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With warmer
days now upon us I recently visited my backyard to contemplate my garden for
this year’s planting. As I looked at the garden I couldn’t help focusing on the
bent up wire garden fence and the faded and broken tomato stakes that held it
up. To be honest, it was an eye sore, but it had served its purpose. It had kept
the local woodchucks out of the garden for the past several years.
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However as
I looked at the garden, I decided that this year I would tear out the old garden
fence and replace it with a new one that is more aesthetically appealing, easier
to install, and fully functional. And when I say functional, again I mean the
ability to hold at bay the woodchucks with their voracious appetites.
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Due to my
fiscally conservative nature I decided to install an inexpensive 36 inch high
plastic garden fence. I chose this type of garden fencing due to its low cost,
ease of installation, and affordability. I have a hard time justifying
installing a garden fence that is a factor of two more expensive than the money
I will save by not having to purchase my own fresh vegetables.
In addition
to using the new plastic garden fencing, with 1 inch wide holes, I decided to
purchase 3.5 feet high green metal stakes. The wooden tomato stakes always wind
up rotting and breaking at the base after just a couple of garden seasons.
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Photo Provided by Mark Donovan |
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The plastic garden
fencing installation went quickly and without a great deal of hassle. I started
by pounding the metal stakes into the ground. I spaced them about 5 feet apart
around the perimeter of the garden.
Next, I
unrolled the plastic garden fencing and attached it to the metal posts. The
metal posts have small metal tabs on them that enable the garden fencing to
attach to them. You simply bend over the tabs to hold the garden fencing to the
metal stakes.
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Though the
metal tabs somewhat held the garden fencing in place, due to uneven spacing not
all of the tabs could be used on a stake to adequately secure the garden fencing
to it. Thus, I additionally used 4 inch long tie-wraps to make sure the garden
fencing was held securely to the garden stakes.
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In
addition, I chose not to bury the base of the fence this time. Typically I
would bury my metal garden fences about 6 inches into the ground to prevent
the woodchucks from burrowing under the fence. This time however, I chose to
have the fence sit only 30” high and have the bottom of the fence folded
outwards from the garden. My hope is that the wide flared out fence tab will
create a sufficient of enough deterrent to the woodchucks to prevent them
from digging or scooting under the fence.
One of the
benefits I see in this type of garden fencing is that I can easily take it down
at the end of the season and roll it up tightly and store it away. With metal
garden fencing material it is impossible to roll up the fencing. It is awkward
to roll and once bent it is almost impossible to shape back into a useable
condition.
So with my
new and more attractive garden fencing installed, I will keep my fingers crossed
that I keep out the woodchucks this gardening season.
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