[orsonwb]

Never thought of using PVC pipe to make a frame that I could put deer net over on my raised beds. Think I'll try it.

[Yooperman]

I use an electric fence, works great.

The cost of PVC pipe and a net to cover a 30 X 80 foot garden would be prohibitive.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Garden ping list?

[alnick]

Instead of landscape fabric at the bottom, use cardboard or several layers of newspaper. There are a couple of advantages over LF.

You do not have to till or remove the grass. Just plop it right on top of the grass.

Also, the LF will prevent earthworms from accessing your garden from beneath. The NP or CB will allow the worms to till the soil for you by working their way from below.

Less work and a better garden. :-)

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Wife has constructed a 2” PVC pipe frame and plastic deer netting to keep deer out of the veggie garden. We’re starting seeds this week.

[Sacajaweau]

Construct a little greenhouse using wood posts and plastic sheeting. I found some super cheap plastic at Kmart...heavy duty..... works for a lot of things. If you get tired of gardening (ridiculous) you can turn it into a dog pen or a children's area (strawberries growing in their sandbox??)

My bro put in "old wallpaper" in his paths. works great.

[nuconvert]

Thanks. I’ve been thinking of trying this.
What about racoons?

[Arrowhead1952]

I’ve seen deer jump a five foot fence with no problem. I’ve heard that if a deer cannot see what is on the other side of a fence, they won’t jump.

[proud American in Canada]

bttt for later reading—this is quite intriging.

So you don`t have to construct something out of wood, you can just put down cardboard, newspapers, soil and compost? Wow. That is amazing.

I’ve got seeds but was not looking forward to backbreaking work. I’m getting too old for that! :)

I’ll check back here when I have more time.

[N. Theknow]

I triede everything to keep deer out of my garden.

Irish Spring soap in a bag.

Coyote urine (Yes, it is sold in bulk)

Fencing

"Deer-proof" flowers (They just bit off the flowers and spit them out)

Scarecrow

BUT....The ONLY thing that worked 100% was human hair!

Every time I got a haircut I would replenish it.

Worked like a charm!

[dubyagee]

.

[Redleg Duke]

A 30-30 works well, also!

[Tatze]

A good read. But contrary to the article, you can use the current pressure treated wood. Copper arsenic is no longer used for pressure treating and the current chemicals pose no threat to your garden. This is from the horticulturalist who taught my Master Gardeners class last year. I used 5/4” x 6” decking planks for my new raised beds built last year. I think its more sturdy, and certainly less expensive, than the Trex or other composite decking material.

[Brad’s Gramma]

Years ago my Dad read that hanging mesh bags of dog fur around your garden fence would keep the deer out.

I honest to gosh brushed the GSD and saved the fur AND mailed it across the country to him.

It didn’t work. ;). But we had a good laugh over it..

[TASMANIANRED]

Won’t keep the rabbits out.. chewed right through mine last year.

[Sarajevo]

This is the hoophouse I built last year. 12ft wide x 35ft long. It's covered with chicken wire along the bottom, and deer netting over the top. The shade cloth is to protect the plants during these scorching Texas summers. The cattle panel is for climbing plants. The raised beds were built from scrap lumber and filled with horse manure from a local ranch. Watering is done with a simple drip water sprinkler system.

This years project is to widen the hoophouse and add more beds.

[Chode]

don't raised gardens drain water very fast and make it harder to get ground water too???

[Hot Tabasco]

Here's a photo of the raised garden bed.......No raised garden bed is complete without an 8 ft. privacy fence........

[surfer]

I have gone vertical hydro for my small root crops and container hydro for my large root crops.

No dirt at all!

Works great...my yields are way up and the resources it takes to get there are way down.