I have terrible problems every year with my dogs bingeing on apples as they fall off my apple tree - I try to get there first but can't always make it!  I have tried barricading off part of the garden, but they always find a way through, and my garden isn't really big enough to lose half of it! 

I think the only solution is to somehow rig up netting around the tree to catch the apples as they come off, but haven't a clue what sort of netting I would need, or how to fix it.  Does anyone have any ideas? .. please!!

You can get some fairly cheap netting at the pound shops or other cheapo stores...we found some at poundtretcher type shop...strawberry netting I think it was?? Tie it under the branches to 'catch' the apples...hope this helps?? All the best, Dawn

You could try super glueing the apples to the tree. :D

Seriously it depends how big your tree is. My mum used to have a small apple tree which used to produce around 20-30 apples a year and she used to save up the nets that oranges are sold in and her old tights and would put the apples inside the nets and tie them to the branch so they couldn't fall off. Quite labour intensive but it worked.

Thanks Dawn and Harley.  The tree is quite big so don't think I could manage the orange net trick, except on the lower branches.  I have ordered some strawberry netting from ebay and will try that - not sure how I get it over the top of a 15 ft tree but I'll give it a go!  :)

But Jan you don't have to get it over the top of the tree. As the apples will always fall downwards :D you only need to have it under the bottom branches but spread out enough to cover the entire width of the tree. If it was me I would suspend it on poles under the tree rather like a safety net in a circus. :)

:rolleyes:  I had visions of me trying to wrap the tree like a giant Christmas present!!

We've got more apples on our tree than ever before and I can't keep up with picking them up.  My dogs don't get given balls to play with (other than their own, but a set of those are coming off tomorrow! ) so they really enjoy encouraging us, and more so visitors, to play with them.  However, they do eat them.  I know a bit won't be harmful and so far the coldish weather has kept the waspies away, but I don't want them to eat too many. 

I don't know how I can rig netting to catch fallers given the span of the tree and the position - other than pay a small child to catch and pick up the fallers, I'm not sure what to do.

My lot are obsessed with them - they can hear them drop from inside the house!!  I had major problems with them last year, eating too many and bloating out, and this year seems to be going the same way.

It's quite a problem with my two as well. We had netting one year and I had to rescue a couple of blackbirds that got caught. I would never use it again, it was netting that we bought to cover the pond so maybe it was extra strong. Sorry I still haven't got a solution.

Couldn't you just fence off the tree temporarily?   or  TALL TUBS :D :D  - lots of them under the tree where they fall :D :D
I can just see it now :D :D :D

Well, my netting from ebay came today, but it's pouring with rain.  Will try it out tomorrow, but still can't quite see how to make it work!  Watch this space!!!:rolleyes:

I've given up on the netting and made barriers all round part of the garden.  The dogs are sulking big time now!!

I've had an apple/pond disaster this morning; an apple blocked the waterfall and diverted the water onto the garden and out of the pond.  I noticed when there was only a foot of water left in the pond.   I've lost my nicest  ghost koi who was left floundering in the rushes basket and a sarasa comet too.

I've refilled the pond and now it looks all muddy and dirty. :-(