Cheapest Way to Fence in Our Vegetable Garden?

pheasantplucker · #21 02/21/12, 10:21 AM

What are you trying to keep out? Deer? I have read, but have not tried...that if you lay fence around your garden twice, with about a three foot space between perimeters, that deer will not jump over because they are afraid they would not clear both. Fortunately for us, (knock on wood) the deer and groundhogs have pretty much left our garden alone. The only true damage we've had is from the raccoons who know precisely the day we will be picking our sweet corn. They must send out an email because they all arrive the night before and rob us blind!

bja105 · #22 02/21/12, 08:25 PM

I have a bunch of deer and groundhogs, but a deer net fence keeps them out. The fence is 7', but for two years I only had it on 4' posts, and let the rest flop over.

Deer net is black, and in the dark it almost disappears. The deer can feel it, and sorta see it, but they can't tell how deep it is, so they won't jump it.

Last year I added bamboo poles wired to the t-posts and extended it to its full length.

In the fall the kids left the gate open and the deer got in. The deer didn't go out the gate, they ran through the fence and ripped it. I'm moving the garden, and I'll have to get a new fence.

We had an electric fence. It kept the horses in the pasture, and the deer out of the garden, but it didn't keep the chickens out. Deer net works on chickens, too.

pancho · #23 02/22/12, 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldasrocks

Anything lower that 8 ft high deer will jump.

We put up chicken wire 2 ft tall to keep out rabbits then attached some old pipe to the T posts to 8 ft. Strung electric fence wire to 8 ft and put on a solar fence charger. Wrapped a few pieces of alumium foil on the electric wires for visability.

I have raised beds that are 2ft tall.
Right now I have a rabbit digging her burrow in one of them.
They didn't have any problem getting up and over the 2ft tall wood wall.

"SPIKE" · #24 02/22/12, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pheasantplucker

What are you trying to keep out? Deer? I have read, but have not tried...that if you lay fence around your garden twice, with about a three foot space between perimeters, that deer will not jump over because they are afraid they would not clear both. Fortunately for us, (knock on wood) the deer and groundhogs have pretty much left our garden alone. The only true damage we've had is from the raccoons who know precisely the day we will be picking our sweet corn. They must send out an email because they all arrive the night before and rob us blind!

Yeap, Raccoons are my biggest problems also. My sweet corn and blueberries seem to be their biggest targets and they can just climb most fences. I have not gone to electric, yet!?!? IT REALLY IS TERRIBLE TO SEE YOU ARE ONE DAY LATE FOR THE BEST HARVEST!

SPIKE

ronbre · #25 02/22/12, 10:34 AM

racoon, get those little paper bags they use for lunches and tape them over the fertilized ears..or...get a roll of strapping tape..the kind with the fibers in it that won't tear, and wrap it around the corn in a couple of areas tight enough to keep the shucks on..the racoons can't get thru it.

also they don't like prickly squash..or floppy fence tops

the thing with the 2 layers of fencing a few feet apart is supposed to work..but if it is less than 6 ' they likely will jump it anyway..and then get caught up in it and tear it unless it is extremely visible..

sometimes just a few wires in several spaces will be enough ..esp if you flag them..as it confuses them and they don't like to get caught up in stuff.

hippygirl · #26 02/22/12, 10:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bja105

I have a bunch of deer and groundhogs, but a deer net fence keeps them out. The fence is 7', but for two years I only had it on 4' posts, and let the rest flop over.

Deer net is black, and in the dark it almost disappears. The deer can feel it, and sorta see it, but they can't tell how deep it is, so they won't jump it.

Last year I added bamboo poles wired to the t-posts and extended it to its full length.

In the fall the kids left the gate open and the deer got in. The deer didn't go out the gate, they ran through the fence and ripped it. I'm moving the garden, and I'll have to get a new fence.

We had an electric fence. It kept the horses in the pasture, and the deer out of the garden, but it didn't keep the chickens out. Deer net works on chickens, too.

We used that last year and, even though we have a LOT of deer, not one bothered it.

The chickens, however, were another story. We had a couple of aggressive roosters that would start chasing the others and they'd run into it full speed and break it loose from the poles.

This year, we're setting wooden poles at the corners/gate and use t-posts between them. I bought "rabbit fence" from TSC and will top it with a 2 - 3 rows of barbless wire to bring the overall height to 6'.

goatlady · #27 02/22/12, 12:45 PM

I have a female bunny that every year for the last 3 makes her nest in the middle of my strawberry raised bed and raises her babies there. They don't eat much and it's cool to harvest ripe berries with bright eyes and shiny noses watching from under the leaves.