[JJScorpio]

I have been asked numerous times recently how to make cages to keep animals from eating plants when they are put out. As it's hard to explain without pictures, I took some time to put together a tutorial on how I do them.

All you really need is a roll of chicken wire, a pair of wire cutters, a tape measure, a rock and some green stakes for securing them.



What I do first is roll out 30 inches of wire and secure it, and cut through it all the way across. I use a 2ft roll as it is easiest to control. You can use a 4 ft roll, but it is bulky. Depending on the area that you live in, your cages may be up to 4 feet in heighth, depending on food availability. If you use four foot or taller cages you should cut the wire at 40 inches to have a wider base.



Next, you will want to let the wire go into a circle and turn the cut ends of the wire to fasten them together. Notice how the cut ends cross each other and are easy to twist together.




This is what it will look like.




Because I want only 12 inch screens I will cut this in half. It could be left as it is if you have taller plants and need a 2 foot screen.





You now have a screen with a smooth edge and an end that has been cut. You want to put the smooth end down on the ground. Take notice of where I bend outward, sections of the bottom so I have a place to put stakes through to hold the screen in place.




You can now put your plant into the ground, put the screen over it and push the sticks through the tabs you made to hold the screen into place. I usually use 4 sticks and put them through at an angle. If you were using a 4 foot screen, you would want at least six holding the base in place.





The last step is to close the top of the screen and make sure the cut pieces of wire are pointing upward. This will prick the noses of deer and other animals that get curious and decide to sample the taste of the plants. This is why we put the "factory" edge down and the "cut" end up.







Deer do not see well, but they have good memories. They will get pricked, but they will remember and leave them alone. They may stomp them in anger at times, but most times you can just straighten the screens and they will continue to grow into nice plants. When the plant starts getting to tall, you will have to return and open the screen to let the plant out. By this time there is usually enough native food in my area that they will leave your plants alone.

[bud_me]

Not an outdoor grower myself but good write-up, it's a convenient way to deal with hungry deer. I usually have to put moth balls around my tomato plants.

[try comb]

thats the same way i start them off JJ, although i spray paint them green and brown for some extra camo.......peace

[BACKCOUNTRY]

Originally Posted by JJScorpio

...When the plant starts getting to tall, you will have to return and open the screen to let the plant out. By this time there is usually enough native food that they will leave your plants alone.

North American growers on the west side of the Rocky mountains probably should provide taller cages, further into the season. My cages are at least 4 feet tall!

Where I live, the worst of the Deer damage would occur mid-season when the rains stop and the Deers natural foods start to wither, I suppose back east Deer food availablity gets better going into summer because of the increased warm sunny weather?

No offence to the eastern growers(PS420 and JJscorpio), but the rules are different out west, and I wouldn't want western growers to get confused when it comes to regional advise like this.

I wrote my thread on Deer protection for this very reason, because it really is a regional issue, what may be the rule in New York, Georgia, and Ohio isn't going to be the same in Oregon, California, and Nevada.

Here is the part of my thread titled "Protecting your plants from Deer" that concerns Cages and fences-

Protecting your plants with fences/cages
By far the most effective way to protect your plants is to build a a fence. Chicken wire(Also known as Poultry netting or fencing) is the material used most often by Cannabis growers.






I use Chicken wire rolled into a ring, and attached to itself, it can free stand on its own to some extent, but I usually secure it to surrounding bushes or trees, I can lift the ring off the plant if I need close access. Secured tightly to the ground, it should also protect from Rabbits.






Some folks use posts(made from wood native to the area) to secure their wire, or run it between surounding trees or bushes, using them to fasten the wire.

If you use a ring to surround your plants, allow extra slack wire so the ring can be expanded as the plant grows through the season. Also keep in mind you may need to add wire to raise the level of the ring as the plants grow taller, wire can be attached by breaking the ring, laying it flat on the ground and adding a new layer of wire that overlaps the original and securly attached. The ring can then be rolled up again, and put back in place.

A alternative to wire is plastic netting, usually sold as deer netting or bird netting. Netting will not bear its own weight, so it will need to be attached securly to something. It will also need to be fairly taunt to be effective, this will also reduce the chances a deer will become snagged in it, and destroy it. Keep in mind this netting is light duty, and could become snagged in a Deers antlers, destroying it.

Shiny wire
Its important to make sure the wire you use is not shiny, as most new wire is. Sometimes wire pre-coated with paint can be purchased. My wire is old and rusted by time, but most people don't have 20 year old rolls laying around.
Some folks paint their wire, either with spray paint or by dipping their wire in paint. Some folks soak their wire in various acids to quickly weather them.
One of the best quick weathering methods I have seen involves placing your roll of wire in a fire, this will quickly deaden the shine.

Yet another method(If Rabbits aren't a concern), is to plant in a thick patch of thorns, it is possible to use the vines in such a way that the Deer will loose interest in entering the thicket. Keep a eye out, natural fences do exist.

Here is a link to the rest of this thread- Protecting your plants from Deer

[PureSativa420]

i understand BC i take no offense as the deers are bigger and there food goes when it starts to get hot as hell! , we get nice rains all thru the spring and summer and where i live i barely ever have a drought

love thread JJ , even though i pointed out cages and what not in the pest and insect guide

[JJScorpio]

BackCountry, I thought it was fairly clear when I stated "You can use a 4 ft roll, but it is bulky". I have now edited the next sentence to make it clearer. I didn't intend to tell anyone they needed only a 2 or 4 foot screen. The purpose of the thread was to show growers how to assemble and fasten them to the ground. It's their decision on the height that makes them comfortable. I used to use 4 foot screens, but I found I lost more plants with deer walking and running over them and tearing the plant, then if the deer just runs through the plant.

[BACKCOUNTRY]

I don't mean any offense JJ, but as a Westerner I feel the need to make sure my fellow west coast growers know that Deer are more agressive than Eastern growers are used to. This is a very important issue for me.
Hell, I've had plants with buds eaten down to stems, I always watch my plants for damage even to the end of the season, cuz I may need to make the fence even taller than 4'.

[JJScorpio]

All is good. I should have been a little clearer on the different heights.......

[BACKCOUNTRY]

I think this is a great addition to the sticky area!

I think all growers should consider using a cage at least in the first month or two out, and be ready to make it bigger if Deer show more hunger in your region.

[JJScorpio]

Don't the western deer tear the big screens apart when they go into velvet? Years ago I had an awful problem with bucks scraping their horns on the screens. I had one area where they destroyed half a dozen.