Can anyone recommend a type of fence to rabbit proof a veg garden? I have a deer fence already, but want to add to the bottom. I have read that rabbits easily chew through chicken wire.
Thanks
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Hi June
We use a 1-1.5 inch wire mesh fence 4 ft high. It is stronger than chicken wire so the rabbit teeth get sharpened real well!
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I also du the bottom into the gravelly soil about 6 inches so they do not dig under
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Rabbits did chew through chicken wire at our former acreage. They also ran up the 3 foot high chicken wire and through the bigger holes in the deer fencing. That said - it kept them out for the most part. We dug it in 6-8 inches into the ground to discourage digging.
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Many thanks to Milner Gardens & Woodland’s Gardening Advice line (a partnership between Vancouver Island University’s Milner Gardens & Woodland and the Vancouver Island Master Gardeners Association) for the following response:
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If you already have a deer fence we would suggest adding at least 2 to 3 feet of hardware cloth, a sturdy wire mesh sold at most Home Centre stores, with small holes (1/4” to 1/2”), along the bottom of your existing fence as baby rabbits are able to get through very small spaces.
In order to stop the rabbits from digging under the fence make sure your hardware cloth extends down and out in order to create an additional barrier. Here are three ways you can do this:
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Dig a trench 6 to 12 inches deep and about 6 to 12 inches wide along the outside of your fence. Bend the hardware cloth into an L shape. Place the long side of your L in the trench and flare the short foot of the L outward away from the garden. Fill the trench back and pack tightly.
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Dig a narrow trench 12 inches down. Extend your hardware cloth straight down. Staple or tie the underground portion of the hardware cloth to your fence post and then refill the trench with soil.
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If you can’t dig at the bottom of your fence you can lay the hardware cloth 12 to 18 inches wide flat on the ground outside the fence line. Attach the top edge of the cloth up 2 to 3 feet high and to the bottom of your existing fence. Pin down the cloth with landscape staples every 6 inches to attach the cloth flat to the ground. Let the grass grow through it to hide it and lock it in place.
Good luck and we hope this will help you!
Aline and Ruth
Resources:
Iowa State University: https://yardandgarden.extension.iastate.edu/how-to/how-protect-gardens-rabbits
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