Tomatoes gone

[wolfman]

Had a nice crop of tomatoes, some just turning red in the garden with a four-foot fence and it looks like a deer jumped in and ate all of them. Fence not harmed and deer tracks inside fence. What now ? a higher fence or ???

 

[Traditional Farmer]

8ft fence to keep deer out,all the vineyards in my area have them.

 

[300jk]

Yeah taller fence. I put one up for the first time this year. I bought 7 fence, but its only around 5 high. I asked here about post extensions and got busy doing hay. I got lucky. No damage yet. Mine should still be taller.

 

[37 chief]

a friend of mine put up a hot wire around his fruit trees. He said all he saw was deer tracks peeling out in the opposite direction. Stan

 

[old]

Taller fence or a hot wire or 2 above the 4 foot you have or a double fence such that the deer have to jump into a narrow area so they cannot get any speed up for the next jump.

 

[Tgrasher]

I've heard of putting aluminum foil on a hot wire smeared with peanut butter.

 

[CKain(MI)]

Ive had good results with just 2 strands on 'hot' wire. one low for raccoons, one about 3ft for deer. They dont seem to run and jump it, just walk up and test it. then run back the way they came.!!!

 

[SHALER]

I dont live too far away from you wolfman and yes, the other posters hae more or less outlined your options #1 run the hot wire around the garden, or #2- set up a high fence, eight foot seems to be the 'deer proof' height. I got kinda lucky and had an older fencer lying around that works fine for the 50 feet of hot wire for my garden. BTW there are as you prob know other deer proofing methods like soap bar shavings around the perimeter or human hair or hot pepper spray but ive had little success with any of those.

 

[chuck machinist]

I am surprised some deer have not succumbed to lead poisoning. Just sayin! CM

 

[Traditional Farmer]

Can still get kill permits but that would give the vineyards terrible publicity,remember I live in Albemarle County(LOL).Even with the livestock guard dogs I'm still going to have to end up making my 4ft fence into to 8ft to keep them out my garden.Plenty of good deer meat around for this fall.The deer actually hide their fawns up where my tractors and equipment are located to hide them from the coyotes,plus the does lie around in the barn during the day.

 

[Traditional Farmer]

I had cattle panels around the garden,then lined the inside of the panels with 2 X 4 wire pretty much keeps out the rabbits and ground hogs.Going to extend the fence to 8ft to stop the deer.Good fences make good gardens.

 

[560Dennis]

I used snow fence , helped when I had a bigger garden , never used the chemicals , so electrical fence

 

[bmack95hd]

One garden we use 6ft. chain link panels. The other we use 47in. field wire with 3 hot wires above that. Everything lined with 2dt. chicken wire.

 

[TomA in CA]

I have 6' 2x4 welded wire fence around my garden. Lots of deer here. They don't get in but deer are small here.

 

[philcaseinWPA]

hot lead poisoning works well. Just takes too much time.

 

[Determined]

(quoted from post at 21:18:51 07/13/21) Taller fence or a hot wire or 2 above the 4 foot you have or a double fence such that the deer have to jump into a narrow area so they cannot get any speed up for the next jump.

Similar to what old suggested, I have a friend that had good results by making some stand offs out of 2x2 and added another top wire a few feet out from the perimeter of the existing fence.

They won't typically be taking a running jump at your fence so the extra wire screws up their positioning to clear the fence from a standing start.

 

[C.Amick]

A single thin strand of steel electric fence wire placed on posts about 18 inches off the ground and a hot fence charger. Deer will get into it and tear it down 2 or 3 times, but will stay away after that.