Pine fence for fruit orchard preservation techniques

We have rough cut pine posts and fence boards. Believe they are 6x6 6 feet long posts.  Planting 140 fruit trees and the goal is try to keep the deer out…

Current plan is to char the bottom 16-18 inches of the fence posts and then apply either a linseed oil or copper wood preservative to the rest.  Wrap the bottom of the post in deck tape 16-18 inches.  Dig holes fill with gravel and set in concrete with a domed top

Looking for any feedback, my skill set is low

Pic attached as our fence will mimick and attach to these fences.

Charring is a great way pf preserving wood.  If I were doing it, I would char the whole post.  Dig the hole down at least 2 ', place a rock in the hole to keep the post off the ground.  Insert the posts and tamp down well.  From my experience, using concrete enables water holding and promotes rot.  If you need further bracing, use a "t' post driven in the ground 3' or more then nail off to the post.
To make the orchard less attractive to larger pests such as deer and the like, use the fence as a trellis for berry canes.  Some one else may be able to find the thread here on Permies.  Unfortunately I can't at this time.

I would not use copper anything as a first line preservative.  It is noted as an organic product so fits with the permies philosophy but not using is is better.  Linseed is good but charring is better.  And Linseed needs to be reapplied.
We look forward to seeing your progress

A six foot tall fence would not necessarily keep deer out.
Heck, an 8 foot tall fence might not be enough.
A 4.5 foot tall fence definitely will not.

From my reading, canes and bramble berries confuse them because they cannot see the other side.   I was just putting it out there as a great addition to his orchard with some additional fruit.  We have a 6' mesh fence around our orchard which is ferrel animal resistant.  I am going to be planting 6 different berries on it as a wind break to stop the fruit getting wind burn in mid summer and as a frost barrier in winter.  The brambles will act as a visual deterrent.

Hi Joshua,

Welcome to Permies.

agreed, deer can clear a 6 ft fence. if you’re set on using the posts you have you’ll need some kind of extension on top (which will probably ruin the esthetic?). 8-ft fences are generally thought of as deer-proof. if you have two fences close to each other or something that breaks the line of sight, you can probably get away with less height.

I've seen several product "Postsaver" and deck tape used to wrap  wood posts to prevent rot. I wonder if heat shrinking a 2 liter soda bottle around  the post would work as well. A 6x6 probably too big but they would slide over a 4x4.

As I've mentioned in other posts here, I get the most damage from rodents like rabbits, voles, gophers, mice in the orchard.  Voles will even climb the trees if they are desperate.  

The fence boards, not the posts, do you plan to put them vertically so there's no space between them, or horizontally with space between them?

If it's solid, rabbits will dig under, so you can put 1" hole/ 1-foot-high chicken wire around the base of it, turn the bottom 6" outward and let the grass/weeds grow through it to hold it down.  

If it's a horitzontal board fence with space, I'd say 4-feet-high chicken wire because rabbits are good jumpers, bottom 6 inches turned out.  Then if the rodents find a way in, you'll see a little trail through the grass/weeds and it's easier to catch them.

Do you have termites?  They will go after the posts above ground, so pine is vulnerable.   Since it's a lot of posts you will be replacing them before too long, so prepare yourself to dismantle the fence boards.  Maybe using deck screws that won't rust would make it easier.

It would save you time 5+ years from now if you had impervious tall metal posts with extensions up to 8 feet minimum, tie poly rope from post to post around the top.  I get free poly rope from neighbors who feed their animals bales of hay that are tied with poly rope.  It lasts for years.   An 18" gap from rope to the top line of the fencing material is still too narrow for a deer to risk it.  They haven't gotten through mine in 18 years.

If you can, keep a good 6-8 feet wide-open space all around the exterior of the fence so any small animals have to cross that risky zone, and they could get caught by owls or hawks, bobcats.

And, of course, the birds go after the fruit, so ....it's kind of a constant contest as to who gets the crops.

<<<<<<quote>>>>>Canes and bramble berries confuse them because they cannot see the other side.  

Not only can they see just fine, even in the dark, any small animals/rodents love to nest underneath berry mounds or hedges where they are protected.   The first thing I do is mow down all wild berry mounds, don't give any of them any cover....ever!!!    :-)

I was wrong the posts are 8 feet tall.  The fence will look like the one in the pictures, with wood slats.  No termites, live in Wisconsin.   We are surrounded by farms, the deer have sweet corn for day and strawberries and everything else to much on that isn't fenced in .  

for voles and rabbits we will have the trunk protectors.   I might place some metal posts 1-2 feet up above the wood posts with some fishing line tied to the 12 gauge dummy shell.  Figure the deer hit that once or twice and will never ever come back

What about the technique of preserving the pine.   Linseed oil or Copper‐Green Brown Wood Preservative or teak oil?   I really don't want to protect the fence every year.    Ive also thought about painting the pine with deck over, that lasts about 5 years.    

Paul Fookes wrote:From my reading, canes and bramble berries confuse them because they cannot see the other side.   I was just putting it out there as a great addition to his orchard with some additional fruit.  We have a 6' mesh fence around our orchard which is ferrel animal resistant.  I am going to be planting 6 different berries on it as a wind break to stop the fruit getting wind burn in mid summer and as a frost barrier in winter.  The brambles will act as a visual deterrent.

this is a great idea.  I will look into this. the fence will be woritzonal flats like the picture

Paul Fookes wrote:Charring is a great way pf preserving wood.  If I were doing it, I would char the whole post.  Dig the hole down at least 2 ', place a rock in the hole to keep the post off the ground.  Insert the posts and tamp down well.  From my experience, using concrete enables water holding and promotes rot.  If you need further bracing, use a "t' post driven in the ground 3' or more then nail off to the post.
To make the orchard less attractive to larger pests such as deer and the like, use the fence as a trellis for berry canes.  Some one else may be able to find the thread here on Permies.  Unfortunately I can't at this time.

I would not use copper anything as a first line preservative.  It is noted as an organic product so fits with the permies philosophy but not using is is better.  Linseed is good but charring is better.  And Linseed needs to be reapplied.
We look forward to seeing your progress

this is very helpful.. What an amazing community I have a lot to learn.    how often would I need to reapply the linseed oil.  Can I spray it on, diluted with???   and how much will I need to do a fence like that around at least an acre.....  is there any linseed oils to stay away from as well?  

What would you do to Tamp it down?  Also without concrete I wold wrap the whole bottom in the Deck joist tape....

Deer can go through amazingly narrow spaces betweenhorizontal  barbed wires, especially fawns, while mom stands right there watching.  And they go quite quickly.  Maybe a minimum of 5 inches between horizontal boards would deter them.   My barbed wire is 8 inches and they fly right through it.

Fishing line doesn't show well, especially at night, for deer to get tripped by, and especially for birds, like groups of birds that can panic/take off fast and fly straight into it. You wouldn't want a hunting hawk going at high speed to not see that fishing line until it's too late, or a group of quail, or small birds that eat your bugs.  You want all critters to have plenty of warning to not even try it.  

That's why colored poly rope, which is usually blue or white, (and several free sources from neighbors) around the top lets everyone see it, including you, in case some of it comes down for whatever reason.  You can stand in one place and survey the top line of the fence and see that it's all in place.

Cristo Balete wrote:Deer can go through amazingly narrow spaces betweenhorizontal  barbed wires, especially fawns, while mom stands right there watching.  And they go quite quickly.  Maybe a minimum of 5 inches between horizontal boards would deter them.   My barbed wire is 8 inches and they fly right through it.

Fishing line doesn't show well, especially at night, for deer to get tripped by, and especially for birds, like groups of birds that can panic/take off fast and fly straight into it. You wouldn't want a hunting hawk going at high speed to not see that fishing line until it's too late, or a group of quail, or small birds that eat your bugs.  You want all critters to have plenty of warning to not even try it.  

That's why colored poly rope, which is usually blue or white, (and several free sources from neighbors) around the top lets everyone see it, including you, in case some of it comes down for whatever reason.  You can stand in one place and survey the top line of the fence and see that it's all in place.

Thanks!  Yes there is only a couple inches between each board.  I’m also looking at some cattle gates as entrance points.   This are only 5-6 feet tall but believe I could build something ontop of them to be made taller.

Joshua Parise wrote:

What about the technique of preserving the pine.   Linseed oil or Copper‐Green Brown Wood Preservative or teak oil?   I really don't want to protect the fence every year.    I've also thought about painting the pine with deck over, that lasts about 5 years.    

I just don't know.
I use metal for any underground post I don't plan on replacing.

Joshua, as far as preserving the posts in the ground, you can always put them in concrete.  I like the really strong stuff, not the post-hole mix, because the post-hole mix has cracked for whatever reason.  I took down a fence with 40-year-old posts that came out of the ground with concrete still on the ends and they are solid. We have termites here that go through pine and redwood like butter.   And when there's a bad wind storm those posts will do better.

Which reminds me, your "wall" of horizontal boards are really going to be up against storm winds, so don't put your posts too far apart, maybe 8 feet.  You might find after a very bad storm, that tends to happen every 5 years or so, you'll need an extra upright in some places.

Even my chicken wire fence has been made to lean after a bad wind storm, surprised me!

I don't think anything you can do to pine posts will keep it from rotting for more than a couple years.

Can you go with treated posts or cedar or white oak?  Then untreated boards for the fence?

I am also in Wisconsin.  At work we have a fence built of white pine boards and white oak posts that was built in the late 80's  It has been stained and a few rotten boards replaced every few years.  Some of the original posts have been sistered up with treated  posts.

We will probably repair it this summer but it is nearing the end of its life.

If you insist on going with pine posts here are a few suggestions.
Char the posts.
Soak the posts in used engine oil(probably not a good idea around a garden)
Drill a small hole just above ground level at a downward angle towards the center of the post.  Every year fill the hole with a preservative (used engine oil is commonly used for this, still probably not a good idea around a garden)
Make the posts as dry as possible:  don't dig them below the water line, back fill it with gravel, hump the ground up at each post so water is diverted away, cover the humped up dirt with plastic or rubber to help shed water and keep the base of the post dry.
The top of the post also is a place rot will start.  Cut the top of the post at an angle and attach a shingle tab or small piece of metal to it to keep the top of the post dry.
Stain the fence often.

About preserving post ends, I just ran across something, there used to be metal cauldrons for heating up pitch, and then post ends were submerged in the hot pitch, and this preserved them in the ground.  I don't know any more specifics than this, but it might be worth looking into.