How to keep rabbits and raccoons out of your garden orchard 

This is an amazing and intricate solution. Like most people, I don't have $1,000 or so to solve the critter problem. I plant 2-3 times the volume we need. If critter damage is low, I have a ton of produce to share. You have a beautiful garden and orchard. Precision built and planted!

Absolutely beautiful garden and orchard! You’ve designed and built it well. Top notch!!! Thank you for sharing this much appreciated!!!! 👍🏼

The aerial shot really put the orchard / garden in perspective. Really looks nice.

Thanks for sharing. I fenced my orchard garden just like yours in 2012 but a little smaller only 35x100 feet. I did a few mistakes, first; I did not extra treat my posts with roofing tar over bottom 3 ft before installing under ground. They just lasted 8 years and now all my corner posts are rotting and falling one by one, tar would have given me extra 10 yeas or more. Who knows how many more years...Second, the very next year my heavenly garden was invaded by rabbits and groundhogs. I should have covered the bottom with 2x2 inch “L” fence just like you did, but with 2x4 inch gap on the bottom. The rabbits will still get in without any problem but it will still protect from groundhogs digging in. Oh boy! It will be a big project to re-do this again correctly. I paid too much attention to the beauty of my orchard fencing and paid less attention on protecting and future proofing. So I still say your orchard looks pretty good and happy gardening 👍

Thanks for including the aerial shots. Really looks great 👍 You do such great work…learning lots 👩‍🌾

You can spray paint the plastic insulators with UV resistant Plastikote or Rustoleum white primer paint. That'll block or delay the sun decay by a few years. Then for visibility you can spray yellow over the white, if you wish.

i have been following your channel for a long time...you really do things right and seem to spare no expense...when i watch your channel i think heres how it should be done if money is no option...unfortunately for me is i have to always improvise because money is in short supply here..but i enjoy watching your videos...keep on keepin on....God bless you and your family...

This channel is wonderful ! i have just what you have and i have never been so happy in my life with a bumper crop of everything and still producing i cant keep up ~! your garden is so beautiful ! Everyone who has land should be doing this ~! i get so excited gardening !

I truly love how neat of a job you have done with your fencing. It is straight and clean. At the location of your fencer, I would recommend splicing a wire from your 'ground' rod to the bent lowest fence that you showed the installation of. During the dry times this angled fence could be isolated from 'ground' and not give a shock to the critters, tying your ground rod to this lower fence will ensure a good jolt to them.

I RECENTLY SAW A VIDEO OF GROUNDHOG SQUEEZING THROUGH 2X3 INCH FENCING GAPS. UNREAL....

Hi Pete from South Louisiana. I remember when you and your wife were building the orchard and you did the video on installing the fence posts. I do have to say, you made that look really simple and very instructional. The entire area is really nice and well maintained. Just wanted to say keep the videos coming. I really enjoy them.

Beautiful garden. Love the organization and convenience. I just cane across your show because I have raccoons and bunnies too! Cute little buggers but destructive! Thanks for the info 💚🌿☘️

That is a labor of love.🙂

you should put a night vision camera out there and add a blooper reel of raccoons flying off the fence.

I have been watching videos & reading articles on fencing solutions for the past year and this is by far the BEST. Thanks so much for your detail & explanations of why a certain product or method works.

I always felt that a garden rabbit "problem" was actually a more productive garden. You just have to get up early with a .22LR to harvest the protein.

Hello from Tauranga New Zealand. I learned soooo much from this video..just like being there. Also enjoyed watching the process at gentle speed. Now I know what I intend to expect from contractors who will need to do my 'rabbit-proof fences'. I'm 82 now...brought a farm last year for the Community to grow food ...but this job I'd rather watch. I'll enjoy watching more Pete. Many thanks. Eleanor...Great-Grannie.

Just seen you spraying your yard with salt water i see its a few years ago so you might have perfected it since. We live out in rural Ireland we been using salt for years the way I do it is boiling water 1 gallon of highly concentrated salt water diluted to about 1 in10 it kills all grass and moss.try it out it works for us👍

Nice job! What a great looking garden/orchard and fence system!

lol, i love it....i will put them every two feet but the caption says 6 feet! that is funny as once you start beating those stakes in with high heat and humidity and a long long fence line, things change.

Thanks for the details and appreciate the lack of sentimentality about the tender feelings of these dirty, destructive animals. Gonna try this on my strawberries.

Love this project. Very good. For the birds get one of those battery operated beepers for birds. We had egrets and in 2 weeks they moved on. So did the rabbits.

10/10, the garden+orchard combo looks amazing. The only thing that'll be different from mine is I'd size it 4 parts compost crop (grass clippings & fall tree leaves) to 1 part garden with no grass in the garden area. In the 1800s they'd use three acres compost crop / animal manure to feed one acre of their garden. Also the parameter anti-dig fencing would only last 2-3 years here before it'd rust so while stainless costs 2x more it'd last ten years in the ground.

Rich man garden, beautiful! Spraying red pepper 🌶️ liquid to the fence once a week, it will work.

Ha friend if you put the back clip of the wire hanger on the T-post first it snaps right in place , nice garden !

Nice set up. I like how neat and orderly it is. My land is hilly and tree filled. Cleared over 100 trees to make room. I'm a bit more strewn about. Slowly but surely getting fencing in and layout worked out. Really excited about my new plot. The more orderly I get the better and easier it gets. My fencing keeps deer out. Raccoons and woodchucks are the worst. Rabbits don't give me too much trouble as I have a low perimeter of tighter knit fencing. Next seasons project may be burying some fence to keep woodchucks out. Not a fun job. That said I use the perimeter fencing for trellising etc... so I will have to bury it rather than place on top. Raccoons haven't been too bad last few years, but have done major damage to my corn in years past. I use every trick I can think of to keep them away. Don't know if it did any good, but last year I hung my dirty socks on the fences. Anything to combat critters here in critter central. There may be some electric fencing in the future. Good luck. Keep up the good work. Got to get myself one of those hog ring deals.

Pete, love your videos. I have been watching for a couple years. I lived in the city and was dying to move back to the country. Anyway now I have and I recently ran a fence with those yellow insulators. I had the same problem you did. I figured out if you take a small flat tipped screwdriver you can pop that back part on very easily. Hope that helps you with future projects. Lord knows I've borrowed a few of your ideas!

I do want to say that is a great looking garden you have worked very hard on it. I’m jealous

When you put nets on the grapes make sure they are those nets that don't damage the bats. Bats help pollinate the surroundings. They are necessary for the environment!

Very , very nice Pete... Your orchard/garden is a work of art. Exceptional !!! Will need to check your other videos for an update on rabbits and raccoons, plus any other predators.

Pete, I ordered my ladies first chicken door today. They wanted to know where I heard of them. I told them Pete B. on his You Tube channel. Maybe they'll send you a thank you. If all the solar doors I've seen, I think that is the best one. Thank you for showing it to me. Still loving your channel.

You could check the Army Depot for a used Abrams tank that should help.garden looks great, you would shake your head at mine but I do grow some mean veggies.

What a beautiful garden.!!! I'm glad you had so much success last year growing your food. That orchard will give you fruit for many years to come. You garden is soo neatly done. I am hoping the electric fence and all the work you did will deter the critters. They are always a problem in my garden. Happy gardening!!!

For those of us that have dogs that dig out of their pens, you can use this same Tecnice but you put it on the inside of the pens.

Nice orchard garden! I am almost there. Trying to get my posts and gates in before the ground freezes, then fencing. I went with an 8' plastic deer fence and a 4' lower metal fence to allow for ground overlap and tall enough for rabbits. Yours looks nice!

I used the solar powered motion detector spotlights seems to work pretty well

Three row electric fence with grass burner power. One very low for rabbits, one about 15 inches to stop initial climbers. Third near top that is extended out by the insulated holder bracket...so raccoons would have to reach out and over...knocks then off the top. No trees close for jumpers.

Awesome video! We need to do this, and this is a simple, straightforward approach with plenty of helpful detail. Appreciate the help!

You and your household are definitely about gardening. Enjoy all of your produce!

Hello, good day. New subscriber here. I love how you built the fencing for this garden. I searched for "the best garden fencing" and found your channel. Looks really well laid out and put together. I was really interested to see how to do the electrical. I'll be building my massive ultimate veggie garden this year and I'm planning it out now, it's 120'x60' so it's pretty large just like yours.My plan was to use posts and pt wood beams and use the animal wire rolled fencing and just staple it on, but wasn't sure to bury the fencing or do a security apron like what you did folding the fence at the bottom. I think I like your way better...less trenching for me lol. Thanks a million. Cheers, Chad

Nice looking garden mr. Bete I love it 🥰 good job 👍

that was quite a job, good luck, i hope i can the results

More complicated, but for dry areas climates people could install a similar mesh on the ground that is err also a ground, for creature foot contact.

I've used a electric fence, and mount it low. That really works and cheaper. Use solar power fence charger. Good luck!

As an East Texan, I enjoy your videos. I learn something here and there and enjoy seeing your orchard/garden. Supposedly Marigolds keeps rabbits away... though science says they don't. If anything.. bees love em! =D

You could put Blood meal at the gate, when they smell blood they instinctively think there is a predator around, it deters rabbits and small garden goes.

That a nice looking orchard you have put a lot of work into your place its really nice

I am building a 1.5 acre garden, and was planning the same setup. Thanks for sharing this. I like your practical solutions to problems.

Mate u read my mind for the prevention, loved the release around the door. thanks

If you need more juhls, jewels(?), Justin Rhodes just got one this week that does 36 jewels. He has a lot of premier one fencing for cows, sheep, pigs, chickens, and was just commenting how this doesn't ground as easily for multiple uses.

Try a flat tip (medium to large) screwdriver on the side that you filed off. Put the screwdriver in from the top twist just a little and push the rest on with your hand

thanks for posting this. I am going to try it on my new garden. I will build a bending rig from lumber and a couple hinges. Or a V channel made up from lumber and a roller in the bottom and I'll just pull the fencing through. That process you were using looks like work to me

you're a god worker and you have a very neat garden🌟🌟🌟

I love your garden!!! That’s my dream!!!

Very beautiful garden setup

And the bunny said, “….challenge accepted!” 😂😂😂😂😂😂

Tell me if I'm wrong, but, a rabbit can easily squeeze through chain link fence, anything that they can get their head through. This gauge of fencing looks about the same with some extra because of the shape. Most other videos of this type use a tighter spaced grid, and, they don't stake the bottom to the ground. They bury it a foot or more out to prevent digging.

I'm going to try some Toole, ballerina material over my nectarine tree. It's in a caged garbage can for root cutting puposses.

Yhank you Pete! You sure work hard. Thar great way to keep animals out thanks for showing it so we can understand

Wow6, Congrats, you made it all around!

You could place the hot wire somewhat higher and use the original fence as the ground. You don't have to drive a ground stake and no need to worry about the conduction of the ground. The conduction is guaranteed to work.

Hey can you share this with Good Simple Living they are starting a homestead. This week they are putting in their fence on 1/2 acre or so just as you are. They are mostly concerned with elk, dear, bears...and will later need to see this. I feel it would come better from you since you are doing it. What great ideas for those who need to know. Thanks for sharing.

New subscriber, your channel is very interesting.

Pete your videos are so helpful. We bought some land west of Houston and your videos have definitely helped us.

after all this. i mean ALL OF THIS. any racoon or deer is going to open your gate! i've got the same problems but i cannot turn a $100 tomato into a $259.06 tomato- i did enjoy watching your excellent video.

That is one of the coolest gardens I've seen! What part of Texas is that?

When mentally picturing the raccoon "flying off the wire" my mind immediately thought of it like the kid in Jurassic Park getting shocked and thrown off the fence

Oh Boy, l Love the video. Now I have to figure out How to get it done. Financially and help wise. Thank you.

Great job. Your place looks fantastic!

Beautiful garden. Hope this project works.

This is a sound solution. Thanks for sharing.

Beautiful build, but most can't afford to build like this.

I’d be tempted to run an electric fence close to the existing fence around 4cm above the ground. However your solution to stop burrowing animals looks good. Whoops, I see you do install an electric fence later on. Double protection!

Hi, You have a very neat and good looking garden orchard. I love to see the land you have. Everything is big in Texas, right? 🙂 I found your channel when searching for how to make a garden gate. Also we just put in a fence on a low budget for our backyard garden. To keep the rabbits out my husband used chicken wire, I hope that will work but he didn't do the L installation so we might still see those rabbits when they're hungry enough. Your video is very informative. Thank you.

I love you Doberman Pinscher wish I had one.

Where are you ?. . . everything is so lush and beautiful . . . would like to know your climate. Thanks for your wonderful video, I am inspired even though my conditions are rougher.

The t post insulators your putting them on backwards put the back on first

I sure hope that it’s successful cause that was a hell of a lot of work!

Has been awhile since this post but curious if the electric fence at the 2' height solved your raccoon problem? Anything you would've done differently since? Thanks so much for the detailed video and all your efforts! So helpful. A beautiful setup.

Good video. You worked very hard.

I know it’d be a pain in the arse, but i’d have NOT cut that down at the garden gate - left it up and learned to walk over that 1’ tall piece. YES, I’d be the one to forget, but 1x is all it’d take for me to remember!

Looks like Stalag 13. The problem with wildlife is it refuses to eat wild as often as possible.

Love the video but I got dizzy 🥴 just watching the pages or segments go up or down! 😂

Nice job, Pete! If what you've done for some reason doesn't work, (though I don't see how it wouldn't), go for the guard towers and search lights in the corners. Shoot to kill! I've got two wood chucks that will not make it to the 4th of July.

Good job, but I think that chicken wire would work better. Smaller wholes. 👍😉

This made me think of yo simmity Sam and the rabbit. Like now I understand all the cartoons I grew up with

Wow you’re so patient! I would be so mad. Great job 👏

Great orchid/garden. I’m thinking squirrels might be getting your nectarines. Every year they took every peach from my tree.

Looks good IF you don't have gophers.... We tried similar hot, high, small grid fencing & while the deer, racoons, etc kept out, the gophers had a field day & took exactly one bite out of every ripe tomato... I took the fence down & let the dogs in it, end of gophers, woodchucks, muskrats & deer. The rows weren't as pretty but, the tomatoes, etc were untouched!

Very nice job Pete, thank you for sharing. God bless be safe.

Nice work!

Beautiful setup you got there man

Good Job

Amazing tips here Pete, thank you and I wish you a raccoon and rabbit free gardening my man :)

Plastic pipe also is strongly degraded by UV from the sun. Pool guys spray the pipe with paint and that blocks the UV. Try that on other plastic, should work.

Your garden is just beautiful. How big is it?

Beautiful, now do electroculture and everything will be so much bigger and better.

That was a big job. Here's hoping that it does the job for you.

Nice, deliberate demonstration. Thanks for your fine anger mgt skills toward the evil mammalian pest.

GREAT VIDEO!!!