The Fence Post

Protecting Your Yields

What can you do if deer are ravaging your vineyard? Deer can be very damaging to your vines, particularly if your vineyard is near a forest. Newly planted vines, tendrils, shoots, and blossoms are appealing to hungry deer and of course, the new shoots on older vines. The interruption caused by munching deer can substantially lessen your harvest or delay a new vineyard's harvest by a year.

Strength and Flexibility 

High-tensile woven wire fencing is perhaps the most effective fence material to use as a vineyard perimeter barrier. Woven from 12½ gauge high tensile wire using "fixed knot" construction, these fences are very strong. The one-piece vertical stay wires give added strength. They are bound to the horizontal wires by a knot formed by a third wire. The fence will not unwind under pressure. The characteristics of woven mesh give the fence flexibility, enabling it to more easily conform to uneven ground.

Little Maintenance and Years of Service

In addition to their strength, these fence materials will last for years. Woven wire fencing requires little maintenance throughout its lifetime. The strong high tensile wire used has a heavily galvanized Class 3 coating, guaranteeing superior resistance to rust and corrosion.

Some sizes of woven wire fencing for vineyards are available with a black painted finish over a zinc/aluminum coating.  Although not exactly a Class 3 coating, these will last four to six times as long as standard Class 1 fences. The black color fence material is more attractive than the bright galvanized. From a distance, a black fence becomes virtually invisible against the background.

With Graduated Spacing

There is a wide selection of heights available, from 48" (4') up to 120" (10'). You can make a tall fence without having to double up two shorter rolls. The spacing between horizontal wires is graduated - smaller at the bottom, larger at the top. Rolls are usually 330' in length.

Woven wire fencing for vineyards is the ideal material to use. What's your choice?

A Physical Barrier That Deer Cannot Jump Over

Crawl Under

or Crawl Through

Be Exclusive

Damage done to vineyards by deer can be both extensive and expensive. Several types of fence materials are available that can help reduce and possibly eliminate the deer problem in the vineyard. There are lightweight fences made from extruded plastic mesh. Fences that are made with single strand wires, and woven wire mesh are also available. Each type has its advantages and disadvantages.

Plastic Fence Materials

Made from black, UV stabilized polypropylene, this extruded fence material has a mesh opening size of 2" x 1-3/4". The size of the rolls is 7-1/2' high x 164' long. The black color makes this deer fence virtually invisible when installed. Lightweight rolls are easy to work with. Although this fence can be torn and ripped if a deer charges through it or becomes entangled, the repair is fairly easy.

Easy to Use--Single Strand Wire

The fence material used for these fences is 12-1/2 gauge high tensile wire. There are two finishes available: Class 3 galvanized and zinc/aluminum with a black painted finish. Both have superior resistance to rust and corrosion and will last for years. Single strand wire fences for vineyards can be either vertical or slanted. Seven strands of wire are often used. The angled fence takes up more space. You can watch a video showing one installation. These fences are fairly inexpensive and easy to set up. 

A Fence that Endures

Woven wire fence materials for vineyards are available in a variety of heights, from 4' up to 10'. Woven from 12-1/2 gauge high tensile wires with heavy Class 3 galvanizing, these fences will last for years. Some specifications are available with a high rust and corrosion-resistant zinc/aluminum finish that is painted black. More attractive than bright galvanized wire, the black color becomes virtually invisible against the background. Woven fences are very strong and will not unravel. They are the most expensive and the hardest to install. Still, if you are a vintner, the security of knowing that your vines and grapes are safe is well worth this investment of time and resources.

Have you used any of these fence materials to address the deer problem?  Do you prefer one type over another?                                   

Galvanized After Wire Mesh: Welded or Woven

• When galvanized before welded wire mesh is made, the zinc coating at the weld points is compromised. It can be burnt away, leaving the wire unprotected. And these intersecting areas tend to hold moisture longer than the single wire strands.
• Woven meshes, especially in the light gauges like chicken wire hex netting, also have their weak points. The twisted areas of the mesh tend to hold moisture, causing them to rust out. Dipped in the zinc bath, these wire meshes will last for a long time, even in corrosive environments. 

The Importance of Buying Galvanized After Wire (GAW) Mesh

GAW meshes:

1. Last longer
2. Stand up better to rough use
3. Have an extra thick coating of zinc
4. Have joints thoroughly protected from rust and corrosion
5. Are more useful in areas that will rot a wire mesh that is galvanized before

When you want to use galvanized wire mesh in a project, be sure to consider the advantages a GAW product offers. Think of the expense and labor involved in replacing a GBW mesh that rusts quickly. Invest in a quality product. Wouldn't you rather do it right the first time? Now take a look at the work of some premium fence installers with some very high standards:

Have you ever used a galvanized after wire mesh? Are you aware of the many alternative higher quality wire mesh options that are available, but not at your local big box stores? For a thorough discussion of the many varieties of fence products available, check out this blog.

Choices

With so many different types of fencing materials available, how do you know which one to choose? Are you overwhelmed when it comes time to make a decision? How do you know which one is the right choice?

Defining the Purpose of Your Fence

Most often, fences are used to either keep something in or keep something out of an area. But sometimes fences are used for decorative purposes or to define a boundary line or construction area. There are seasonal fences such as snow fences. And there are fences used to control drifting sand. The fencing materials you choose should be defined by the fence's purpose.

Fencing materials made from wire are the most common type available. The wire can be either woven or welded into a wide variety of mesh opening sizes.

Strong but Flexible--Woven Wire Mesh

There are woven meshes strong enough to contain livestock with different styles for specific types of animals. And there are deer and wildlife fences tall enough to keep out deer. Lighter gauge woven hex netting chicken wire meshes with black PVC coating can protect your poultry and fowl as well as your garden.

Welded Wire Meshes that Last

Use welded wire fencing materials to keep your pets and children in the yard. Vinyl-coated welded meshes make an attractive and long-lasting garden fence. There are many different wire gauges and mesh sizes from which to choose. Smaller meshes are ideal for animal cages and wildlife exclusion barriers.

Do you have any preference in fencing materials, woven or welded?  Which type has worked best for you?

Industrious, Hungry, and Not so Funny

They are the scourge of gardens, lawns, nurseries, athletic fields, orchards, golf courses, and other open public areas. Anyone who lives in an area infested with gophers knows the signs - the mounds of fresh soil dotting the ground's surface. One gopher can create several mounds in a day. Mounds can interfere with lawnmowers and severely impact the appearance of lawns. Conditions for digging are ideal in irrigated areas: flower beds, lawns, and gardens. Gophers love to eat:

• vines
• shrubs
• trees
• ornamental plants
• vegetables                                                                                                                                                                     

• A burrow system can cover an area of 200 to 2,000 square feet.
• Food storage and nesting areas can be as deep as six feet.
• Feeding burrows with a 3" diameter are most often 6" to 12" below ground.

Do you have a solution that's different from using gopher wire you'd like to share?

Information source: UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program, University of California, Davis, CA 95616