pvc dome or covered wagon?

Should I build a PVC dome or covered wagon? I live in Baltimore and we have some rabbits and deer. I might alternatively want to protect against insects.

Thanks for your help =)

You could use schedule 40 pipe and
attach chicken wire to it. The problem with all of these coverings is
access for gardening maintenance. Hungry critters are determined and
if you can get in...potentually so can they.

With deer electrical fencing is the way
to go.

there are just a few deer. most ppl here leave their gardens uncovered actually so i don't want to go the electrical route.

i agree that chicken wire cage sounds like a pain to me. i was just thinking bird netting, wouldn't that deter bunnies and maybe deter the deer?

thanks =)

I use the critter cages from the book. For nearly 2 years they have served perfectly. Zero animal damage, no cat poo from the neighbors cats or my barn cats, protects from raccoons, rabbits, deer, etc. Couple of plastic sheets or tarps and it keeps out excessive rain, or a few old towels can be clothes pinned for shade as well as lightweight burlap from the garden store. Burlap is terrific giving light shade with sun, love the stuff. Are cages inconvenient to remove and replace? A little sure, but I value undamaged veggies and fruit (and zero cat poo) far more than the extra minute or two to take them off and replace.

I also use the critter cages from the book and am happy with them.

llama momma, what do you do for taller stuff? My tomato plant just got to the point where I can't really use the cage anymore and will have to trellis soon. I put fence posts beside the conduit for the trellis, and wrapped chicken wire around 3 sides of the box. The back of the box is close to the house. Do you have a better way for when things outgrow the cage?

I slide the cage away from the tomatoes. At the opposite end of the box the cage certainly hangs off. No big deal just put a couple bricks under the "extension" and a smaller piece of chicken wire. It will block out any little critters from walking under the "extension" to help themselves to the garden feast. Back to the tomato end of the box - I put 1 or 2 green metal posts behind the trellis. Wrap chicken wire from the front of the cage, continue around the posts and attach to back of cage with a small size bungee cord. The front is also attached with a small bungee too. Or if lazy ( like this year) I pinch a piece of the chicken wire to the cage to hold it. I also sprinkle Deer Away (works for rabbits too) around the boxes to keep things uninteresting to critters to begin with Between the wire and the stinky Deer Away I think it confuses and annoys them to no end and they leave all the boxes alone. There are still enough little openings for the visiting toads to come in and help themselves to the bugs.

And in your case if the back of the cage is up near the house you could still have another cage made into a 4 ft by 3 ft effectively still protecting the rest of the box.

Thank you!

I mean to try the dome style. I am curious if tulle and plastic fold easier over them. They certainly would be sturdier than the covered wagon style, cross bracing built in.

I used to help my Grandmother in her garden when I was a child, she lived up in Northern Idaho out in the woods. At one point in my Grandparents life they ran a feed shop, so I like to think she knew what she was doing. She swore by putting down hair in the garden. Yes, hair, like from your head. The weekly trip 'into town' included stopping by a hair salon to pick up the clipping from the flloor, I think she'd call ahead so they had it waiting for her.

It should be clean since most of the places wash the hair before cutting it, and you wouldn't need to deal with the hassle of moving any type of cover for you to get into your garden.

I've also heard that strips of dryer sheets in the garden do the same thing, something about the scent deters the deer. That also might be worth looking to...