In recent weeks , I’ve start construct an 8 - foot fenceto protectmy young orchardfrom being unceremoniously consume by the scads of deer that frequent my farm . Because I have a foresightful and strained relationship with cervid — through the years , they ’ve chewed on more of my trees than I care to count — I knew I ’d need to construct a unnerving fence around my orchard to keep my trees safe . It was just a doubtfulness of cost .
luckily , I ’ve found a few ways to burn down on expenses . One big reward ? The playing area where I planted my grove is surrounded on three sides by forest . In addition to lines of mature Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , there are unnumbered youngsugar mapleand green ash trees scatter through the edges of the woodland . tramp in diam from 2 to 4 inches , they ’re perfect replacements for bet or fencing posts . Maybe they ’re even respectable , because they are settle down firmly to the flat coat , and the larger trees hardly give at all when you campaign on them . This also saves the clip of using apost - kettle of fish diggerto prepare the ground and put the fence posts .
So basically , I ’ve been able to fence in in my orchard on three sides without introducing the toll of stake or posts . I ’m using longplastic aught tiesto bind the fencing itself ( made of tough opprobrious plastic ) to outgrowth and tree trunks , pass on a small bit of wiggle room for the trees to grow . Eventually , I might have to supervene upon the postcode ties as the trees uprise expectant , but that is several days off , and the zip ties might well be draw shut the end of their lifespan in the fencing by that point anyway .
In a few places , I ’ve had to confiscate the fence to mature tree , and in these instance zip draw do n’t work as well because I would have to thread a clump of them together to go around tree trunk measuring a foot or two in diameter . Instead , I attaching the fence to the mature Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree using shoe nail . I do n’t love the thought of pounding nails into the trees , but I figure it ’s no more harmful than tapping maple trees for their sap tomake maple syrup .
Of of course , in a few places the woods opens up a little bit and there are no suitable trees to serve as posts . For these section , I ’ve set up metal T - posts to confirm the fencing , but I do n’t expect to use more than 10 or 12 .
Arguably , the trickiest part of this labor was clearing a way for the fencing to follow . Rather than feed the fence across the front of the tree agate line — which would keep me from easily accessing the beautiful mature tree on the bound of the forest — I chose to set the fencing back within the forest about 10 to 20 ft . This required me to take mypruning loppersand bushwhack an opening through the forest about 4 foot broad and 8 foot tall . It withdraw some time and attempt , but the results have been worth it — unravel the fence along the path has been prosperous and straightforward .
After work six afternoons , I ’m about 75 percent through installing a quarter - mile of fencing . I ’m proud of with the result so far ; the trees are hold the fencing neat and tall , and I ’m affirmative that I ’ll finally get out a winner in my on-going battle against cervid .
