How to combine chicken wire cover and trellis?

NYmama 5/23/2010, 3:00 pm

We have loads of rabbits, squirrels, etc. in our area, and our SFG doesn't stand a chance unless it's covered. We're currently using an 18" tall chicken wire cover, as Mel describes in his book, and we have a vertical growing trellis with nylon netting on the north side of the garden.

The problem is that we've got peas growing on the north side of the garden, they're ready to climb up the trellis, but they can't get out of the cage! How can we allow the peas to climb without the rabbits eating the garden? I guess we could make a giant 6' chicken wire fence around the whole garden, but that would make it hard to access it on a daily basis, and a little dangerous for the kids (1.5 and 4). Any other solutions?

Thanks!

jerzyjen 5/23/2010, 6:11 pm

I have lots of bunnies & squirrels in my yard and I use the 24" high plastic rabbit fence all around my box. This is year 2 and I haven't had any critters get in over the top (my guess is squirrels could get in by climbing it, but they havent). This way i can still have the peas climb up the trellis and they end up sticking the rabbit fencing too.

Here's a pic from yesterday.
How to combine chicken wire cover and trellis? DSCF3864

How to combine chicken wire cover and trellis? DSCF3864

I don't know if this will work with your critter situation but like i said ive managed to have too good luck. I even cut about 2" off the top of the plastic fence cause im short and when i reach in from a kneeling position i didnt like the plastic scraping my arms. Its definately working cause the ONLY box I never got around to rabbit fencing got ransacked yesterday... gotta replant my corn How to combine chicken wire cover and trellis? Icon_evil

dmpower 5/28/2010, 2:11 pm

I have a major problem with rabbits!!! Actually, they are rabbids now. In my 4x4 box, I have the tomatoes growing in the 4 squares on the north side, peppers and eggplant in the other squares. These have been attacked many times by the rabbids, they have even chewed through some of my vinyl netting a couple of times.
I am in the process of building a 4x3 chicken wire cover to cover everything except the tomatoes. Then I will will install a chicken wire fence, open topped, 3 sided, around the outside of the final 4 squares that have the tomatoes, making sure that the fencing overlaps the cover a little at the sides.
This may sound like overkill, but I have already lost so much to these wee beasties. Unfortunately the next step would be rabbid stew.

jillschmill 6/1/2010, 3:37 pm

I'm in the same boat, except that I just built the cover today and now realize the problem! Not sure what to do. The items growing on the trellis (tomatoes & cucumbers) aren't yet being eaten by the bunnies, but my green beans are being devoured! Didn't have this problem last year, so I'm stumped. So, the only thing I can think to do is slide the cover so it covers about 3 1/2 of the 4 squares, then figure out some way to block the other end so they don't come under.

If anyone has ideas, I'd love to hear them! Thanks!

Jill

dmpower 6/1/2010, 4:21 pm

I have completed my cover over 3x4 squares, and have left the end 4 tomatoes out of the cover. I had to wrap some chicken wire around the bottom of the tomato squares and bring it around the sides a little so the rabbids can not get in under the end that does not go all the way to the end of the box (at tomatoes). This has worked very well and I have had no more new damage. Unfortunately the bunnies are now chewing through the bird netting I have on the next square. They have enjoyed my stevia and my sun chokes!! These beasts eat a greater variety of vegetables than most people I know.
So yet another cover to make.

graphite 2/1/2011, 10:08 pm

I'm new here, and new to square foot gardening too. I'm planning on making my first SFG boxes this year and was trying to figure out a way to have a trellis and keep out the rabbits/cats. And keep the bird droppings off the lettuce...

Anyhow, I haven't tried building this yet, but here's the idea:
How to combine chicken wire cover and trellis? Versio11

How to combine chicken wire cover and trellis? Versio11

miinva 2/2/2011, 12:41 am

Wow, that's a great idea! I'll have to keep that in mind for the bed we're putting in out in the open at my son's school.

WJB 2/2/2011, 8:14 am

Graphite
That's a great idea.
Thanks!!

Jay Bird 2/2/2011, 9:50 am

We not only have squirrels and bunnies but chickens and guineas, I like the guineas in the garden but none of the others, I put up 4 - 4' tee posts and strached deer fence up around the whole garden . The deer fencing is available at tractor supply and or Lowes it comes in 7' tall X 100 ' long, for $16 or $17 bucks I cut it in half tied itto the posts with zip ties and used cheap tent stakes to secure it to the ground. We are all tall enough to just step over and no critters in the garden!

Squat_Johnson 2/2/2011, 11:15 am

I also use the deer fence.

I like the bunker idea, but would get frustrated trying to harvest through the little openings. I see the doors swinging to the side maybe... I have used wire cages on my tomatoes in the past, and the big tomatoes don't fit through the holes. I also would slice up my hands on the wire.

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