How to Garden With Plastic Fencing
Plastic fencing has many uses in the home garden. Use it to protect a garden from deer and rabbits, to prevent burrowing pests from entering the garden, or as trellis material. There are black mesh fences that have a minimum impact on the visual aspect of your garden, as well as white and colored fencing that is highly visible. Use hard, plastic meshes instead of flimsy plastic show fences; these are more durable and last up to 15 years. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Pest Protection
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1
Remove the top 10 inches of soil from your garden bed and set it aside on a tarp. Line the bed with the plastic mesh then replace the soil. Roots grow through the mesh but burrowing pests are stopped by it.
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2
Install tall stakes around your garden bed, spacing them each 4 feet apart. Warp the fencing around the stakes tightly and secure with wire to create a deer fence.
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3
Tie white ties to the fence at 2-foot intervals if the plastic is black. This allows the deer to see the fence in the dark and not get tangled up.
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4
Lay a square of fencing material over the top of containers that hold strawberries or other low-growing flowers that animals eat. Wrap a bungee cord around the fencing and pot to create a barrier to the plants that they can still grow through. They receive sun and water, but no animal depredation.
Plant supports
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5
Install a 5-foot tall wooden stake along the planting row, spacing the stakes every 3 to 4 feet. Drive the stakes 10 to 12 inches into the ground so they don't blow over.
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6
Stretch the plastic fencing between the stakes. Staple it in place or secure with plastic ties.
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7
Plant at the base of the trellis. Guide the young plants onto the trellis as they grow. In the case of tomatoes and others that don't climb on their own, tie them to the trellis every 6 to 8 inches with a cloth plant tie.
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Tips & Warnings
Stretch the mesh between patio awning supports to make a quick trellis and privacy screen for climbing annuals such as morning glory.
The plastic does break down over time. Plastic fencing buried in garden beds breaks down more quickly and may require replacing every five to 10 years.
