A vineyard needs three kinds of protection — from birds, from hail and from wind — but the netting must never block the sun that ripens the grapes. Here is how to spec all three so the vines stay safe and the fruit still colours.
Grapes are the most netting-sensitive crop a grower deals with: the net has to stop birds and hail without shading the very sun the sugar needs. And unlike a fruit tree, a vineyard runs in long trellised rows, so the netting is sized and fixed differently. Get the three nets right and a single system protects the whole block.
Birds take the berries the week before harvest. Hail takes entire rows in minutes. Wind snaps young shoots and stresses the canopy. Each needs its own net: a bird net over or draped on the canopy, a hail net held overhead on posts, and a windbreak net along the exposed edges. They look similar but they are specified for different jobs.
Birds go for the ripe fruit, so bird netting goes on late — after fruit set and before colouring — and comes off at harvest. A 19–25 mm mesh is right for most vineyard birds (starlings, blackbirds, thrushes); it stops the beak without trapping bees. Net the sides more than the top: birds land on the outer rows first, so a side-hung net at the block edge does most of the work, with the full mesh matched to the species you actually have.
Hail netting is the permanent, overhead layer — a UV-stabilized net run over the trellis on posts and cables, tensioned so it catches a hailstone rather than tearing. In a hail-prone region, 60–90 gsm with a 4–6 mm aperture is the standard; match it to your storm history. A white or transparent net lets through the light the vines need, which is exactly what you want over grapes. Our anti-hail netting guide covers the sizing and structure in full.
Wind is the quiet killer in a vineyard — it desiccates young shoots, reduces pollination and stresses the canopy. A 50%-porosity windbreak net along the prevailing-wind edge slows the gusts without creating the turbulence a solid wall would. Think of it as a throttle, not a wall: it filters the wind so the vines keep working instead of getting battered.
Bird and hail netting for vines is run at trellis height — usually 2 to 2.5 m — on the same post-and-wire system the vines use, plus a top wire to carry the net clear of the canopy. The net should sit off the fruit, because a bird can peck through netting pressed against a berry but not through a net held a hand's-width away. Leave a little slack so the net moves with the wind instead of tearing at the fixings.
| Threat | Net | Typical spec | When / where |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birds | Bird net | 19–25 mm mesh | Sides + top, before colouring |
| Hail | Hail net | 60–90 gsm, 4–6 mm | Overhead, permanent |
| Wind | Windbreak net | 50% porosity | Prevailing-wind edge |
The golden rule for grapes: choose white or transparent netting and keep the mesh as open as your threat allows. A dark, heavy net protects the fruit but costs you sugar — grapes ripened under heavy shade never reach full colour or sweetness. Spec the lightest net that does the job, hold it clear of the canopy, and the vines never know it is there. If you are not sure where to start, tell us your region, grape variety and block size and we will spec the three nets to match.
Three kinds: bird net (19–25 mm mesh) for the fruit, hail net (60–90 gsm, overhead) for storms, and windbreak net (50% porosity) along the exposed edge. Each protects against a different threat.
Barely, if you choose white or transparent netting and keep the mesh as open as the birds allow. Dark, heavy net shades the fruit and reduces sugar, so go light and hold the net clear of the canopy.
Bird netting goes on after fruit set and before the grapes colour, and comes off at harvest. Hail netting is a permanent overhead layer; windbreak netting stays up along the windward edge all season.
At trellis height — typically 2 to 2.5 m — carried on the vine's post-and-wire system plus a top wire, so the net sits off the fruit rather than pressing against it.
Bird net for the fruit, hail net overhead, windbreak at the edge — and keep every net light and clear of the canopy so the sun still ripens the grapes. Tell us your block and we will spec all three.