Garden Fence (Part 2): Keeping out small digging animals AND rhizomatous grass

[@NewlyAwakened]

I love the subtle nod to Ruth Stout because she said the same thing. The best mulch is the one you can get 👍

[@deborahmayer190]

⁹l

[@BloodAsp]

I was pleasantly surprised when you already had the results of the experiment!

[@BackToReality]

Whenever possible, we like to include the results at the end. Unfortunately, that usually means the video was a year or so in the making... lol

[@Jacksparrow4986]

@@BackToReality you mean five years? ;)

[@BackToReality]

@@Jacksparrow4986 Lol, accurate.

[@blockycore9701]

As always, simply amazing!!! The animation quality is always getting better, and the journey is inspiring, thanks for all of it!!

[@BackToReality]

Thanks so much Blocky Core! I really appreciate the encouragement! :)

[@wolfmooch]

Your a pro presenter.

[@Nurse_Lucy]

Patiently waiting for the day you can quit your day job and put out educational/experimental videos more frequently. This is one of the few channels I've actually "hit the bell" on

[@sifonjericno]

Never ever i came faster in to the notification.. God bless you,guys...regards from Serbia

[@BackToReality]

Thanks Milos! :)

[@lassievision]

Yes, I've missed seeing videos too. Was wondering if everything was okay just the other week.

[@BackToReality]

Thanks Lassie! Everything is great with us. :) The videos just always take a LOT longer than I plan/expect.

[@lvs6775]

The wait seems so long for your videos but they’re always great. Loved that you already had the results

[@nexusfg]

Your ability to storyboard and present organized useful information does not go unnoticed. Very good content!

[@BackToReality]

Thanks Matt, I REALLY appreciate that!

[@cameronphenix2096]

This journey has been so inspiring. Every time I watch one of your videos I get a wild urge to go out and make a garden myself. Please keep up the great work and I look forward to the next update no matter how far away it is

[@MeliponiculturaenCostaRica]

Excellent fence start finally! I had a similar problem here, but gladly no mice, only armadillo are the problem, so at first I placed a 50cm mesh around like you did but 10cm below ground as well, but it had big holes and the weed wackers that are used here in all farms got the plastic cutting wires entangled and they didn't stop the weeds from entering, so I had to upgrade, and used fibrolit painted with waterproof paint, but it was a total mistake, it worked for some months, but then it soaked the humidity and any kick or thing falling on it broke it, and even more, the wood fencing (treated) was eaten by termites.... So as I always end up, I had to do everything again with galvanized metal tubes for the fence, and galvanized metal sheet for a 50cm high and 10cm below ground fence both for armadillo and weeds, and it was perfect finally, no flying grass entered and no grass shoots neither. And inside, sawdust, it is amazing, as I make bee boxes I had a ton of it and used it everywhere, even on the beds.

[@oregonk91]

Thank you for the update! I played it with my husband listening in, and he made the comment that you have a very nice voice. So ... besides the excellence of the rest of your work, the sound is lovely also! Can't wait for the next installment!

[@annjones3672]

Lovely to see y'all again! I enjoy the visits.

[@bobbiejean864]

Love your videos, very helpful and educational! I can't wait to see part 3 and 4!

[@fs60600]

Great video addressing critter control. A couple of observations from my experience with groundhogs. 1. They can be adept climbers if motivated. I regularly watched a mother and babies climb up and over my 5 ft fence. Although I think the 1/4” hardware cloth may be hard for them to get their claws into in your case. 2. They don’t necessarily start tunneling at the base of the fence. They may start 10 or 20 ft away or tunnel over from an nearby existing den. A vexing problem. Glad to join the conversation for non-lethal solutions.

[@Qopzeep]

Can't wait until part 3 comes out somewhere in 2026! #excited 😉

[@suburbanhomestead]

I’m surprised your groundhogs didn’t jump at that height. Great video

[@Valleybeautiful]

Wow! So amazing. Thanks for educating us. We call that grass devil grass! Lol This will be so much help with our new garden plans.

[@stilcrazychris]

I just love yalls videos. The commentary is always on point w/some humour in it. Thats w/makes yalls video priceless. Good luck & be safe. Looking forward to these videos. Chris from Missouri

[@debo4706]

Hi Paula it’s so good to see you. Great video as always.

[@savegraysoncats]

If you nail or screw a scrap piece of lumber to the pole over your mesh it will stay secured to the post better than a staple

[@janbroekhuizen5]

And a high tensile line between the posts will keep the mesh upright and will prevent sagging over time. (Or strange sagging because of critter crashes. I'm looking a you bunnies). Good luck with the completion of the fencing!

[@ttb1513]

Thanks for putting links to other parts in description!

[@libbyjensen1858]

I was thrilled to see you posted another video-I just LOVE your videos! I can't wait to see the rest of your fence series. The information in this one is fantastic-thanks for sharing!

[@nkc9788]

Great video! You have a great narrator personality, love watching and listening to your videos. 👍👍👍

[@savegraysoncats]

I have missed you guys

[@berti642]

Great vlog ! My more recent problem with critters came with last summer’s dry time. The voles and moles soon realised my raised beds were soft, moist and full of food. The weather changed but they stayed. A bit like camping in McDonald’s. This spring my soil level raised within the raised beds taking my planting with it and regardless of my efforts of stamping it down it’s raised again every day. I love that my garden is so attractive to wildlife but this problem has stumped me on how to live with them and I’m not prepared to destroy them. There must be a way of distracting them elsewhere so I’m asking everyone I know and don’t know hoping for that inspired answer......Your turn guys 😂 Hope life is treating you well. Your videos continue to inspire so Thankyou. Oh ! I bought the soil blockers, it’s working well 👍

[@gardenlove2782]

No wonder you’ve been postponing this project for years - it was such a monumental job!

[@md.abutahersagor8180]

Awesome planning with a load of works. Great job guys

[@r_ellis5799]

Great video! I look forward to the rest of this series. Thanks for taking the time to put these together.

[@Blackhuf]

Wow, you can really tell, that you put a lot of effort into this video! I am really looking forward to the next part :) This year I converted my 250m² lawn into a vegetable garden by laying down cardboard everywhere directly on the undisturbed lawn and compost on top. It took sooo long to get all the plastic off those cardboard boxes, I know what you went through :D

[@johndanovich985]

At warehouse stores like Costco, Sams Club, etc. they have flat 3.5 feet square cardboard that you can pick up for free. They separate stacks of products like bottled water and have no tape or labels. I fold them in half and place in the bottom of the cart as I shop. I typically pick up a dozen on each trip, which is weekly since I shop for my church.

[@IS-217]

WOW! FANTASTIC EFFORT! GREAT JOB. The garden looks beautiful guys. Keep up the hard work, good for you. Happy gardening!

[@teaganroehl]

I hope you guys start cranking out more content seriously one of my favorite channels

[@patrickmarcacci7923]

Glad to see y’all making progress! We’ve done hoop houses for much of our garden to keep the deer and rabbits out, but have just accepted that chipmunks and squirrels will take some of what we produce for the time being.

[@paulsmart5199]

Always great to see your videos, stay safe and best wishes

[@julianachandler2975]

Great graphics and storytelling

[@claudiaw9246]

Great to get an update! You always explain things so thoroughly and clearly; the visuals are always on point, with comic touches. Can't wait to see the rest of the fence series :-)

[@VeganPrepper]

Excellent, as always! We contend with Bermuda grass here and it is not for the faint of heart, that's for sure! For us it seems the only long term strategy (being that we live in the middle of a city, and directly across from a city park which is regularly re-seeded) is to create softer soil of the hard clay so that it is at least easy to remove. We're finally seeing success there after a few years of heavy mulching, so that's good. And I just thank the grass for making my back and my legs so strong from all of the time I spend bending and squatting to remove it from my beds, lol!

[@downbntout]

Excellent clear graphics, thanks

[@kristenpaulsen7604]

I love the fence you guys made that was very cool

[@freddieivory625]

I really enjoyed watching this video!!! Yay!!! For lower fence success!! Thank you for sharing your experience.

[@eduardolozano3561]

I wish I could be that lucky with the saw mill being close and giving away the saw dust. Would love that in my garden

[@daniellebattisti3483]

Thank you for this video! We are in the process of adding the extra metal cloth. I pray it works! Our property was waiting for us a while and there is a serious ground squirrel habitat!

[@gittawynant157]

These videos are soo wel made. Too good for youtube. We don't deserve you

[@mamarana524]

I learned a lot from this video. I can't wait to have my own land

[@MissRockOn17]

Great video, can't wait to see the next part!

[@k9spot1]

i’ll definitely be stealing this fence idea. “The Reality Fencing Method”

[@helenalderson6608]

Excellent! I'm currently using cardboard and wood chips as a weed deterrent (still installing). I'm on a downslope, so it's tricky. Currently doing all grow bags against digging critters (gophers!). Using a big dog to be a deterrent for raccoons and skunks. Fixed the gate to keep deer out. I still have lizards that find my lettuces.

[@C5Rose3]

This is such a great plan!

[@tinasheplants]

this video is exactly what i needed as I plan out my new garden. Thanks for sharing :)

[@christiensgarden3325]

Absolutely fantastic video

[@misterpahpaharif]

ngl. your fence strategy looks solid

[@minatrii858]

Thanks for the video, I love how you did this and will use some of these idea's for my own garden. Also my great grand daughter who is 8 loves your video's!

[@admirerofcreativity5295]

Lovely video!! I really enjoyed it!! I look forward to watching your journey continue! Have you guys ever heard of the tri bulb planting? It's used for garlic and onions. You just put 3 of the seed bulbs about an inch or two apart in a triangle shape. It works SO WELL! and makes for easy harvesting!

[@agostobloj]

what a great channel and videos you make, guys!! Before anything, as a non-usa person, I really appreciate the conversion to metrical system on everything!! Here at my city we are lucky enough to not having almost any critter in our garden, but man, I really love how you explain and detail the problem and solution implemented! I'll wating next series for the rest of the fence! :) Cheers from Argentina! :)

[@Diablo-D3]

F E N C E !

[@damienomen68]

Wish you both the best. No (1st). Glorious everything in your vids.

[@pontusambros]

Great content... as always :) thank you for sharing your experience. Now I know what to build on my vacation.

[@Jacksparrow4986]

I'll probably dig some trenches for rhizome barriers in our garden - smaller space (300m2) so I don't want to loose a lot of space as barrier. Nice job with the fence and the vid, loved seeing an update from you!

[@IshaErskine]

wow guys, thats a huge project, good job guys!

[@rachelbrodeur2600]

Very nicely done.

[@juliahelland6488]

Same thing I envisioned! 💯 Great minds think alike and hopefully that doesn't include any critters. Thanks for sharing ❣

[@techtrek31]

Thank you for this, the amount of work you put into your garden and this content is very inspiring! I'd like to share one slightly negative impact of using cardboard sheet mulch around the garden. My garden is in a suburban lot in NH and we have similar pests - deer, rabbits, raccoons and tunneling rodents. I recently dug up an area that I had laid sheet mulch down to kill sod about two years ago. My original intent was to just dig holes where I intended to transplant, however in deciding to do rows of vines (taking advantage of the wire fence as a trellis), I found it easier to dig up about a 1' thick swath of very composted cardboard. What I found was an astoundingly elaborate warren of mice / vole / mole burrows! Turns out the cardboard makes a perfect environment for these critters to burrow under. With your solution where the sheet mulch extends beyond the wire "L", I could see this becoming a potential weak point for these kinds of pests. Overall I'm sure you will still be reducing the pest pressure, but it might be interesting to inspect some spots next year to make sure you have not created a mouse utopia. Good luck!!

[@jangsy33]

Tunneling through 6’ of mulch/no food source is a respectable barrier...though less of an obstacle after the cardboard has decomposed, leaving a barrier the length of the 1/4” hardware cloth...I’m rooting for your success Paula and Derek!

[@ofrecentvintage]

Subscribed for the amazing animation! 😂 Love it.

[@BackToReality]

Thanks so much! I'm really glad you enjoyed it :)

[@EddieGalois]

One deterrent who's benefits may be twofold is a mechanical water timer and sprinklers. Set to turn on periodically, the sudden spray of water should startle any would-be intruders and water the garden a bit. We use it to keep deer from eating our arborvitaes during the night.

[@nefariousyawn]

Good work! I am surprised you didn't have any issues with small animals simply climbing over the hardware cloth. I have seen eastern cottontails with impressive climbing and jumping skills.

[@felixschmid4443]

Thank you so much for your videos. They bring me quite a bit of joy. You actually inspired us to try the Ruth Stout method when we extended our potato patch. Unfortunately the groth of the plants lags behind those planted in normal soil and we have quite some problems with snails as they seem to love the moist hay to reproduce in. We are quite excited to see how it compares in the drier season though as I suspect that the "test plants" will be able to "make up some ground" then....

[@meuhey]

plant bocking comfrey every 2ft for shade and rhizome barrier

[@caitrionamcgee114]

Yes, Edible Acres covered this in a video a few years back. It made a very effective barrier against grass (though I'm not sure if couch grass was an issue there), and he could harvest it as mulch a few times a year as well.

[@MacroAggressor]

For the surface mount "L" fencing, it might be helpful to mow the grass very low right before installation.

[@dalepres1]

What a great video. We struggle with Johnson grass; it's a rhizomatous grass that grows 7 feet tall and the rhizomes can be 1/4 to 1/2 inch in diameter. I will try to adopt some of your ideas in our fight. And I'll come back in 3 or 4 years to see if you got that upper fence done yet. 😀

[@tylerward2846]

I tried to do the cardboard this year and the mulch from fire clearing projects. It requires far more than I could have possibly imagined

[@nobodynever4326]

I followed this journey simply because of the fence saga

[@CopperIslandHomestead]

Great ideas! Having all the same issues as you (except with horsetail instead of quackgrass), I'm excited to see how you deal with the rest of the threats!

[@luisdwq123]

Amazing content, really informative and entertaining :)

[@Sydney-TTD]

Nicely done, thanks for the tips! I use to have a big garden, rabbits and squirrels often come and eat my greens

[@fadetounforgiven]

It`s funny it's the second time a video of yours is related in time with something I do in the my, say, garden. Last time I told you I had planted just one clove of garlic because it was already trying to grow when I awas about to use it for cooking. It was just for the sake of it. I also planted some leek roots beside the clove. I just wanted to try and see if leeks could regrow from their root (and a bit of the bottom part of the leek, not strictly the root, but no more than 1 cm of it) as it seemed that onions could from what I saw in someone else's video. They do, not as vigorous as it was originally but I did nothing for them. The thing is I had them, clove and leeks, planted in the corner of a space that is actually fenced. Nothing fancy, one post on each corner and some metal mesh, the kind you would use to build a chicken coop. In fact, the fence was built to prevent my chicken from eating the leaves of what we here call "grelos" (which translates as "sprouts") which, although technically it could mean any sprout of any kind, if you are talking about "grelos" here, you mean the leaves of what in the US (I guess in Canada might as well) is called "broccoli raab" (some variant of Brassica rapa). Properly cooked (absolutely easy) they're delicious. Anyway, I had used my brush cutter to clean all of the garden a couple of months ago, all of it except for that small (2mx3m or so) fenced space. I allowed grass, weeds, whatever to grow there as the Brassica rapa had already passed their season and now I was just waiting for them to grow old enough so I could collect their seeds. Yesterday, before I watched your video, I decided to do it today. Also, I want to used that space to grow something else. So it was kind of funny you were building your fence while I had decided to open mine (it's so small it has no door, just a "movable" fifth post) so I could collect the seed pods, clean it all and start over. But, mind you, in its corner, although sorrounded by so much tall grass (about 1,5m high) it was not clearly visible from outside if you were not looking for it, there was a garlic scape. I thought it had died a long time ago, as I had not seen it grow, but it seems it did in the grass while nobody was looking. It's been hot, cold, rainy, very rainy, all kinds of weather lately and it seems so much water has made it grow, and hopefully it's not rotting. I know (I have just watched another video of you on the subject) I have to cut that garlic scape so it doesn't use the energy store in the root/garlic cloves, and, well, nice surprise. I don't know if you were serious about telling you about that garlic clove I planted that while back, but here it is. Thank you for sharing your experiences with such a nice, really nice, high level of production.

[@Crina-LudmilaCristeaAuthor]

Hi! I saw your latest video about having problems with animals and critters. Have you thought about planting seaberry bushes and other perennials which might discourage animals to enter the designated garden area? You should check out Sean from Edible Acres (he has a KZbin channel). He lives in a wetter part than you (I think your land is way more dry than his is, by the looks of it). However, you might find lots of good things on his channel that will work well for your area. He has a nursery as well, he uses no chemicals, and he's a very nice person. I hope this helps.🤗

[@michaelappleby437]

Great video, as always.

[@vulpesser]

Hey guys, last scene was a frog unable to enter and it made me wonder if absence of frogs in the garden won't mean an increase in what frogs eat? Like caterpillars, snails etc?

[@BackToReality]

I’ve actually been thinking (a lot) about that too. I’m considering making a video about “the potential downsides” of an impenetrable garden fence...

[@WolfTheTrueKing]

If you're interested in getting some chicken maybe you can minimize the problem and have some eggs as a bonus

[@Valleybeautiful]

I suppose the problem with simply planting some inside your garden would be if they can't get in they can't get out? But would they really need to? How much space does the average road need...lol And/or could let some lady bugs loose....or plant some flowers around the perimeters that caterpillars and bugs don't like....marigolds?

[@bbtruth2161]

Where to start? I have built two plots about that size in the last two seasons, just finishing up the second one now. Yup, critters. Damned groundhogs and rabbits cause so much damage. I've tried every trick in the book and made up a few. Best solution is pretty much what you guys did. Bury your fence and and keep the spacing small. It would have been nice to have one of those power post hole diggers.... did all mine by hand. 7ft+ tall should work against the deer. Will be interested to see what your fix is for raccoons. Nothing more disappointing than waiting for your corn only to see it all laying over and eaten in a night by those little pillagers. I may eventually do a electric fence perimeter. Time is a premium. Building out all these fences takes a lot of time and effort at a time when you want to be planting and getting things going. I also have three small orchards to build, fence and maintain. Keeping the critters off the trees and shrubs is even more critical since these are crops you are counting on for a long term. Fun stuff but lots of work. It may have taken you a while but the fence looks good guys. Good work and take care.

[@Susileedean]

This is a great video. I learned a lot. I have a groundhog who lives in my backyard. I’m going to try some of your suggestions.

[@lassievision]

I've sown Yellow Rattle around my vegetable patch next to the grass line. I'm hoping that this will slow down grass encroachment due to its semi-parasitic nature with grasses that can slow 40% or more of grass growth.

[@bourpierre198]

Nice video😊 re cardboard, it might get wet through rain and snow thus becoming much easier to pierce through. Usually, market gardeners working with living soils use tar fabric which lets water and air through for at least 6 growing months😉

[@sugarbomb26]

You guys produce mind blowing, clear, concise, entertaining videos! I happen to have used the same technique in my small suburban vegetable garden except I had to use chicken wire at the bottom, not hardware cloth due to cost. It has kept groundhogs, deer and rabbits out ever since:) One thing I can't keep out are raccoons, squirrels and chipmunks, all good climbers. However, this year I haven't had any of these critters visit either, and I'm wondering if that's to do with the two beds of garlic I have planted...

[@eundellby3361]

Well Done~~!!!👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@debbiem2146]

Enjoying the saga of the fence! Sooooo... how has your asparagus/strawberry bed done this spring?

[@Grumpah]

I store my cardboard uncovered outside. I find weathering it for at least a week, makes it MUCH easier to remove tape or stickers

[@sabahananclover279]

Simply amazing..

[@jessicabertolino8406]

I love your content!

[@AcornHillHomestead]

I love using cardboard to start beds and for weed control. I let the stuff decompose and then pull up the tape later LOL!! 😂😂. We are about to embark on an anti digging project of this type. Our garden is all planted (we are rural) and 5 years old. Never had an issue till late last year when suddenly the bell peppers were being devoured fruit and all right down to 4” woody stubs. 😢 Thankfully I had 10 buckets of them planted so we ended up with plenty for the year. Sad to lose those beautiful plants.

[@SlackerU]

Stainless was the right choice, my soil can eat galvanized cage-wire in under two years. I'm thinking a drain-pipe & using sheets of metal might be easier & block more though. Too bad there isn't a raised garden metal-sheets that could be hammered 1ft down around the entire perimeter.

[@axlent123]

Great video great information! As I am fairly new to vegetable gardening, all I know is the plants and veggies and fruit falling prey to slugs and rabbits and dogs and little children gives me a defeated feeling. Putting the work in to growing something that is practically defenseless, and then watching it get eaten or trampled on is very defeating. It tends to make me want to throw in the towel… Errr, throw in the trowel… Just give up altogether and cover my yard in concrete. And, currently I’m dealing with invasive Himalayan blackberry. Those who have to deal with that evil villain, they understand. Sometimes, like today, I get overwhelmed with trying to clean up my yard and start a garden. Of course, currently I’m dealing with neglected yard. That, and, having so many things I want to do in my yard and garden also causes me to be overwhelmed as I’m trying to do too many things at once. Especially, wanting to do the fun things, the new things, the novel things, and neglecting the basics like putting in a fence and mowing the lawn and weeding. Anyway, thanks for posting up a video showing the importance of protecting our plants and veggies with fencing! Us suburbanites don’t have to deal with deer so much, but bunnies, mice, raccoons, our dogs and our cats cause us enough grief!

[@Ariel-xz8lg]

Termites LOVE cardboard! Next time you need to get rid of noxious anything, time your eradication to the day of the new moon. It works. Source Farmers Almanac. Tested and success! Awesome video, a work of skills and art! Well done!

[@DawnDBoyerPhD]

We have a groundhog living in our shed, called Phil (or Philomena - not sure of the sex); plus a huge Tom turkey and a herd of eight deer, and multiple squirrels. This video will help ,e plan for our future kitchen garden next year. So the question I have - would not the groundhog be able to dig deep enough to get through your fence underneath???

[@TheKinderdoc]

We used cattle panels to 8’ high to fence our garden from the deer.

[@Picci25021973]

Awesome job!

[@HelenRullesteg]

That looks like a ton of work but seems to have been really worth it, happy you didn't go for the destructive methods. I have battled with voles in my veggie patch and think, fingers crossed, my stuffing leylandii down their holes has persuaded them to move on, they apparently have the smell. As usual really entertaining and informative video.

[@putrasaminhoneybee]

Terima kasih 🙏

[@redearth8320]

Thank you for all your hard work and sharing your useful gardening information. I Love your tactics to combat quack grass. Where did you learn to make videos like this, (editing and animation skills)?

[@Janspotting]

amazing content

[@elizabethblane201]

BTW, in Southern California, we have your equivalent of quack grass; it's called crabgrass. It's the bane of any gardener's existence. You have to dig it completely out and cannot leave even an inch of rhizome in the ground or it will sprout back and commence spreading again.

[@Connor-tv5gu]

Congrats!