Delilah
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Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2009 9:05 pm
Location: Coastal Australia, warm-temperate climate

Best ways to protect seedlings & plants from Possums etc

Hi

Last year we had squadrons of marauding night-time critters make short shrift of any vegetables that we planted. This season we want to protect our plantings. What methods have you come up with that you find easiest/neatest/cheapest for keeping chewing animals away from your vegetables?

I am thinking, rather than trying to net an entire area (I.e. essentially build a whole structure), about protecting small groups of plants using smaller movable covers of some kind... But what?

Thanks for any ideas and tips. :)

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rainbowgardener
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Location: TN/GA 7b

Two main choices -- deer netting and floating row cover.

I garden a lot in beds and I just put netting around the bed. Put stakes all around the edge of the bed and wrap it in deer netting, securing it at the bottom AND across the top.

If you just want to protect a few plants (I'm doing some of that this year too) put a wire hoop or two over them and secure the netting or cover over that.

DoubleDogFarm
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I welded up six of these for my brother.

Low tunnel - Chicken runs- season extenders

[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20%20%20Wood%20and%20Metal%20Art/DSC01672.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20%20%20Wood%20and%20Metal%20Art/DSC01673.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20%20%20Wood%20and%20Metal%20Art/DSC01680.jpg[/img]

[img]https://i67.photobucket.com/albums/h300/eric_wa/Double%20Dog%20Farm%20%20%20Wood%20and%20Metal%20Art/DSC01620.jpg[/img]

They would protect your plants and give you any earlier start and longer season.
Last edited by DoubleDogFarm on Wed Sep 19, 2012 2:50 am, edited 2 times in total.

Delilah
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Posts: 88
Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2009 9:05 pm
Location: Coastal Australia, warm-temperate climate

Ooooh, nice :)

I wish you lived around the corner from me!

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applestar
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Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

DoubleDog, what kind of netting is that? and are those poly sheets or floating coveres?
Looks REALLY functional. :D

DoubleDogFarm
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Applestar,

Frame is 1\2" rebar.
Black plastic waterline hoops. ( We also use irrigation mainline)
Heavy duty deer fence applied with hog rings
Floating rowcover aka Reemay
Greenhouse plastic (winter)

The main reason for the deer fencing is chicken tunnels and or tractors.

Bobberman
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Location: Latrobe Pa.

I may have missed it but how high is the center of the hoop house! I like the way you have it done!

DoubleDogFarm
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Frank,

These Low Tunnels are somewhere in the 30" to 36" tall.

Eric



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