FRUIT cages are a super way of protecting your precious cargo from the salivating beaks of hungry garden birds, the dexterous clawing of squirrels or dogs and the sheer determination of a hungry child, writes TOM ATTWOOD.

The cage itself can be a simple arrangement of strong wooden posts knocked into the ground to make a crude tent with a taller pole at the centre to raise the height of the netting, with which you cover the entire structure. You can buy off the shelf cages which can be very expensive and look rather soulless. Your budget will in many respects dictate what you go for; there’s lots of inspiring ideas in books and on the web to look to for ideas.

For the plants themselves, fruit bushes respond well to good soil and one that is rich in organic matter. Traditionally fruit cages would be mulched in the spring or autumn with a generous layer of well-rooted stable manure, but today you might choose to use other materials or options. Effort put in at the start when developing the ground into which your plants will go secures a plentiful harvest in future seasons.

A good way to grow canes of raspberries is to create a post and wire frame onto which they can be trained in much the same way as you might a climbing rose. Maximising the space you have within your cage is key and this is often done by having a combination of trained plants on post and wire frames alongside free standing bushes such as gooseberries, black, white and redcurrants. If you’re keen to grow blueberries then do so by using large free-standing containers into which you can put ericaceous compost (sit these within your cage). This provides the acid conditions that blueberries need to produce a good crop. At this time of year you can source bare-root (field grown fruit bushes) that are far cheaper than pot grown plants and can be planted up until late March and early April.

Next week: protecting plants with a winter mulch