Dear Homestead Abby: Electric fence Questions

[makeitdolou]

Dear Homestead Abby,

I have ten fruit trees waiting to be planted, but since I am in the middle of deer highway, I am trying to put up an electric fence with a solar charger. I put in all the step posts, but I haven't a clue as to what to do about the galvinized rods. The directions say to drive them 6 feet into the ground about 10 feet apart - the problem is that I live on a mountain and there is shale and rock beneath the surface. I can't go six feet down with using some machinery - which I don't have. Is there an alternate way to ground this fence without the grounding stakes? Help!

Signed
Tired and Frustrated

[MorrisonCorner]

*laugh*

Dear Tired and Frustrated,

Pound the rods at an angle. It isn't necessary for them to go straight down, only that they go "in." We have rods which go in at a serious angle because we too have ledge.

Alternately, you can use any large chunk of metal underground as a grounding rod, including the culvert at the end of your driveway, if you have one and can reach it. Someone around here buried an engine (I don't really recommend this, it just sounds environmentally unsound).

When all else fails, bend the end up the grounding rod upwards and put it in a shallow trench. This will probably require more rods, and certainly will require you compact that soil around the rod (grounding rods work when they're in direct and tight contact with the soil).

Good luck!

Abby

[caberjim]

Originally Posted by makeitdolou

Dear Homestead Abby,

I have ten fruit trees waiting to be planted, but since I am in the middle of deer highway, I am trying to put up an electric fence with a solar charger. I put in all the step posts, but I haven't a clue as to what to do about the galvinized rods. The directions say to drive them 6 feet into the ground about 10 feet apart - the problem is that I live on a mountain and there is shale and rock beneath the surface. I can't go six feet down with using some machinery - which I don't have. Is there an alternate way to ground this fence without the grounding stakes? Help!

Signed
Tired and Frustrated

It can be done. We have the same situation - on a mountain with lots of shale and rock. So many very nice stone walls around here. The grounding rod is thin and if you try in a couple spots, you should be able to find a location where it will slip between the biggest of the rocks and go down quite a way. I have a couple rods that only went 5' because the hit something big. I usually have to try 3 or 4 spots before I get a good one.

[makeitdolou]

Thank you, Dear Homestead Abby,

I feel energized. Perhaps I will find a future apple of my eye. I will try again tomorrow!

Signed,

A Fruitful Future

[End of the Road]

I have the same problem so I cut the rods in half and put in 6-4 footers instead of 3-8 footers. The fence works just fine. Don't ask how I know that!

[marvella]

deer can jump over 8 foot fences. electric might not stop them.