Could use input on garden fences

Hello everyone,

I am thinking that this year I need to adapt my garden fencing plan.  At present I have fence sections that sit alongside the raised bed edges of my garden beds.  Unfortunately, those are now rotting away and the fence panels that I have set up barely hold up against a breeze.  I am thinking about putting in a common fence for both of my beds.  Unfortunately, when I put my beds in I did not have the deer pressure I have now--my land has become a deer haven!  One option is to put in wire-mesh fencing.  Another is to put in an electric fence.  Either way, I attached an image of the garden beds that will need fencing, and the lines that are drawn are a about 180' perimeter.  This can be adjusted, but I need to be able to get my mower (54" deck) inside to mow.  I could cover the grass entirely, but I am not certain what I would use as a ground cover.

At any rate, I am completely open to suggestions--Square mesh, remesh sheets, split rail (maybe), just about anything but chain link as I really don't like the look of chain link and it is more than I want to spend anyways.

Thanks in advance,

Eric

Poly deer fence is the most cost effective way to do a large area IMO.  You can get it 7 or 8 feet and it's dark colored so it's nearly invisible from any distance.  I have lots of chain link fence for different uses, but the poly fence looks much nicer and is used on my big areas.

Trace,

I just checked the price.  I had been looking at a 100' roll of 4' square mesh fencing coming in at about $120.  The Deer mesh fence is $8 for 100'!  Thanks for the input, that is a whole lot cheaper and easier to put in!

Eric

Eric Hanson wrote:Trace,

I just checked the price.  I had been looking at a 100' roll of 4' square mesh fencing coming in at about $120.  The Deer mesh fence is $8 for 100'!  Thanks for the input, that is a whole lot cheaper and easier to put in!

Eric

I've never found it that cheap, that's a great price.  I think  usually pay about $25 for a100ft.  Either way, it's far cheaper than most alternatives.  You can use metal conduit and zip ties for cheap fence posts on the sides as well to keep it from sagging.  I would use something more substantial for corners.  I think I first read the idea here on permies when Mike Haasl posted it.

I would put in my vote for some sort of electric net. This would help deter smaller animals as well as deer.

There's a huge difference between deer netting and deer fencing.  They sometimes sell something here that's more like bird netting for fruit bushes but they say it's for deer.  It doesn't work.  You need the much thicker fencing.  If you think you could rip through it to save a rack of ribs falling on the ground, it isn't the right stuff :)

Another option is 2 four foot tall fences that are 4 feet apart.  Deer don't seem to have the depth perception to jump both.

I have two orchards a good distance apart.  Deer were starting to be a problem.  I went two different directions with them and both worked.   In one orchard a drilled a few holes in a soap dish (like one might use for traveling) and inserted a bar of Irish Spring soap and hung one on each tree. In the other I use a similar soap dish with a sponge treated  with wolf urine.  As I said , both worked.  Both approaches were more inexpensive than a fence.  

Trace,

I was looking at the wrong item.  In fact, the correct item was $25, just like you expected.  That is still far cheaper than I was planning on spending.

John,

I like the idea of Irish Spring as a deterrent.

Eric

Eric Hanson wrote:Trace,

I was looking at the wrong item.  In fact, the correct item was $25, just like you expected.  That is still far cheaper than I was planning on spending.

John,

I like the idea of Irish Spring as a deterrent.

Eric

Hi Eric!

If you don’t mind me asking, where did you find the fencing at that price?

Thanks so much!
Georgia

Hi Georgia,

Found it at Home Depot website.

Eric