Deere fencing—will polypropylene fencing last?

I am not certain where to put this so I am putting it here in gardening.

I need fencing for my garden beds.  The word is out to my local deer population that my garden is an awesome place to find munchies!  So far I have a 5’ fence placed on the very edge of the garden beds.  This does keep the deer out but it is so inconvenient that it keeps me out as well!  What I really need is a fence that encompasses both of my garden beds.  As the garden beds parallel my driveway and are end-to-end as opposed to side-by-side, this is inefficient for fencing purposes, but is probably inevitable unless I want to radically dig up my garden beds and physically re-orient them.

So it looks like to enclose my beds and leave a 5’ space to get a mower in I will need about 160’ of fencing that is at least 4’ tall and perhaps much taller.  I have found welded wire fencing in 100’ rolls for about $80 from tractor supply.  This looks like the lowest offer and I doubt it will last long enough for me to actually get it.  Other offers look like $120.

But I found 7’ tall, 100’ rolls of polypropylene deer fencing for only $25!  I will probably need two rolls so $50 for the whole expenditure is certainly attractive.  But how long does Polypropylene last?  The add says it stands up to weather and exposure (of course it does) but I just don’t know.  And I honestly don’t know how this stacks up against Permies principles.

I would just love to save a couple hundred bucks on this project, but I also would want to know what others think.

Please, I am totally open to all opinions and suggestions.

Eric

Eric said, " But how long does Polypropylene last?

I am not sure what Polypropylene fencing is.

When we moved here in May 2013 we used a couple of plastic fencing for different purposes.  One was an orange fencing about 4 or 5 feet tall.  It was originally used as a dog pen which did not work well so it has spent the last 10 years protecting honeysuckle.

Then we had some sort of black mesh the same 4 or 5 feet tall with 1" squares to protect blackberries from birds. It is still going strong though it needs to be removed because a vitex now occupies the space instead of blackberries. I know it is over 10 years old.

My fencing was made over 10 years ago so the quality could be entirely different.

If I was in your position I would probably make a rosemary hedge all along that fence.  It is easy to propagate so only a few plants might be needed.  My theory is that the deer will smell the rosemary and say no thank you.

UV stabilized polypropylene lasts a long time. For fencing that's relatively temporary, it works. You can resell it once you find that smokin' hot deal on steel galvanized at an auction.

For long term or permanent fencing, I always find plastic disappointing. It will fade over time, start to crack and tear, get patched with zip ties to try and extend its life, etc. PITA.

From a waste point of view, plastic ends up in the landfill. Galvanized steel has an environmental cost too, but it ultimately goes to the recycling depot.

Ultimately, and this matters to me, plastic fencing is just plain ugly. My 2c.

Ideas for alternate/creative fencing sources:

- I regularly see ads for free/cheap chain link fencing that has been torn down. A business won't reuse or reinstall weathered stuff even though it's structurally sound. Scroungers like me will.

- Check around for used plastic fencing. Businesses use this as safety barriers during major construction projects. I'll bet it can be had for cheap (i.e., the cost of landfill fees). Downside: it may be that nasty orange stuff.

Creative repurposing is a big step up from an impact and sustainability perspective. Saves landfill space, and doesn't signal the market to produce more.

Just like I have a few pallets around for emergency fence repairs, I have a couple of rolls of plastic fence from a yard sale. Mostly, they sit in my garden shed.   In rain or at night when livestock get out, they are handy to have.   I would not use them as a long term solution.

If it's the deer netting that you think you could rip with your bare hands, don't bother.  If it's thicker plastic that you think you couldn't rip through, it'll last a decade or so if the deer don't accidentally run into it.

Another cheap material to build fences with is remesh (stuff they put in garage floor pours as a rebar replacement).  A bonus is that it's rusty so it is hard to see.