Making cages to keep animals away from plants

[GEMiNi GENETiCS]

Not sure if anyone tries/tried this yet but this is what I'm doing .... All my container plants will have a 18"tall dome of 1"chicken wire stapled around the container .... Zip tied together and have a few pieces cut and pointed outward to poke nosy animals ..... My plants in the ground I'm going to have the same style dome but use extra chic wire to wrap the chicken wire around the root ball as well and fill in the hole ..... Hopefully adds some stability to the cage and would prevent some damage if animals try to dig up the young plants .... I'll post pics when I got em.

All cages will be stapled to 3 wooden/bamboo stakes for added support ....

Chicken wire .... Toss into fire to remove shine .... Stealthy ....

And easier than painting ... Plus it won't flake OFF after a season or bending twisting movement .....


.....For rats try getting very fine steel mesh and make a ring ... Bury it atleast 4" to prevent them from slipping under .... Add double sided gorilla tape around to prevent climbing up and over the ring

 

[Plant n Prosper]

check out the plastic chicken fence 3ft high at home depot works great
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs...fence&langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

I stocked up on these bad boys as well, I'm hoping the plastic isnt thin enough to be chewed through though. That's my only worry here.

The green will blend in like a charm. Anyone used these fences before and had any problems with durability issues?

 

[Chronichiwa]

I am new to the forums here, a former clandestine backyard grower and now an outdoor OMMP grower in central Oregon. Believe it or not my biggest worry and most successful stash thief is the pesky scrub jay. Through trial and error and having learned the hard way my setup is pretty simple, reliable and affordable.
I cement 12ft. pressure treated 2x4s spray painted black into the ground and then create a completely covered space with orchard netting. The netting is stapled to the wood and then I use softball sized rocks to anchor the netting to the ground. I use a lot of rocks and leave no gaps large enough for marauding ground squirrels aka gray diggers to enter and pillage. The simple framework also enables me to throw over frost cloth if temperatures drop too low for too long in October. Happy growing!

 

[Plant n Prosper]

I am new to the forums here, a former clandestine backyard grower and now an outdoor OMMP grower in central Oregon. Believe it or not my biggest worry and most successful stash thief is the pesky scrub jay. Through trial and error and having learned the hard way my setup is pretty simple, reliable and affordable.
I cement 12ft. pressure treated 2x4s spray painted black into the ground and then create a completely covered space with orchard netting. The netting is stapled to the wood and then I use softball sized rocks to anchor the netting to the ground. I use a lot of rocks and leave no gaps large enough for marauding ground squirrels aka gray diggers to enter and pillage. The simple framework also enables me to throw over frost cloth if temperatures drop too low for too long in October. Happy growing!

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I like the netting homie. How many plants can you grow in Oregon? I'm moving to Mt. Hood this yr

 

[Chronichiwa]

An OMMP grower can have up to and no more than 4 patients, 18 seedlings per patient and 6 'mature' plants per patient. Here is the OMMP handbook: http://public.health.oregon.gov/DiseasesConditions/ChronicDisease/MedicalMarijuanaProgram/Documents/ommpHandbook.pdf

 

[isaih520]

America land of the free

 

[farmerlion]

If you have an archery shop by you there is many kinds of animal urines that are very effective. I piss by mine every time I'm outside. I haven't had any issues with wild life yet. I also have two dogs that chase everything that moves. I'm sure they deserve a lot of the credit.

 

[cemetaryrain]

nylon mesh is easier to transport than wire. and you can take 2-3 plastic transparent pint glasses, stack them and glue them together by melting abit with a lighter, it makes a mini protective greenhouse in it.

 

[1withdaCouch]

Very inspiring. Thanks for the pictures!

 

[ares420]

This is my patent to animals...

 

[meadowman]

i use hardware cloth for rabbit n such and homemade habanero spray for deer. i find spraying the immediate surroundings works better than just the plant itself. that way the deer don't take it out on the plant, i've had em stomped to death a few times.

 

[lijunwei1Sheffu]

i just have a rabbit problem..
http://img535.imageshack.us/i/p1010813.jpg/View Image
http://img204.imageshack.us/i/p1010811w.jpg/View Image

ye rabbits are my main problem also n trying to find the best sollution n cheapest sollution possible..but by looking at this thread..mesh is the only way..

pissing around the plot seems to have not worked for me for sure..n i would not waste my time or effort in regards to other products trying to say the detter rabbits.as they are persistant little things..n being a guerilla grower i am at one with nature so setting traps for them is a no no..

mesh it is then

 

[MJPassion]

Awesome thread folks.
Lots of great ideas containned herein.

My problem is mostly underground burrowing critters but I have to deal w rodents, squirrels, chipmunks & the like as well. Deer don't seem to bother my plants prob because they don't like a bunch of dogs barking at them. A friend lost some plants to elk though. The elk seem to love getting fucked up as they strip the aspenn trees as well for the silicic acid contained in the bark.

I don't use above ground cages... yet... so I'll address the burrowing critter strtegy I've come up with.

First of all, I have started using washing machine tubs as my containers because I'm into reusing/repurposing things. I prefer growing IN amended native soil in raised beds & these tubs seemed perfect.
Anyway, I dig holes large enough that these tubs will fit in them with about 6-10 inches above the natural soil level.
I then place a piece of hardware cloth in the bottom of the hole and place my tub on top of that then back fill around the tub.

Waa Laa!!! GOPHER PROOF planters.
Add whatever above ground cage/s you prefer & you should have a very secure (from critters) plot.

I do not have pictures of this. Sorry yall.

Dryer tubs also work but require more hardware cloth as they are nearly just large tubes.

 

[buddymate]

Havent lost any on these plots to rabbits,despite there being plenty around

 

[Rory Borealis]

Well done, sir. Carry on.

 

[Stinkymutt]

If it has not been said yet (sorry I didnt read whole thread) , Throw whole role of chicken wire on a fire to burn off the galvanizing . Its nasty and bad for environment and all but if its a gorilla grow the shiny metal stands out like a sore thumb . It dont take long to do this at all . The fencing rusts up quickly and matches the environment a lil better . Its nasty to work with but worth doing if worried about fences being spotted .

 

[calirun]

Rats are the main problem out here and although chicken wire usually dies the job sometimes they will crawl up so I'm putting a roof this year.

 

[Aoc230]

...Paint your fencing flat black and it will virtually disappear before your very eyes...Use the native tree for posts and go with at least 4 foot chicken fencing with 1 inch mesh.
Take a staple gun and staple the fencing to the first post...starting at the top and stapling downward...pull the fencing tightly over to the next post but staple it to the inside of that post...repeat this procedure..going inside one post and then outside to the other..I`ve been using this method for over 20 years and it will make for one strong inclosure.
36 plants in this pic with over 100 feet of fencing around them...Painted flat black and voila...where did it go.

This is a great idea, id be more prone to wrap the fencing around the posts and then staple.. Really does disappear

 

[aker]

I want to grow Super 7 and Leb27 and HExJET47 outside in this summer. I want to start on may 15, and get off on September 15.
I will use soil from shop, and organic soil from other place,and perlite.
Whats the best % from those nutrients? better if i put in large cup or in a ground ? Maybe cup without down plastic which are a lil bit putted in the ground? Cheers.

 

[St. Phatty]

I like to keep a low profile from the air, so my deer fences are often made out of brush (dead wood laying around.)