It’s often a question on whether you should fence your garden or not. At least it is in this area where the wildlife runs rampant.
For many years I did not fence my gardens and had very few problems. The dog scared many of the groundhogs and rabbits away. And by using a few gardening techniques I kept most larger pests out of the garden, but one year when the dog slowed down the animals found the garden and once they tasted the crops I had too many battles trying to keep the beasts out. So I decided to fence the gardens.
Over all I have been very happy with a fenced garden, I have peace of mind and I also use the fencing for vining plants. The gates, I have three for each garden, become garden art and each has an arch for decoration plus they look great with flowering vines growing on them.
The biggest disadvantages to fencing your garden is the time, cost and deciding which type of fence to use.
I went with practical fencing for the main gardens and wattle fencing for the herb garden.
For the practical fencing I used five-foot tall sheep fencing and the metal posts. Around the bottom I used boards to discourage smaller animals and to give the fencing more stability. I also added two foot chicken coop fencing so that small rabbits could not crawl in.
This fence cost me around $20.00 a roll for the sheep fencing, $2.00 for the posts, and $3 a roll for the chicken coop wire. The fences I made out of old barn boards that I salvaged so there was no money involved, just time.
The fences look nice and I can sleep at night without worrying about the crops. If you don’t want to fence you garden you can try a few tips and techniques that often times work: http://thegardenersrake.com/tips-for-stopping-small-animals-from-destroying-your-garden-crops
Tags: fencing a garden, should you fence a garden, small animal control, groundhog and rabbit problems
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