[BACKCOUNTRY]

No, I have not had this problem, but there are tons of scrub bushes and trees about to use first. Plus I usually don't have my plants in "open" areas, usually my plants are placed in areas with a bush of some kind on the north side(to help hide the plant, and to anchor the wire cage), there is no visable room behind the plant so the Deer seem to regard it all as a impassable area.

I could see how Deer running over cages and plants may be a problem if the plants were standing alone in a open area. I tend to associate my plantings with native bushes to help conceal them, and also to add strength to my fences and cages, sometimes I only use wire to close off the open end of a natural fence of thorn bushes, and sometimes I use only bushes(especially thorns) as natural fences.

In these plots from 2005, the plants are placed with thick bushes on the north(dark side) of the plants, the area around the plants on all sides are somewhat brushy, and not easy for any creature to run through, although the brush is low enough on the sunny sides to allow light to hit the plants.

This plant has a thick tree on its north side, a chicken wire fence is strung around it using the tree in the rear and some low bushes in front as anchors for the fence-


This plant has a cage that achors to the bush behind the plant-

The cage was removed in this pic-


In this plot from 2005, I use a tall fence only on the north side because the east, west, and south side are impassible for Deer due to thick berry vines(I did use a short fence on the south side to help with training).

[Dignan]

JJ- Great thread. I'm going to document how I do my cages for those growing in containers outdoors. Should be a few more days. It's very similar with a couple twists.

Mind if I post the info/pics here in your thread?

Peace-

Dig

[JJScorpio]

Originally Posted by Dignan

JJ- Great thread. I'm going to document how I do my cages for those growing in containers outdoors. Should be a few more days. It's very similar with a couple twists.

Mind if I post the info/pics here in your thread?

Peace-

Dig

Feel free to show your technique. It's what it's all about.

[Dignan]

Okay, here’s my little guerrilla cage tutorial.

This is an application for growing outdoors in containers, for those of us who are forced to do so for whatever reason. (My reason is that the ground here is 4" of sand, then below that 8" of sand with 6" chunks of granite, and then solid granite 12-18" underground. Digging would require a pick-axe, at best, and that’s not very stealthy. So, containers it is. I’m using 12-gallon nursery pots.)

Anything and everything will eat my plants where I am: deer, wild pigs, squirrels, chipmunks, pica, birds, grasshoppers, slugs... we have ‘em all, and the area is very arid, so they'll do just about anything to eat some tender greens. Thus, I’ve devised this full-on guerrilla cage, completely enclosing the plants until they’re about 3.5' tall, at which time I can open up the top of the cage and allow them to grow out the top.

First, I get some seedlings ready, LOL:




Then, I gather a few supplies:

- My outdoor soil that’s been cooking for a couple months in its pot (the one in the pic is actually a 15-gallon [or more], being used for my Guerilla Golds... all the other plants are in 12-gallons, but those are already out in the forest).
- Stakes of your choice. I prefer the 4' tall redwood stakes, but those green bamboo are fine, too. Just not as stout in the event a deer or other large animal decides to get belligerent with your plants.
- 1/2" hardware cloth (4' tall). You can use chicken wire, too, but I find the hardware cloth easier to work with AND last year I used chicken wire and something (dunno what) got through it and ate several 6" seedlings down to the dirt! The hardware cloth is a little spendy but so is cannabis at street prices.
- Tin snips
- Twist ties

(The burlap pictured is for another step I don’t include in this tutorial.)



Now, place 3 stakes in your pot. If you anticipate deer, etc. getting rough with your goods, might wanna use one more stake. Drive them all the way to the bottoms. You want a good anchor.




Put on some gloves so the hardware cloth doesn’t cut you to shreds and then cut a length of hardware cloth the same circumference as the rim of the pot. Twist tie one end securely to one stake, run the hardware cloth all the way around and then twist tie the other end to the same stake securely.

Notice that the stakes don’t go to the top of the hardware cloth... that’s necessary for us to later make the top of the cage.

Tip: when you cut the hardware cloth, bend the cut end over so the pointy jagged edges aren’t so dangerous and don’t get caught on everything, like your shirt/jacket/pants/face.




Twist-tied securely.



Now, go around the top edge of your cage and cut down about ½ the diameter of your pot. Do this in 4-6 places, evenly spaced. The photo should explain it better than I can. You are essentially cutting “tabs” that you will then fold inward like the flaps on a cardboard box to form the top of the cage, making it fully enclosed.

It goes without saying that you want to do this AFTER placing your seedlings inside and mulching the soil surface well. Later, even if you unfasten the twist ties in the top and open it up, the cage is too deep for you to reach down to the soil to plant seedlings, unless you have arms like an orangutan.

Note: the “tabs” in this pic are a bit mangled because this photo was taken while I was disassembling this guerrilla cage.




Bend the tabs in one at a time, working your way around.




Use twist ties to fasten the tabs together at the top... Find a spot where three tabs converge and tie there. You should only need to twist tie 3 or 4 spots.




Voila! Done. A nearly impenetrable force, yet still about 3'6" height inside the cage for the plant to get nice and big before opening it up and letting the plant grow to full size.




Another note: I paint my chicken wire/hardware cloth, which was a tip I gleaned from someone over at AN forums... I forget who. I’ve tried a few different ways... flat black, light brown, dark brown, light green... a combination of all those colors to make “camo.” IME, nothing beats solid flat black. The wire becomes damn near invisible in most applications.

I was out of paint when I built this cage, so I couldn’t show you, but you’ll be able to see how great the flat black paint works when I post updates to my outdoor grow in a couple months. I have cut/built my cages at home this year... I built one and then disassembled it, cut hardware cloth to match, enough to outfit all my other pots in the forest, then paint it black and roll it up. Very easy to haul out into the forest.

My situation is unique (high altitude, pine forest/desert) , so I have some concerns that most don't so much (water, critters, hail, unpredictable mountain weather) and also don't have to worry about some things others do (plenty of intense sunlight and mold? What's mold? ) There aren’t many here at ICMag growing in containers outdoors, but I hope this helps someone.

Dignan

[elevate]

Originally Posted by BACKCOUNTRY

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.

deer around my parts get extremely desperate for food and water over the summer. You see more deer during the hot months because they are searching for water in the lower elevations because the mountainous sources will have dried up by July. Very good point to bring up backcountry, you are a crritical thinker

note: I am at a 37 N.

Also...
Dignan, I wanted to paint my cages as well, do you use normal spray paint, or ?

By the way... I am one of those few people growing in containers outdoors. This DEF HELPS!!!

[Dignan]

Originally Posted by elevate

Also...
Dignan, I wanted to paint my cages as well, do you use normal spray paint, or ?

So far, I've just grabbed out of the garage or from the hardware store shelves whatever is free/cheap. I don't think the type of paint is critical, as long as it's black.

[BACKCOUNTRY]

Dignan-Thats a great write up! That cage would be great for dealing with rats, and other rodents that can squeeze through Chicken wire.

[Ganico]

Originally Posted by BACKCOUNTRY

Dignan-Thats a great write up! That cage would be great for dealing with rats, and other rodents that can squeeze through Chicken wire.

And maybe you could plant a couple small insect-repelling companion plants on the inside of the cage too. To keep away the insects that can get through the holes.

[redlevels]

Plastic garden fence mesh does not work, the vermin chewed right through it, at the bottom of the plastic fence barrier, made holes in the fence and ate all the weeds, did not even leave a stem, I did find a few spots where they actually dug down into the soil in the pot, bastards!

this thread is great, it address one of the important parts of outdoor growing, thank you all.

[agent 420]

thanks for the great info everyone.
I'm taking my first shot at the great outdoors this season.
We have every critter imaginable around here.
this should help alot.