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Friday, March 2, 2018

Rodent Proof Garden Boxes

Check out the latest blog for Mother Earth News about how I make my garden boxes rodent proof. It can be found on the home page for MEN under DYI.  Here is the link:https://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/rodent-proof-raised-garden-box-zbcz1803

I either had to come up with a simple easy to make garden box that protected our vegetables or dig a moat around the veggies and then lay down a mine field. Until I started to use these boxes the rodents would decimate our garden. Now we get most if not all of what we grow.

4 comments:

Bea said...

I have played with the idea to do something similar to my four 4'x5' veggie beds. Lots of voles have made it impossible to do early gardening. They eat immediately everything that is planted or sown. Hardware cloth is quite expensive but chicken wire only keeps the rabbits out.

Bruce said...

Yes Bea, hardware cloth is costly but it lasts a very long time. The box that this one replaced and deteriorated had hardware cloth that I was able to pull the staples and reuse. It lasts a very long time and is quite durable. I bought three rolls of 5' long and 24" wide cloth to use on the sides and the old cloth I used on the bottom and lids. When the box finally gives out the hardware cloth is still usable. I grant you that the initial investment is pricey as I bought three rolls and they were $10.00 each which was enough to do all four sides. Like I mentioned in the article I watched a bear walk across it and it held up fine.

Anonymous said...

I know I must be missing something here but here’s my question: do you fill this hardware cloth sided box with the soil and it stays in OK, doesn’t get too dry?

Bruce said...

Anonymous: Yes I did fill it with soil and it didn't dry out at all. The box sits on the ground and moisture was not a problem. Used similar boxes for several years and had no problem growing anything.