cuttingedge
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Joined: Sun Apr 22, 2012 6:06 pm
Location: Northern NJ Zone 6A

Questions regarding gardening on a larger scale

For all of you that have large pieces of land (4 acres or more) and have large garden plots, do you find it necessary to fence in the garden?
My wife and I are moving to Maine from NJ in the spring and I already have plans to have a huge vegetable garden as well as fruit (Raspberries, Strawberries and Blueberries).
Is it really necessary to fence in the Vegetables or Fruit to keep critters out or will planting enough allow me to forfeit some to the animals?
Right now where I am I have a 50' x 35' Vegetable Garden and a 65' x 20' Fruit Garden. Both of my gardens are fenced in and I have chicken wire buried so that the small animals don't get in.

I am thinking inside of the red box is where I am going to put my future garden. It is on a slight hill and is approximately 5 acres.
The bottom of the hill is where I would do my fruit and towards the top I would have vegetables. As you can see I have other options but I kind of like this area because it is more secluded from the house.

Pics of current Gardens and future site:
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Northernfox
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Location: Fort Saskatchewan Alberta

it depends on the local pests. I have friends in the back country that don't need to fence and other that seem to attract every pest the world has to offer. I have mine fenced but that is to keep my dog out ;) she likes to steal my veggies ;)

n8young
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Joined: Wed May 01, 2013 11:39 am
Location: Eliot, ME - zone 6a

Depends on where in ME you are.....judging by the field size, and the wooded area size, you will most likely be in an area with deer. I have deer near where I live, but they have never come into my garden. Wild turkeys on the other hand, have tried to make my garden a part of their daily rotation.....they can be pretty destructive. I had to shoot two adult groundhogs this spring that were eating my plants, and then founf 7 babies that were clearly orphaned, wandering in my yard, so I'm guessing while not all may be pests, you will have critter "situations" to deal with for sure.

Best of luck on the move and the big garden, I am very envious. Where in ME are you headed????

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Francis Barnswallow
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Location: Orlando

I'd fence it in just to be safe, won't have to worry about it all the time.

gumbo2176
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[youtuDOTbe][/youtuDOTbe]

What nobody has mentioned is the fact deer have absolutely no trouble jumping a fence of moderate height. From your picture of the property and surrounding area, it seems to be an ideal environment for deer to inhabit.

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TheWaterbug
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Location: Los Angeles

I've heard fences described as "useful against pests that cannot dig, tunnel, jump, climb or fly." :D

Northernfox
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Joined: Sat Mar 17, 2012 12:07 am
Location: Fort Saskatchewan Alberta

In my work we have installed animal fencing. It is quite a bit more heavy duty then what I have seen on the net. That said I could dig up a design specification if you like. I have had great success on the last job I installed them.

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jal_ut
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Location: Northern Utah Zone 5

I don't fence mine. It would be nice though to keep out the occasional farm critters that seem to wander around at times. I do have a deer now and then come through, but they have not been a big problem. Takes a tall fence to keep a deer out any way. Most of the farm fences around these parts don't slow a deer down much. Now a skunk tight fence would be OK to keep the skunks out of the corn. I don't know that you can fence out a racoon. A radio in the garden tuned to the hard rock station seems to discourage critters. (Can't blame them.)



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