Planting a vegetable garden can be a very educational, as well as, rewarding experience for everyone involved. Kids especially enjoy the hands-on experience of getting dirty while weeding, planting, and watering the garden.
Everyone’s excitement grows as the vegetables begin to sprout and grow. And then you notice that some vegetables have bite marks, some lettuce leaves are missing and other vegetables have been trampled on.
It becomes clear that the little chicken wire fence surrounding your garden was not really helping. The garden pests were having a field day eating your precious produce! You don’t want all that hard work to be in vain, so it’s time to research other fencing options.
About Vegetable Fencing Kits
You can find a lot of different fencing options and materials at your local hardware or gardening stores. This could be a reasonable solution If you are great at DIY projects. However, if you’re not great at doing it yourself, and need a little more guidance, purchasing a vegetable fencing kit from a company that specializes in fencing may be the way to go.
Some things to consider when researching which fencing to get is:
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What type of pests do you need to keep out?
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Do you want a permanent or removable structure?
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Do you want plastic or metal materials?
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Do you want a fence with a top?
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Is Electric fencing the way to go?
What Pests?
Depending on what kind of pests you are trying to keep out of your garden will help you decide which fence kit to get. Sometimes you just want to keep your family pet, whether a dog or cat, from trampling on your vegetables and other times it’s those sneaky critters, such as birds, chipmunks, deer, rabbits, raccoons, squirrels, etc. that love to forage. Below is a list of the various types of garden fencing kits that are available.
Two Layer Garden Fence with overlap – This is one of the most popular types of fencing because it is great for all types of animals.
It has a rodent barrier which is an extra layer of steel fencing and includes a minimum of 6” overlap that is pinned to the ground.
It comes in all steel or steel and poly kits that can be removable or permanent depending on your need.
One Layer Garden Fence with overlap – This fencing also comes in steel or poly kits and includes a minimum of 6” overlap that can be pinned to the ground and keep those non-chewing critters from burrowing their nose and face under the fence.
It, too, can be permanent or removable depending on your need.
One Layer Garden Fence with no overlap – This type of fencing is portable and more of a barrier fence to keep things in or out. This kit does not have the overlap or extra layers of steel fencing.
You can also find vegetable garden kits with various add-ons.
No-Climb Post Extenders – These post extenders are available with all of the above garden kits, either one directional (keep critters from climbing in) or double no-climb extenders (keep animals you want in, and other animals out)
Garden Fence Top – This top encloses your four-sided garden fence kit (1” opening size), preventing birds from attacking your precious fruits or vegetables. It can be removable with extra help and time.
Fence Kits for Conventional Fences – Many suppliers have fence kits to extend or add no-climb hardware to your existing fences.
Electric Fence Kit – This type of fence sends an electric shock to the critter that tries to enter the fenced area. It is more costly, with wire spacing design specific to each animal/pest.
Depending on the kit, these are some of the items that may be found: reel of electric fence wire or polywire, AC fence charger or 110-volt energizer, step-in insulated fence posts or fiber rod posts, clips for fastening wire to the posts, ground rod, ground clamp and hookup wire.
The Bottom Line
Hopefully the above information got you thinking about how to protect your upcoming harvest and what to look for when researching the different fencing kits out there. If you are a DIY person, you can probably gather all the materials you need at your local hardware/garden supply store. You can even find some kits there.
However, if you need a little more guidance and support, find a supplier that specializes in garden fencing kits. Once done, you will be able to enjoy the fruits of your labor without worrying!
