1/59 FORSYTH ST., O’CONNOR, WA, 6163

FAQs – Orchard Structures

We get lots of questions every day about our orchard netting structures.  Here we’ve compiled answers to some of the most common questions we receive.  If your question isn’t here, just give us a call – we love to hear about your plans and projects & are happy to answer your questions.

Structure Building Questions

What type of poles do I need to order?

We recommend using 100mm diameter CCA pine poles, about 4.5m in length.  These can usually be sourced from your local rural supply stores.

Do Crackpots supply the poles?

We don’t, and there’s a few reasons. It will save you money on freight; some people already have poles on their properties, and often local suppliers offer a better price.  We like to stick to the areas we can supply a great product at a value price.

What size poles should I order?

If you are ordering one of our EZBuild kits, the finished structure is 3.5m high.  We recommend that the poles are buried close to one metre below ground, so that means you’re ideally looking for poles around 4.5m long.  If your ground is particularly rocky, then digging down a full metre is going to be problematic.   You might need to source slightly shorter poles.

Should I concrete the poles into the ground?

No, you don’t need to concrete the poles into the ground.  When you are putting up the poles we recommend just backfilling and compacting the soil around the pole.  You will need to do it repeatedly.  But this will give a really strong and stable result, without the need for concrete.  The only time that you might need to anchor your poles in concrete, is if you are building in very sandy ground.

Common Questions about Designing an Orchard Structure

I need a different size to the kits advertised – can you help?

Yes, absolutely.  Our kits have been designed around the most common sizes we supply, so for most people they will do the job perfectly.  But if you need a particular size, just call us and we’ll prepare a custom quote for you.

How wide should I make my netting structure?

If you are in the planning stage and trying to decide how wide you bird netted orchard structure should be, here are some things to consider:

  • Allow 2.5 – 3m width per tree
  • Allow a minimum gap of 1m between the rows of trees – maybe more depending on the size of your mower, and the type of trees you’re growing.
  • Allow at least 1m between the trees and the edge of your structure – both for mowing & so branches don’t grow through the netting.

What height do you recommend the orchard structure to be?

All of our standard structures are designed around a height of 3.5m.  Why 3.5m?  For most people who have a small orchard, and are managing trees without a mechanical picker, it’s ideal to keep the trees pruned to a height of 2.5m.  This is a good height for both maintaining your trees & picking the fruit.  The structure will then be one metre taller than your trees, so there’s space for the trees to grow in spring.  The extra height will minimise the risk of the branches growing through the netting and damaging it.

We would like to have vermi-mesh around the orchard as well as the netting – is this possible?

Absolutely – it will mean some changes to the standard hardware kit we supply.  Plus some changes to how the netting is attached.But the outcome will work really well, and you’ll keep out the vermin.  Call us for a custom quote.

Questions about the bird netting we supply

What colour is the bird netting Crackpots supply?

All of our netting is black.  We have our netting especially made to our specs – its designed to resist UV damage, and our black netting has better UV characteristics than white netting.  This means that it will last longer, and require less maintenance. We also think it looks better!

What size is the netting that is used to build a netted orchard structure?

Our netting is 1 1/4″ black, 6 ply netting.  Its small enough to keep the little birds like silver eyes away from your fruit, but will let the pollinating insects like bees and butterflies through.

If you have any other questions about building a netted orchard structure, just email or give us a call.