By Canalhopper
Denbighshire,
United Kingdom 
Fruit cages
I want to put up a fruit cage to protect my soft fruit.
Earlier this year I put in two rows of raspberry canes planted 6' apart--that was the distance I read they should be. However, it seems a very big gap. (See below)
I have about another eight raspberry canes to put in, plus two each of redcurrant, blackcurrant and gooseberry. "The Book" says they should be 5' apart. Finally I would like to put in a blackberry bramble.
Now, please could someone tell me--
are the present raspberry canes too far apart?
do the currant and gooseberry bushes really need to be 5' apart
because it seems to me that I'm going to need an enormous cage to enclose all of these.
Many thanks
3 Sep, 2012
Answers
We keep raspberry canes at 30" to 36" appart. The bushier fruits like gooseberries and currants need to be further appart.
3 Sep, 2012
Is that 30-36" for each plant or for the rows, Bulbaholic?
3 Sep, 2012
For each plant Ch. Ah, you are asking for row distance appart? When we originally planted we had three rows three feet appart - this was too close. We removed the middle row so now have two rows six feet appart - this is too much! I would have though four or five feet to be optimal - four would be a bit of a squeeze but do-able, anything over would make working easier.
3 Sep, 2012
your welcome
3 Sep, 2012
to get more in try planting the first row as described. the second row plant inbetween the plants etc [diamond pattern if that makes sense]
I have a fruit cage its well worth the money. gooseberrys and black currants are 4ft apart and it is just enough to allow growth and air circulation.
4 Sep, 2012
Thank you all for your advice. I'm thinking over the possibilities.
5 Sep, 2012
your welcome anytime .
5 Sep, 2012
as mature plants that distance is fine . what you need to do rather than a cage is use gardening netting thats tied of to to bamboo canes or stapled to a frame or two of rough sawn 2" x 1" wooden frame . dont get too fine a mesh as the bees will need to get in there .
3 Sep, 2012