davidb6
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Location: Connecticut

Need help planning a garden

The last time I started a garden all I really did was feed all the local wildlife. How do you keep the wildlife out of your garden?

Live in CT in a small town where nobody has less than a couple acres of land. This is great if you like natural unspoiled wooded land (like I do) but bad for gardening.

Thanks

TZ -OH6
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I have several sections of wire fencing that I unroll to protect the garden strips alongside the house, an enclosure made of stock fencing held up by T posts, and an enclosure surrounded by plastic deer netting. The first and last enclosures are temporary, I.e. rolled up at the end of the season. To keep deer from jumping the stock fence I simply strung two strands of cotton clothsline above the fence at about 6 and 7 ft high. I use cut sapplings tied to T post to add height, but 8ft 2x2s would work just as well


Racoons and groundhogs are confronted with extreme prejudice via a live trap.

Canadian Farmer Guy
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I lived in Connecticut for a few years, beautiful area.

A couple strands of electric fence does well for me, keeps out dogs, cats and less determined animals.

If you have a problem with deer you'll need a rather high fence.
Someone here should have experience with those.

For raccoons and rabbits a .22 rifle is my tool of choice.
But depending on where you live, that may not be the best solution.

Hope this helps.

CFG

davidb6
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I was thinking a 4ft high fence (split rail/ picket) wraped with a wire mesh.

I was thinking of a electric wire at the top of the fence for things that are tall or climb. Was also thinking of one at the bottom of the fence near groud level for things that dig.

I'm concerned that this is a lot of effort if the critters still get through.

I had a woodchuck that did not like tomatos but he tasted every single one on the plants just in case.

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rainbowgardener
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I live with squirrels, woodchucks, raccoons, possums, birds and other critters (but not deer!). And I work at making my property an inviting habitat for them, so I'm definitely not about to kill them or even try to drive them off. But I do want to eat my own tomatoes. So I just wrap the bed in bird netting. Put poles around the outside of the bed and wrap it all in netting. Have to be sure to weight/stake it down well at the bottom and bring it together over the top and tie it together at the top. Yes, that means it's more of a hassle to tend/harvest your tomatoes because you have to keep undoing the netting. But it's the only way I ever get to eat tomatoes.

The bird netting is very light but lasts for a long time. It is portable, you don't need to do any major construction and it will keep out deer as well (sometimes sold as deer netting).

I only cover the things they like. For e.g., the bed that is full of green peppers and basil doesn't get covered. Only the slugs eat the green peppers and nothing bothers the basil.

davidb6
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That's an interesting idea. Make the bed self contained with netting to keep everything out. Not sure I want to deal with the extra time and effort unless this was the only good option.

Also, you bring up a good point. I though an electric fence would shock intruders, not kill them. I'll have to look into this a little more. I also like to attract wildlife to my yard and would not want to kill anything.

Thanks

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applestar
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I think there are low-voltage electric fences that only apply a zap, no more.

Bird netting is great, I use them too. But I need to work out a better way to secure them on the ground level because at least 3 or 4 times during the season, I end up disentangling birds that have managed to get caught in them. My older netting is a patchwork of repairs because sometimes, it's easier to cut them out than to hold a frightened struggling critter in one hand and puzzle out how it managed to get the netting so tangled while wishing I had another hand or two.

At least once a season, I have a baby bunny get caught in the netting. One time, I didn't realize and found a dead and decayed chipmunk in the netting. With one bunny, I had to hold it rather firmly to get the netting off of it, and it looked exhausted and limp so I took it to a local wildlife rescue. They told me that rabbits are exceedingly sensitive to (emotional) shock and may not recover even if they get away from a predator (no wonder Peter Rabbit needed chamomile tea :wink:). So being zapped may similarly kill them later.
-- I kind of consoled myself about the poor bunny thinking that if it doesn't make it, at least it could provide a meal for one of the raptors at the refuge (I assume people would be practical about such things). Better to serve a useful purpose than be simply buried.

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GardenRN
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You must have pretty persistent deer! In Va, if you are in an area where the deer would eat your veggies, a 3 foot high fence will do the trick. Sure the deer COULD clear it easily, but they're too lazy. If it takes any effort at all they don't even bother, the just go eat something else.

Heck even a 6 or 7 foot fence won't necessarily keep out the deer if they're that determined. Maybe try some hair and stuff. Keep the stuff from your vacuum and place it around the garden, that should smell enough to keep the deer out.

davidb6
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I'll tell ya, a 3 to 4ft fence with an electric (shock) wire along the bottom is sounding better. I think your right, a dear could clear an 8ft fence if it really wanted to so the fence does not need to be high.

I assume I need to dig the fence down a few inches to stop moles and voles?

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GardenRN
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A few inches ain't gonna stop moles and voles..lol. In fact, you're not gonna create a physical barrier that will stop those little buggers. You'd have to treat the property. They'll just dig underneath whatever you put in place unless you go about 4ft down with it and it is something like concrete or brick. They'd go right through any kind of netting. They're not as big as you might thing. Only about the size of a field mouse....at least around my house.

garden5
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I'd say to go with just a standard fence, first. If you still have a lot of trouble, you could then go the route of low-voltage electric fencing. It's probably best to start out spending as little as possible and then gradually amp it up.

keskat
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Finally, a topic I can offer suggestions on, instead of just asking for help! :lol:

Last year, what worked for me (for everything but deer, anyway) was bells on string. I strung them up a few inches off the ground, and the only real problem I had was more of a spectator amusement than a real irritation (a local squirrel tried very hard to take a bell away with him... kept him out of the food, and the ensuing noise was actually kind of pleasant. :lol: )

I think this year I'll paint them black. Less shine = less intrigued squirrel?

Depending on what you're growing and your space, I've also thought about making a cage-top... Just set it over my garden and lift it off when I need to access the plants.

ruggr10
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For deer, a local landscaper told me about using Irish Spring bars of soap to keep them away. They won't go near the stuff.

As for keeping birds and crows away I hung up old CD's from string and it worked. Might have worked for other things too since nothing ate any of my veggies except for the random bear that decided he was hungry for pumpkin.

erlyberd
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I found the cheapest solution was the 7'x100' black plastic deer fencing. Which made for a 6' fence when I tucked one foot underground and facing outwards. I tacked that up to 8 ' 4x4's cemented into the ground and never had deer enter the garden again. Now, maybe in its 5-7 years its ready to be replaced. Its just taken a beating from being used as a trellis and the snow sliding off the gh wiped out 32' worth to ground level. The key to keeping deer or anything for that matter out is to put up your barrier before the critter gets a taste for it. It will make it that much harder. The only problems I have now is moles! A formidable enemy.

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tomf
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Moles are bad and rabbits also.

My solution; I also ran steel rabbit fence along the bottom, they will eat right through the deer fence.
[img]https://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e57/twistedtomf/Garden%202010b/_DSC0062.jpg[/img]



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