular metal one from William James in Bridport.

My original plan was to make it from 2" square tanalised wood and use Metposts. It is 6m x 3m and 2m high & the wood was going to cost £100 and the metposts a similar amount (£6.50 each and needed 15). Then I added the netting and a door and it was up to £250.

My metal one was £234 complete and took less than 3 hours to assemble the frame (including the door), cover it in net and plant the first gooseberry bush. Looking back, there was no competition, the metal one was the only choice for me. The metal uprights are 25mm diameter (OD) and they sit in 26mm diameter (ID) metal tubes that you hammer into the ground - perhaps you could adapt this method if you want to use wooden uprights (wooden post in a 40cm piece of scaffolding pole)?

It looks as if your costs are £180 for a fruit cage - William James would almost do your size (3.5m x 2m) for £161.10 with free delivery.

If you're determined to go the wooden route, I suggest you use rigid plastic mesh for the sides and the nylon mesh for the roof - William James can supply that. They do recommend that you remove the roof covering and either leave it open for the winter or else change to a large diameter mesh to keep the pigeons out. They recommend this to prevent the roof collapsing under the weight of snow. The additional roof netting (100mm mesh) costs an extra £11 and can be exchanged in 20 minutes.

Hope this helps and I'm happy to answer any other queries
As ever, no connection with the firm, just a happy customer with an first class fruit cage that works well.

David

 

[RogerP]

We bought a green aluminium one about the size you need for about £110 about 7 years ago - still okay.

They have much less visual impact than anything made from wood and only take half a day to put up and be ready.

 

[devonwoody]

I'm going to enroll my wife at the London School of Economics she should then be able to work out the cost of each raspberry, and then calculate its cost again at a ten year life span.
(I cant think of the word that accountants use for this sort of calculation )

Thanks all, I'm going back to tissue box making it only costs me around £120 per year for materials. :wink:

 

[Digit]

Our local newspaper not infrequently has people offering greenhouses for sale, often with many broken glass panes, same at Tesco.
I paid £50 for same, covered with mesh they are ideal.

Roy.

 

[Benchwayze]

I'm going to enroll my wife at the London School of Economics she should then be able to work out the cost of each raspberry, and then calculate its cost again at a ten year life span.
(I cant think of the word that accountants use for this sort of calculation )

Thanks all, I'm going back to tissue box making it only costs me around £120 per year for materials. :wink:

Isn't this a 'forward cost projection' Woody?
Sounds good even if it isn't! :lol:

Regards

John

 

[devonwoody]

Digit, that is a really good one.

B, there is another word accountants use?

 

[woodstainwilly]

Do you have a demolition site or a reclamation yard handy.
If you have, get some conduit tubing and the corner and junction boxes.
it makes the father of all cages. No ground work, just hammer the uprights
into the ground. It will last for years with no maintenance except changing
the netting every few years. Mine is around 20 years old and going strong.
Willy.

 

[devonwoody]

Not in Torbay :roll:

 

[Digit]

Woody, if you check E-Bay under Greenhouses used there are quite a few for beer money in your neck of the woods, if you wish to take that route.

Roy.

 

[Geofrey]

Thanks.

I'll tell the wife to go to Sainsburys. :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

well good luck with that.

 

[Benchwayze]

How about trying some 18mm plastic pipe and elbows Woody.
If you push it deep enough, and use a little concrete to bed the uprights, it should survive the wind, and it certainly won't rot.

John

 

[Woodchips2]

I'm going to enroll my wife at the London School of Economics she should then be able to work out the cost of each raspberry, and then calculate its cost again at a ten year life span.
(I cant think of the word that accountants use for this sort of calculation )

It's called a cost/benefit analysis. However the accountants don't allow for the fact you can pick the produce when it is ready to eat and you know what chemicals have been sprayed or not sprayed on it. Also you haven't screwed the suppliers until the pips squeak!

Regards Keith