Apple tree fencing

nimrodhunter

Yearling... With promise
Anyone use fence like this for around their apple trees? I can get a bunch for free from work. Planting some trees in June.
bcf073059c798bb6108dfd5147d256b1.jpg


Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 
I did. I actually used scaffold netting I got free from work. It worked just fine, but I had to use a few extra stakes compared to metal fence.
 
I’m not saying it wouldn’t work, but I prefer 60” fencing for fruit trees to prevent browse damage. Could also lift it up 12” and attach to stakes.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I actually prefer 4' and lift it up a foot like g squared says. Your trunk protector will keep the girdlers at bay and having it up makes it easier to weed/mulch/maintain.
 
I’m not saying it wouldn’t work, but I prefer 60” fencing for fruit trees to prevent browse damage. Could also lift it up 12” and attach to stakes.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I agree ^^^. Should go with 60" concrete meshing at 4'.5" diameter. You will only need 1 stake to hold in place. If you use soft fencing, the deer will push it in to browse upper leaders.

Don't worry about younger deer sticking the head in to browse the lower limbs as you need to prune lower lateral limbs to force their thickening for fruit bearing. I have had larger deer reach over a 3' dia. and 48" high cage to browse lateral branches and main leader.

Plant larger nursery stock, plant fewer trees (as opposed to mass plantings) and spend the $$ for good caging. Remember, with the right cage materials you can use the cages over and over on new plantings once the tree has out grown the cage and you can protect the lower have of the tree only.

0614201350a (1).jpg
 
Thanks for the replies. I was thinking I would hold it off the ground at least 1' if not 2'. There will be 150' of this netting for me to use. I was also thinking of getting rebar from work to put around the top of it as well to give it a little more strength, making approximately a 5x5 diamond around each tree. I will also get some mesh from work as well.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 
Thanks for the replies. I was thinking I would hold it off the ground at least 1' if not 2'. There will be 150' of this netting for me to use. I was also thinking of getting rebar from work to put around the top of it as well to give it a little more strength, making approximately a 5x5 diamond around each tree. I will also get some mesh from work as well.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
Are you from Nimrod?
 
I agree ^^^. Should go with 60" concrete meshing at 4'.5" diameter. You will only need 1 stake to hold in place. If you use soft fencing, the deer will push it in to browse upper leaders.

Don't worry about younger deer sticking the head in to browse the lower limbs as you need to prune lower lateral limbs to force their thickening for fruit bearing. I have had larger deer reach over a 3' dia. and 48" high cage to browse lateral branches and main leader.

Plant larger nursery stock, plant fewer trees (as opposed to mass plantings) and spend the $$ for good caging. Remember, with the right cage materials you can use the cages over and over on new plantings once the tree has out grown the cage and you can protect the lower have of the tree only.

View attachment 34653

I’m a fan of the 5’ remesh also and am very into protecting the leader.
But for me I don’t care if deer get after the lower stuff I am cutting it all off sooner or later anyway.
Eventually I don’t want any branches below 4’-5’ on my wildlife fruit trees.
 
Thanks for the replies. I was thinking I would hold it off the ground at least 1' if not 2'. There will be 150' of this netting for me to use. I was also thinking of getting rebar from work to put around the top of it as well to give it a little more strength, making approximately a 5x5 diamond around each tree. I will also get some mesh from work as well.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
That will all work - free is free.

There is a "general" consensus built by many trials and errors that has held pretty true - 5' concrete remesh , 1 post minimum, with multiple post hold a 1' off the ground that has a couple benefits, bigger the area fenced the better ... use aluminum window screen 18" or taller (keep it on as long as you can). Stake the tree at least loosely... kill the weeds around the tree and all of the fenced area; or some use some form of weed block - dont do that tight to the tree makes a nice mice home (some put gravel on that) ; dont amend the soil to much - makes a tasty vole salad bowl; paint the trunks white; You can make a slight berm on the down hill side to help collect rain water; mulch is ok if not up against the trunk; dont fertilize the tree for the first handful of years then if you do just a tiny bit, dont be afraid to prune even cutting/topping the central leader back each year for the first few years - say you get 3 feet of new growth lop off a 1'; get aggressive at getting good crotch angles (can be tough with tight fencing), try to encourage good scaffold branching too; insecticide with a fungicide can be a good thing. Water is even better.

There are other practices as well but anything you can do that mimics or uses some of the above will help you. Fencing for the most part is the big expense ... so if you can do it for free and make it work bonus to you. As mentioned protect the central leader and terminal bud except when topping - lose the leader then switch to an open concept tree over the central leader. You have options. Without fencing you will have no options in time.

Holding the mesh fencing up allows predators to get in closer to the tree which I believe helps with anti mousing and gives you a bit more height protection, you dont want to make a safe haven for rodents inside your fenced area.

The rest is just personal preferences on how the tree develops - low branches ward off buck rubbing, but are a pain to mow around... that sort of stuff
 
And I never have enough time or money to get all that done but I strive for that anyways.....................
 
Wow, that's a lot of great information there and exactly what I need, I don't have much experience planting apple trees and want these to have the best chance to succeed. Thanks again for the replies

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 
That will all work - free is free.

There is a "general" consensus built by many trials and errors that has held pretty true - 5' concrete remesh , 1 post minimum, with multiple post hold a 1' off the ground that has a couple benefits, bigger the area fenced the better ... use aluminum window screen 18" or taller (keep it on as long as you can). Stake the tree at least loosely... kill the weeds around the tree and all of the fenced area; or some use some form of weed block - dont do that tight to the tree makes a nice mice home (some put gravel on that) ; dont amend the soil to much - makes a tasty vole salad bowl; paint the trunks white; You can make a slight berm on the down hill side to help collect rain water; mulch is ok if not up against the trunk; dont fertilize the tree for the first handful of years then if you do just a tiny bit, dont be afraid to prune even cutting/topping the central leader back each year for the first few years - say you get 3 feet of new growth lop off a 1'; get aggressive at getting good crotch angles (can be tough with tight fencing), try to encourage good scaffold branching too; insecticide with a fungicide can be a good thing. Water is even better.

There are other practices as well but anything you can do that mimics or uses some of the above will help you. Fencing for the most part is the big expense ... so if you can do it for free and make it work bonus to you. As mentioned protect the central leader and terminal bud except when topping - lose the leader then switch to an open concept tree over the central leader. You have options. Without fencing you will have no options in time.

Holding the mesh fencing up allows predators to get in closer to the tree which I believe helps with anti mousing and gives you a bit more height protection, you dont want to make a safe haven for rodents inside your fenced area.

The rest is just personal preferences on how the tree develops - low branches ward off buck rubbing, but are a pain to mow around... that sort of stuff
I have a question regarding the aluminum window screen, are you putting that from the bottom of the fence to the ground to keep rodents out?

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 
Wrap it around the tree and staple it together, I staple it tight at the bottom so they can't snake their way in there and check it so it doesn't get too tight on the tree as it grows.

These were some temp cages until I get some fencing.
gDQZi9v.jpg
 
Our hunting land is between Nimrod and Huntersville. You from that area?

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
I have land to the south by Parkers Prairie .
 
Got ya, that's a nice area. My brother in law has land near Bertha, they have a lot of deer over that way.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 
I have a question regarding the aluminum window screen, are you putting that from the bottom of the fence to the ground to keep rodents out?

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

yes ... you need to cut 4" flairs at the bottom of the screen to fold out and cover with gravel. this keeps screen held down.
 
This what I always aim to do, but rarely do I get it all done when I plant them. At the same time as planting, paint the trunk white, screen the trunk, weed mat, some river rock on top of the mat, then fence it. I would say fencing it, is just as improtant to do as putting it in the ground. I planted 10 apple trees one weekend, and was planning on putting the fence around them the next weekend, well, the next weekend I only had 3 left to fence. So I learned, if it goes in the ground, fence goes on it. If I need to go back and screen and weed mat I will, but fence goes on it before dark the day I plant.
 
As for the original question, do you have bear? If so, that fence wont deter them at all, not that remesh does, but it is a little better.
 
As for the original question, do you have bear? If so, that fence wont deter them at all, not that remesh does, but it is a little better.
Yes we do have bear, that was going to be my next question with the orange fencing. I might have to strengthen it with some more rebar or something. Hopefully I can get some more wire mesh before then.

Next question, what type of white paint do you put on the base?

Thanks for all the help

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 
Top