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Knitted Bird Netting Enclosure

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The following instructions for a Bird and Deer Proof Netting Enclosure were written by one of our dearest customers by the name of Marvin Nuaman.   So thank you Marvin for the great idea sharing.

Knitted Bird Netting Enclosure

 This Garden Bird & Deer proof Cage was constructed by first getting some used well pipe from a well driller, clean & painted it, drove the next size bigger size well pipe (Stakes) into the soil to act as sleeve’s for the net poles (well pipe). Corner & sleeve joints are panted PVC Fittings. Then added 4′ high fence material (for deer & rodent protection) at the base. Then we put American Bird Netting over the top and sides over lapping the fence 1-2′ for a bird proof fit. We used American Netting Clips to attach the netting to the fence for easy assembly and removal each Spring & Fall. We added a modified metal gate from a farm supply house for easy human access. We love it.

One NOTE: This started out as a good neighbor thing. One finding better ways of doing something. We both tried various things. first to keep the deer out. and then the birds. This garden has a Bird side and a deer side. Things escalated with the growing deer population. I decided to cover the whole garden with PVC pipe and stitching small netting together from a local store. Then my neighbor like it so well. he copied me using metal well pipe. The PVC pipe worked ok for 3 seasons but required maintenance and would bend and was a pain. so I took my neighbors idea and improved on it even more especially in the joints and adding real farm gates. One I modified by making it higher and adding bird proof wire and it makes a bird proof fit to the pipe frame (no welding or drilling was done on the gate modification). My neighbor loves it so well he’s modifying his rig this summer.

While we were at it. we moved 5 very established Blue Berry plants, and added 1-10 yard dump truck of 5 & 1 soil mix. Our Raised beds came from used treated decking that my neighbor was rebuilding for his son.

The raised beds really made a big difference in our very healthy crop this year. we were amazed. Even our relocated Blue Berries that had been pruned at least 50% for the transplant gave us a healthy plentiful crop.

 

Deer-Proofing Your Garden – Don’t serve their favorites

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Any time we see a deer or two, most of us just want to say, "Aw, look at the pretty deer," particularly if there is a fawn in the group.

But homeowners who have tried to keep a garden looking beautiful in a neighborhood often visited by deer has a few other choice words for these animals. Most of the time, the reason they are in our yards is that housing developments have encroached on their natural habitat. How can we find a way to co-exist?

As deer have adapted to the world of humans and the related daily activity such as fast-moving cars, they are also raising their young in the same environment, creating a new generation of animals that live in a suburban world without fear. But no matter where they roam, these animals have the same instinct – survival.

When deer are hungry, they will eat almost anything, so buying the so-called deer-proof plants may be a waste of money. Even juniper bushes, normally distasteful to deer, will be eaten in a phase of extreme hunger. They may even chew on the bark of trees, using that as roughage.

However, under normal circumstances, many plants are less inviting to deer, so adding those to your garden may be a way to maintain your home's curb appeal and still be kind to animals. Plants native to specific regions are often less appealing than carefully tended garden foliage and bushes. In Colorado, for example, shrubs less tasty to deer include Austrian copper rose, golden currant, lilacs and Oregon grape holly. Perennial flowers may also prove less inviting, such as lily-of-the-valley, Shasta daisy and Russian sage. Many ground-cover plants such as morning glory, English ivy or creeping mahonia are deer-resistant, as are herbs, including lavender and marjoram.

Most University Extension Service departments and municipalities have information on regional plants that are less likely to invite deer into your yard.

Other non-plant solutions include deer repellents, but these have varying degrees of success at keeping the animals away from your plants. They often have to be re-applied if it rains, or if irrigation occurs on a regular basis.

The other solution is to build a deer fence around your garden. using polypropylene mesh fencing, which blends in with the surrounding landscape, can be easily installed and is the most cost-effective choice. Like most deer fences, it should be at least six- to eight-feet high to be effective.