Protect Your Garden from Wildlife

Gardening can be rewarding, but in a few minutes, wildlife and pests can ruin hours of work you have invested in your garden. Garden fencing can help keep critters out and protect your vegetables and plants.

Types of Fencing

Each type of fencing has advantages and disadvantages when considering the size of your yard and what kind of wildlife is in your area. Fixed knot wire fencing is very strong and lasts a long time. Fewer garden fencing posts are required to hold up a fixed knot wire fence so that it can be beneficial in larger areas. Steel hex web fencing often looks like a honeycomb, and the lighter wire makes it less obtrusive than fixed knot fencing but is still strong and durable. Plastic deer fencing, such as is made out of polypropylene, comes in a variety of forms and tends to be less expensive than wire fencing. It is the least visible of all the types of fencing, but may not be as durable as wire fencing.

Gophers and Moles

It might seem difficult to deter tunneling animals since they are often not apparent until the damage has been done. There are a few tactics that might help keep gophers, moles, and voles out of your garden. One way is to bury a mesh wire fence around the outside of the garden. This technique will stop tunnelers from reaching your garden and eating the plants from underneath.

Dogs and Cats

Though you might want your pets to enjoy the outdoors, sometimes they can damage your plants and garden vegetables. Neighborhood pets may also come over and dig in your garden or mark territory, uprooting plants and causing bald spots. Wire mesh fences of at least 3 feet might help protect your garden from both cats and dogs. Bend the fence outward at the bottom at least 2 feet to keep dogs from digging underneath. Cats might also be deterred by planting catnip in another area of the yard.

Rabbits

Rabbits can be voracious nibblers of many plants, especially vegetables, but they can be stopped by most of the types of fencing used for other animals. Plastic and wire garden fencing both can be effective against rabbits. However, rabbits can dig under most types of fencing, so create a lip on the bottom of the fence curved inward and cover it with a few inches of soil to keep them from burrowing under the fence.

Deer

Deer not only can devour your garden, they also can bring with them pests like ticks. Deer are capable jumpers and can jump fences as high as six feet, which makes them difficult to keep out of a garden. Along with height, angling a fence helps deter deer from jumping the fence and devouring your garden. If they are tall enough, fixed knot wire fencing, steel hex fencing, and plastic polypropylene fencing all work well to protect a garden against deer.

You probably do not want to lose the time and money you have invested in your garden to hungry animals. Whatever the size and shape of your garden, there is a garden fencing solution which will keep wildlife out of your garden.

Deer Busters has been writing for 10+ years. He first delved into the world of writing when he wrote his first article for his university's paper.