Cages

[CrazyEd]

I have used the concrete mesh before. My father in law is a builder and he once had some left over that he let me have. It is nice to not need posts.

My grandfather in law has been in the process of taking down fences at his farm and has a stockpile of nice posts that he refurbished and painted in his spare time. So I have had a nice source for those but I hate to keep asking him to have more.

You may not need posts but they definitely need a stake. I had 4 go over during the huge wind storm or the deer pushed them over.

When shopping at menards don't watch for a sale, dont watch for 11%. Just buy 3 or more and you get price break for like $75/roll. We just bought 8 rolls this spring and we are putting 45 fruit trees in the ground Saturday.

 

[buckvelvet]

Remember @CrazyEd , with no pictures it didn't happen. :)

 

[j-bird]

I took these just last weekend.

5 feet tall and about 3 feet in diameter. I do this to encourage vertical growth....once the lowest branch is essentially out of the reach of the deer it can do what it wants. The stick in the picture is 48" long (I would call it a yard stick, but...well....it isn't). Trees in the picture are chestnut trees, but I do the same for my fruit trees as well from a cage perspective.

 

[yoderjac]

Yes, when you count the cost of the T-posts need to support welded wire, remesh is a better bet. A single T-post will hold it in place or you can even use a piece of rebar.

 

[4wanderingeyes]

I use 3 tposts, and concrete mesh, and the deer still try to move the cages. They can be raskly little devils when they want to be.

 

[H20fwler]

5' concrete remesh here also, I usually count out 21 squares and cut so around twelve and a half feet long. I use one fence post zip tied to it.

 

[yoderjac]

5' concrete remesh here also, I usually count out 21 squares and cut so around twelve and a half feet long. I use one fence post zip tied to it.

I typically use a single post as well. I guess I could add more if my deer become as aggressive as 4wanderingeyes.

 

[CuivreDog]

I use three 15" lengths of electrical PVC conduit with a hole drilled in the end driven in the ground and zip tied to the base of the concrete mesh.

 

[aerospacefarmer]

I use welded wire 5 ft high and 15 ft lengths and use linemens pliers to cut and use the wire on the cut end to wrap around the other side of cut piece

 

[Appleman]

For ease of maintenance I prefer to use a perimeter fence using 72 inch 2x4 grid welded wire for ease of maintenance and less fencing needed. Most of our enclosures have 50 or more trees within each compound. Fencing is removed prior to the hunting seasons and put back at the end of the hunting seasons. Long range objective is to remove once trees are large enough to be out of reach from hungry whitetail.

 

[CrazyEd]

For ease of maintenance I prefer to use a perimeter fence using 72 inch 2x4 grid welded wire for ease of maintenance and less fencing needed. Most of our enclosures have 50 or more trees within each compound. Fencing is removed prior to the hunting seasons and put back at the end of the hunting seasons. Long range objective is to remove once trees are large enough to be out of reach from hungry whitetail.

Hi Appleman,
For us cost is a big factor. It might just depend on the region of the country and what you can purchase material for, but I found individual cages using concrete mesh to be way cheaper than doing block enclosures with welded wire. Here in Wisconsin we can buy 150' of concrete mesh for $78 a roll (if you buy 3 or more). While we typically prefer to use t-posts on our cages, they aren't required if you stake the cage down. T-posts aren't cheap if you are buying new. We have been lucky to score some used posts on craigslist for $1-2 each.

Any idea, ballpark figure on what you might spend on a typical enclosure with fencing and posts for (50) B118 trees?

Menards for example sells 72"x50' for $44.99 onsale.
https://www.menards.com/main/buildi...encing/6-x-50-welded-wire/p-1449547090237.htm

 

[Nova]

For those of you using remesh, do you double cage them? The remesh on the outside then window screen on the trunk? If not, how do you keep rabbits away if the remesh is 6"x6" openings?

I tried a couple with remesh and the rabbits got to the trunk and girtled them. Since then I went back to 2" x 4" welded wire and a plastic tree guard. No rabbits or mice/voles.

I also only make them 3' in diameter and let the deer browse the lower branches if they want.

 

[H20fwler]

For those of you using remesh, do you double cage them? The remesh on the outside then window screen on the trunk? If not, how do you keep rabbits away if the remesh is 6"x6" openings?

I tried a couple with remesh and the rabbits got to the trunk and girtled them. Since then I went back to 2" x 4" welded wire and a plastic tree guard. No rabbits or mice/voles.

I also only make them 3' in diameter and let the deer browse the lower branches if they want.

Yes, that is what I do. I make a tube with aluminum window screen at least two feet up the trunk or further. I cage the same, remesh and screen with any fruit tree or chestnut.

 

[CrazyEd]

Trees don't leave my nursery without aluminum window screen around the trunk, at least 48" tall, ideally taller! With so many coyotes, wolves, bobcats and birds of prey around we don't see many bunnies.

 

[Appleman]

Hi Appleman,
For us cost is a big factor. It might just depend on the region of the country and what you can purchase material for, but I found individual cages using concrete mesh to be way cheaper than doing block enclosures with welded wire. Here in Wisconsin we can buy 150' of concrete mesh for $78 a roll (if you buy 3 or more). While we typically prefer to use t-posts on our cages, they aren't required if you stake the cage down. T-posts aren't cheap if you are buying new. We have been lucky to score some used posts on craigslist for $1-2 each.

Any idea, ballpark figure on what you might spend on a typical enclosure with fencing and posts for (50) B118 trees?

Menards for example sells 72"x50' for $44.99 onsale.
https://www.menards.com/main/buildi...encing/6-x-50-welded-wire/p-1449547090237.htm

I use 5 rolls or 100ft of 72 inch 2x4 grid welded wire costing a dollar a foot to do around 50 trees. Unlike my commercial orchard spaced between the rows at 24 ft, I space 16 ft apart down and between the rows. I use either cedar posts or T-Posts every 10 feet apart. I have been lucky enough to have been given 8ft t-posts from a friend who bought 100's of used ones for almost nothing. The cedar posts used vary from 3.50 to 4.50 each for 9 ft posts. Best estimate around $700 dollars per 50 trees.