On Fri, 06 Jul 2007 11:50:10 -0400, Keith Copi wrote:

"Prostetnic Vogon Jeltz" wrote in message
news
What's the best way to protect blueberries from birds?. Bird netting
gets all tangled on the bushes, is there a better way. My cat is doing
his part but he can't be there 24/7, is there something else that might
scare them away?

Josh

Josh,

Go to the hardware store. Starting in the electrical supplies aisle,
buy some one inch diameter plastic conduit. This is gray pvc with one
male end, one female end and is very flexible. Next go to the
cement/masonry aisle and get some 3/8 or 1/2 inch rebar (hopefully they
have some already cut to 2 foot lengths). Pound four two foot long
rebar rods in the ground, evenly spaced around the plant, with about 8
inches of rod above ground and about one foot out from the branches.
Insert the hollow end of the plastic conduit on one rod, then bend it in
an arch over the plant to the rod on the opposite side. Do that again
with the other two rods to create a second arch over the plant. Use
more than one piece of conduit joined together if needed to keep the
hoops off the branches. Do not worry about the two hoops touching,
being exactly centered or anything along those lines, each hoop can
stand on its own. You now have a smooth surface to easily pull a net
over without the net touching the branches. Modify as needed for long
rows.

Keith

Thanks, I really like this solution.