How To Build A DIY Walk In Fruit Cage

In this video, I show my DIY solution to how to build a walk in fruit cage. It is a durable walk in fruit cage made from galvanised steel and joined together using the Kee clamp system, that hopefully will last for many years.
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Walk-in fruit cages are permanent structures, designed to protect the fruit harvest, while making it easy for a gardener to move around in to care for the plants. They can be found in gardens or on allotment plots. Fruit cages can be expensive to buy as kits, especially when made to measure.
I wanted a walk-in steel fruit cage, made to the exact size for my plot, and at an affordable price. In this video I share the principals of how to create a fruit cage, and what to consider when making one. At the end of the video there is a summary of all the materials I sourced, and how I made the fruit cage step by step. What I really like about this approach, is that if in the future I want to expand the fruit cage, it will be easy to extend by changing the clamps used and buying more steel tubing.

[@derekprice7747]

I congratulate you on a brilliant commentry && filming of this video. Everything was covered, even how you got around your initial error with the cage door. Well done!

[@ronj5714]

Well done. I was thinking of doing something like this for keeping garden bugs off my cucumbers & tomatoes- then I heard you say allowing for pollinators. I was like, wait.. they got to get in. Lol. Great job here.

[@amykatuska]

The trench to tuck the net in a foot is a great idea!

[@ursulabilson2658]

thanks for the diagram at the end, and through commentry.

[@AllotmentBook]

Glad it was helpful!

[@poornimarai6130]

Thank you very much for a clear guide to putting up a fruit cage

[@dansidi1]

Very helpful, thanks for making this video. Please can you share where you sourced the tubing and clamps from. Thank you.

[@chrisrickert5557]

Thank you for some great ideas for creating a fruit cage!

[@buddyrevell511]

Currants! Oh my oh my... an Austrian recipe called "Rebieselschnitten" is my favorite dessert in the whole world, and is made with those delicious, sweet, tart red currants! Thank you for showing them and bringing me back to my childhood.

[@AllotmentBook]

I need to look that recipe up! thank you for your comment.

[@buddyrevell511]

@@AllotmentBook You're very welcome sir... thank you for the brilliant video!

[@neilphilip2320]

Really excellent! I may have to re-think my design now! Very thoroughly explained and I'm now keyed up ready to keep the so***ing blackbirds off my prize blackcurrants.

[@AllotmentBook]

thank you very much for your comment! it is very frustrating to lose a harvest to birds!

[@Chrisking85]

Amazing I absolutely love it. I will be using your craftsmenship to build my own this year. What a lovely looking plot you have tnx for the videos

[@AllotmentBook]

Thank you very much for taking the time to comment. Much appreciated.

[@chrisparvin9191]

Thank you. so many tips that I just wouldnt have thought about, at least not until too late :)

[@AllotmentBook]

Thank you very much for your comment.

[@poornimarai6130]

Thank you for guiding through installation of grout cage. I am planning to have a plot for soft fruits and will follow your plan. Love the low maintenance ground cover. I have done a cage with bamboo sticks for my brassica cage with weed suppression and works well too..

[@melissamybubbles6139]

This is brilliant. Now I want to cover the raised herb bed this way, except I'll be protecting it from snow. However, I'd love to grow raspberries, and a container raised off the ground covered in this sort of crop cage would be the perfect way to prevent raspberries from becoming a neighborhood weed. It might help me protect blueberries from the drying western US wind too. Now I need to figure out an easy way to automatically acidify the water. Do you think putting vinegar in a small watering bulb or in a self-watering container bottom once a week or so would be enough, if I planted the blueberries entirely in an acidic medium?

[@beestonbump1106]

Thanks, I'm going to try this, this winter

[@tessj666]

This is great, I have already used your ideas to replace an apple espalier trellis (was wood and rotting). I'm now going to embark on a fruit cage of a similar scale to yours. One question, do you think it was worth digging in the posts (50cm) ? I'm planning on not digging mine in as its going to be next to an old hedge and chopped down massive cherry tree (lots of roots), but instead put diagonal bracing tubes to keep it square in the wind. Also I'll use some base plates to stop the upright tubes sinking. It will be replacing a plastic covered metal fruit cage (inherited) which is acting rather flimsily in the wind. Let me know if you have any thoughts. Thanks again. FYI on the rooty side of the cage will be blueberries in large pots for the ericaceous compost, so they won't suffer from the existing roots.

[@Mike-en7xy]

Great video. Where did you buy the poles and clamps from please?

[@mariacottle3355]

Thank you very much for your information

[@AllotmentBook]

thank you!

[@djames2377]

Great video mate

[@AllotmentBook]

Thanks 👍

[@willdatsun]

recommendation for supplier of tubes and clamps in uk?

[@janknapp5353]

Great tips, thanks very much for sharing

[@AllotmentBook]

thank you very much for your comment

[@billbirkbeck4113]

Great video. Could cardboard and bark chippings be used in place of the weed suppressant ? Would it encourage slugs etc ?

[@AllotmentBook]

Thank you very much for your comment.. Yes, I think cardboard and wood chippings would work well. If the cardboard is completely covered by the wood chippings this should help to reduce any slug problems.

[@stevebaguley594]

Hi Is there a reason why you haven't covered your hybrid berries? Ours also get eaten by the birds. Maybe that's the extension project you hinted at?

[@AllotmentBook]

The hybrid berries are now in my fruit cage, to protect from birds (as you mention). You may like to see this page: www.allotmentbook.co.uk/contents/making-a-steel-walk-in-fruit-cage/

[@ben-fe3zy]

Really useful advice. Do you have any thoughts on how high to make the cage? I can prune my plants down to head height and below, but wondered if a head-height cage felt claustrophobic

[@AllotmentBook]

Thank you for your comment. I chose a height of 2 m to walk around in comfortably without needing to crouch.

[@jimstair6494]

Good plans and durable construction, but sounds expensive with all the specialty parts.

[@lesliebeaumont9512]

Very helpful!

[@AllotmentBook]

Thank you very much for the feedback!

[@gaffer2009]

Useful video but a little more information regarding tube dimensions and fittings would be good. Did you use Kee Clamp/Kee Lite? From where did you source tubing? Approx cost of your project?

[@AllotmentBook]

Thanks for the feedback. The cost for the tubes was a little under £200 excluding VAT. I already had the netting. The dimensions of the tubes are given in the video in the step by step section at minute: 12:55. Depending on the stockist, they can advise the dimensions of the Kee Clamp to use, that need to be specific to the tube diameter chosen. My video is not sponsored or endorsed by any stockist.

[@petermcfadden9426]

Thanks for the very useful info. A few questions... Does the roof withstand a fall of snow? Did you have help to assemble the cage, or fit the netting? Any problems with squirrels chewing through the netting? Greetings from Conwy, North Wales.

[@AllotmentBook]

Thank you for your comment! On your questions, I don’t know about heavy snow. I’m confident the frame would be fine, the netting may be affected but that is easy to fix. I found I could do the job by myself. No problems with squirrels chewing the netting, but squirrels (and rats) are always likely to find a way in (even metal cages). Weakness are any joints in the netting, corners, and securing the netting at ground level.

[@petermcfadden9426]

@@AllotmentBook Thanks for the reply. I'm enthused to install my fruit cage now.

[@Scifly1000]

This looks like a good plan for me. How many fruit bushes do you have in your cage and of what type?

[@AllotmentBook]

Hello! I have five: three gooseberries, a blackcurrant, and a redcurrant bush. Width of case 7.5 by 2.5m, cannot fit any more in!

[@Scifly1000]

@@AllotmentBookThank you for the info. I am thinking about same number and maybe some strawberries around edge either in ground or containers in corners

[@kevinwilliams4225]

Thank you very much for your video, I intend to follow your suggestions. Would you be so kind as to tell me what kind of key clamp fitting your used at 2, 4, 7, and 8 (on your diagram). I am thinking that possibly two may be need at these points; a long tee and a short tee, as I cannot find a design that will join all 4 poles. Thank you!

[@AllotmentBook]

Thank you very much for the feedback. I used a clamp that was effectively five way. Horizontally it allowed to connect two poles that ran the full width of the fruit cage, and one junction at 90 degrees to span across the width of the cage. Vertically, it allowed for one pole from below, and for another pole to connect above (unused). It is possible to get plastic caps for the poles ends to keep the rain out (for the unused vertical connection). I hope this helps!

[@kevinwilliams4225]

@@AllotmentBook Yes it does help! I can now see what you have done and the caps tip is especially helpful.

[@jsurdzial9218]

Sure would love to watch your video, but KZbin has injected so many ads so as to make it unwatchable. 😠😠😠