deer

T*

Hi, Folks!

>How are we going to keep the deer out of our garden?  

Mike McGrath, editor-at-large at Organic Gardening and host of "You Bet Your
Garden" o our local NPR station, said on the show a few weeks ago that
corregated metal sheeting or chain link fence laid flat around the garden
will protect it from deer because they don't like the feel of metal beneath
their hooves.

I asked a friend who belongs to the North American Fruit Explorers and has
*many* heirloom fruit trees if he had heard of the technique and if it
works.  He tried it this year as follows and had great success:

>I purchased some cattle fence, 6" x 12" spacing, 48"
>high. I had to buy bolt cutters as this is heavy wire. It should last 20
>yearrs. The 330 foot roll cost me $70, but this is a lot of fence! I also
>use it to protect my trees from the deer (and the kids). I use light weight
>electrical conduit , EMT, to hold it in place about 18" to 36" above the
>ground. I can still take care of the grass.

Personally, I'd rather use the corregated metal sheeting so that we DON'T
have to worry about mowing the grass at the garden (weed AND deer control
with the same implement! :-D), but it can be expensive stuff.  My guess is
that I'm going to be spending a lot of time with folks in construction,
begging for used sheeting, unless other folks have a better idea. . .

Dorene Pasekoff, Coordinator
St. John's Organic Community Garden

A mission of 
St. John's United Church of Christ, 315 Gay Street, Phoenixville, PA  19460

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