# Saving our garden.



## JEV

After the utter destruction of our garden last year by our urban deer herd, I was going to give up on the garden and admit defeat. That was in the Fall, but now that Spring is here, I decided to fight back with $225 of lumber and fencing. The garden is only 10' x 14', but it's OUR garden, not the freaking deer's food trough. I used 2" x 4" x 5' high welded wire for the primary material, and 18" high poultry mesh to keep the bunnies out as well. I know deer can clear 5' fences, but I'm guessing they'll think twice before trying it, since he interior space is so small.


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## AAUTOFAB1

UMMM.... the deer around here would just jump that fence, hope for the best, do you have any good venison recipes?


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## AAUTOFAB1

PS. beautifully landscaped yard!


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## JEV

AAUTOFAB1 said:


> UMMM.... the deer around here would just jump that fence, hope for the best, do you have any good venison recipes?


 No recipe, but I've got 220 in the garage and an extension cord. That's next. I was trying to keep the height down so it wasn't too obtrusive for the neighbors, bit there is a plan "B" if the bastards try to get in or DO get in.


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## JEV

AAUTOFAB1 said:


> PS. beautifully landscaped yard!


Thank you! It's mostly the wife's doing, I just supply labor.


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## EastTexFrank

Attaboy, fight back.  

Since I don't have neighbors to upset, mine was 7' tall with rabbit wire all around the bottom to 3' high and 5 strands of electric fence above that.  The posts had 2"x4" nailed at the top at a 45 degree angle and rope hung from the end of them with streamers about every 5'.  Never had any problems with deer after that.  

My wife called it Stalag 13.  

Pity that I'm going to take it down this year to build a barn.


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## pixie

If the deer cause more trouble, you could just put more fencing across the top. There will be a ruckus if one of them jumps on to that !!!!

I'm starting a garden spot out in an opening in the woods this year. It's just going to be a squash patch since I read that moose and deer don't like leaves with fur or prickles. Solar electric fence should help discourage them, too.

I saved pieces of wire shelving from the dump all winter to bury around the perimeter of my regular garden to keep the woodchucks out. They love squash leaves ( and most everything else  )


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## squerly

LOL, good luck Jev...  Nice yard, makes me uncomfortable to see yards like that, sets the bar too high for some of us.


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## JEV

Homecook from over on Net Cooking Talk is one of my neighbors, and we share the same herd of deer in this area. Several. years ago she put up a 3' high fence and the deer just pass her patch as they roam looking for food. Hopefully they will do the same here, as there is lots for them to browse on in everyone's yards. The dam deer surprised me this Winter as they munched the tops of my yucca plants in the front yard. That was another "first" for these vermin. Sure wish the city would let me harvest a few. I could do it right from the deck with a .22.


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## FrancSevin

Bend some conduit or use PVC pipe, make bows to fit over the top. Wire tie more welded fencing to it. Makes a good secure light weight roof.

Keeps out the deer, but really will keep out Raccons.


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## REDDOGTWO

Based upon the size of the garden, small, and the height of the fence the deer will leave it alone.


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## JEV

REDDOGTWO said:


> Based upon the size of the garden, small, and the height of the fence the deer will leave it alone.


Yep, that's what I figure. I'll keep y'all posted once I get plants in there. Putting in some seeds on Sunday when we get back from Cincinnati. Sugar snap peas, beans, lettuce and some squash.


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## Leni

If I was closer to the hills I'd have problems with deer.  As it is I have racoons, rabbits, and squirrels.  I do have coyotes over at the community garden.


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## JEV

It looks like my plan has worked with only 5' of fencing. I've not had any deer try to get in, and we've been harvesting lettuce and snap peas for about 2-3 weeks already. Everything is doing well except the bush beans, which I've planted 3 times. I have about 10-12 plants out of over 50 seeds each time I planted, so I guess I'm not supposed to have a lot of beans this season. I have spaghetti squash and zucchini squash fruit forming nicely, and it looks like we'll be giving a lot away once they get up in size. Lots of flowers and lots of fruit. Cukes are also very prolific, so I may be putting some of them up this year for a change. Peppers have lots of flowers on them, but no fruit as of today. Here's how DW fixed up the front of the enclosure as seen from the street. Looks better than just bare fencing. We had the bench in storage, and I must admit it looks good there. My neighbor comes over with a couple of beers, and we sit on the bench to watch the people walking down the street.

I just put in a second planting of snap peas today, as the grand daughter pulled out a few plants while her and grandma were picking peas. Next week I'll replant the lettuce, as some of it has been cut twice already.


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## muleman RIP

Your plants look good Joe. Wish mine were that far along. Damn late frosts made everybody behind around here. Banner year for berries though. My second planting of corn is looking good. That size fence is what I have around mine. It keeps most critters out. The skunk that kept getting in 2 years ago departed with a 12ga.


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## Aklian

The only way to protect your garden from animals you should provide them a proper cover or fens but unfortunately after doing this there is still some fears exists so the only and best way to protect our garden and plants is that you should yourself take care of these.


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## muleman RIP

German shepherds work well unless it is a bear. Then a shotgun over their head convinces them to move on. Will get some pics up of a slightly neglected garden with all the other work going on around here. Picked a bunch more peas yesterday and need to train some raspberries that are shading them.


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## Andrei

Some used motor oil on that wood would do really nice.
Transmission oil even better. 
A motion detector connected to a light or noise maker would keep wild animals away.
In the orchards they use automated air guns to keep birds away.


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## JEV

Andrei said:


> Some used motor oil on that wood would do really nice.
> Transmission oil even better.
> A motion detector connected to a light or noise maker would keep wild animals away.
> In the orchards they use automated air guns to keep birds away.


Used oils get recycled to a friend's oil fired furnace in his auto repair shop. The lumber is all pressure treated and will weather into a nice grey. I live in a suburban development, and the neighbors wouldn't appreciate flashing lights and noise makers all night long. I took a time lapse photo series one Summer night and saw enough wildlife to piss off the entire neighborhood if I had motion activated noise makers.


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## FrancSevin

My garden was invaded this summer by two legged varmints twice. They took everything, and by that I mean every tomato bigger than a dime (green or ripe) was swiped along with all the cukes, Peppers, and Zuchinni

They cut the chain on the gate and left shoe prints in the mud.

36 tomato plants, 20 Pepper and 6 hills of Zuchinni. I got three tomatoes on the 2nd of July for all my spring work putting the damm thing in. They were awesome but not worth that effort.


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## JimVT

the original picture looks like a sand box for kids the way it is located in your yard.
jim

 usually untreated lumber will rot out in 7 years in our pacific  coast .


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## BigAl RIP

Andrei said:


> .
> A motion detector connected to a light or noise maker would keep wild animals away.
> .


 
 Better yet get a "Motion Detector water sprinkler" . It turns and shoots water at anything that comes in range . Northern Tool had them last time I checked .


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## Leni

FrancSevin said:


> My garden was invaded this summer by two legged varmints twice. They took everything, and by that I mean every tomato bigger than a dime (green or ripe) was swiped along with all the cukes, Peppers, and Zuchinni
> 
> They cut the chain on the gate and left shoe prints in the mud.
> 
> 36 tomato plants, 20 Pepper and 6 hills of Zuchinni. I got three tomatoes on the 2nd of July for all my spring work putting the damm thing in. They were awesome but not worth that effort.



An alarm system and maybe a little electricty might help.  As a matter of fact, I like big Al's idea.


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## muleman RIP

Thieves are not ambitious enough to walk uphill to get to my garden. #8 shot discourages all types of critters no matter how many legs they have.


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## JimVT

my problem is elk. they will stand in the center of my garden looking at my spotlight and if I spook them they bolt right threw my barb wire fence. 2nd year now I never planted anything but pumpkins.
 me and my texas giant corn from a few year ago.


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## Melensdad

We don't fence our garden.  We just plant a garden that is far larger than we need, the animals get what they need, we get what we need, there is usually plenty of extra left so we share the extras.


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## muleman RIP

I had to fence our garden. I don't like to share with all the critters we have around here. Since the wild berries are ripe the bears are on the move. Wife had one right in the middle of the road last week. The bears and raccoons like sweet corn too much and can destroy a crop in a day or two. Skunks love tomatoes and bunnies and groundhogs eat things as well. I need to move our blueberries into the garden as the deer love to browse the plants even after I moved them into the flower beds close to the house.


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## Cheryl Tarin

This is so amazing! Continue what you are doing.


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