Gardening With Charlie - Fencing Out Critters

(Family Features) - Kathy Bond-Borie, Guest Columnist - Building a fence to keep animals out of your garden is not something to be taken lightly, but it may be the only way to put an end to the feasting of marauding critters. One groundhog can make your broccoli patch disappear overnight. One deer can cut your perennials down to nubs in the same amount of time. A neighborhood cat can turn your garden into a litter box.

Since animals have their own particular habits, it can be hard to find a one-size-fits-all solution, so focus on the animals causing the most damage. Here are some ideas for foiling some of the common animals that like to help themselves to our gardens.

Deer

Since deer can jump, a fence needs to be high and at an angle to deter them. One effective option is an 8- to 10-foot-tall fence slanted at a 45-degree angle toward the direction from which deer are most likely to come. It will make them think twice about jumping. Keep the fence snug to the ground, since deer can also wiggle under fences. Electric fences baited with peanut butter and solid fences that block the view to a food source also work well.

Woodchucks

Woodchucks are good climbers, so leave the top 18 inches of a 4-foot-tall fence unattached, or string electric wire across the top to discourage these pests. The fence should also have a 2-foot-wide apron buried a few inches below the soil to stop the pests from burrowing under the fence. Electric fencing placed a few inches outside a wire fence also helps.

Tunneling Critters: Gophers, Chipmunks, Moles

These subterranean travelers have the advantage of being out of sight most of the time, so they can do their dirty work of munching your plants undetected. In winter they move beneath the snow and gnaw the bark of young tree trunks, and you often don't discover the damage until spring. If your garden is plagued by any of these tunneling creatures, you can create cages or baskets to protect prized plants. Dig a 2- to 3-foot-deep hole in the planting area and line the sides and bottom of the bed with wire mesh. Replace the soil and plant your garden.

Protect tree trunks with wire mesh guards placed a few inches below the soil line and 2 feet up the trunk. Check the guards in the spring and fall, adjusting them to make room for tree growth and to be sure they are securely fastened.

For more tips and garden information visit www.garden.org

A former floral designer and interior plantscaper, Kathy Bond-Borie has spent 20 years as a garden writer/editor, including her current role as Horticultural Editor for the National Gardening Association. She loves designing with plants, and spends more time playing in the garden - planting and trying new combinations - than sitting and appreciating it.

SOURCE:
National Gardening Association