PLANT THIS Before Planting YOUR Fruit Trees

Are YOU planning to plant some fruit trees this year? Or have you planted some fruit trees already? Let me show you something you REALLY want to plant before planting your fruit trees.
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[palipali]

I had an elderly neighbor who kept getting deer damage to his garden. His fence got taller and taller, to no avail. One night he hears something and rushes out to see what was going on. He spotted the deer, belly crawling under the fence and happily eating his veggies.

[hog]

I have another good suggestion for deer problems that worked great for me. Before I had to quit because of health problems, I grew a lot of fruit and produce. Did it for personal and market use. Tried all kinds of things to stop the deer. Couldn't afford a deer fence cause I was tending about 3+ acres, and you're correct about the fence needing to be extremely tall.
I used high test fishing line, minimum of 50lb test, 100lb is better, and strung it around my crops. I used the metal posts that you can drive in the ground. Placed them about 50 feet apart around my field and orchards. Strung the first strand of fishing line tight, about two feet from the ground, pole to pole, until I had enclosed the area I wanted to protect. I did two more strands, about two feet apart up the poles the same way.
It doesn't keep the deer out by obstructing them like a normal fence does. It confuses them because they can't see it very well, but can feel it. Freaks them out and they leave.
It worked great for me, for many years. It was the only solution I had success with.

[opnwndo]

Had fruit trees for 54 years...and a rifle.

[pier-annelachance]

Yes! I put a deer fence first we put a 7.5 ft. My trees would never survive without the fence. We added blackberries to the fence.

[sashavasko]

OMG feeding a chickadee from your palm. What a fondest memory of the childhood! The moment she digs in to your palm with her little claws!

[pinocolada]

Look up hedge LAYING!

Done since before the 1sth Roman empire in some parts of Europe.
It roughly is planting a thorny hedge, cutting the trunks for 3/4 and laying/braiding them after a few year.
Great for biodiversity, small mamals and birds thrive in those hedges. Cattle (and Roman cavalery)can't het through them

[annebeck]

We have photographic proof that deer can crawl under a fence only 12 inches off the ground. Yes, they really had to squeeze, crazy! (We fixed it)

[skeletalbassman]

Don’t recommend brush piles if you’re in a dry climate. Living hedges would work tho.

[Veiss]

Planting garlic around helps a lot. They haven't come back for my trees and garden since.

[holisticheritagehomestead]

I found this video at the right time. We have started our food forest project and have been thinking about different options for fencing... Great video. Thank you.

[michaelreinhard]

We made good experience with pilling branches around the young fruit trees. Keeping the tree out of reach for deer and others and shadowing the soil underneath the trees.

[resilientfarmsanddesignstu]

Great video Stefan! We live in the middle of a National Forest, so we have plenty of deer. Here is what I do: The problem is the solution! I use a carrot and the stick approach to deer management. I funnel the deer with fences right to where I do want them, so that I can shoot them (during hunting season). I also provide a salt lick and plant deer attractors at my hunting location. That’s the carrot. Here’s the stick. I surround my fruit trees with vertically planted logs from the forest. These eventually sprout mushrooms. The arm width logs act as a physical deterrent. I also surround the fruit trees with plants deer don’t like to eat, like daffodils. I also paint the trunks and logs with Sepp Holzer style “bone sauce.” Not too much. A little goes a long way! I also have dogs. I feed them only at my meIon patch, so they protect my garden. But I also have provided them with dens at strategic places around the perimeter of the farm. If I hear something, by command, I can send them out on “patrol” and they will patrol the perimeter, check out their dens then return to the house. (I walk the perimeter with them every morning, inspect their dens and I repeat my “Patrol” command often as we go). That way all I have to do is say “Patrol, ” let them out and they will patrol the perimeter and run off any intruder they encounter. I also raise poultry so I get predators as well as deer. I have magnetically levitated scarecrows that rotate in the wind. They are taller than a human and each one has a raised stick in their hands. They also have a can attached to their arm with a marble in it that makes a random clicking clinking sound suggestive of human presence - not a normal forest sound. They also have long sparkling Christmas tinsel hair (from the dollar store). I place these scarecrows at strategic locations. I aim motion detector lights at the scarecrows (rather than at the wildlife), so that at random times during the night they suddenly light up while they are rotating. They scare the living crap out of the raccoons. 👻🦝 As to my fences, I have a double fence, with a blackberry thicket between them. A while back, I also planted a willow living fence with some thorny shrubs behind it. Anything thorny will work just as well too.

[debkincaid]

You are such a joy & just stuffed with wisdom. Thanks!

[adambick]

Stefan, great content! How about a fruit planting tutorial? Different techniques for heavy clay or sandy soil for various fruits.

[jjzacharias]

Stephan, I'm always impressed by your practical but very wise solutions to your orchard. Keep up the absolutely amazing work. Stay awesome!

[TutuSainz]

Thank you for sharing this precious Dear fence! Fedge that sounds like a Anastasia and the ringing Cedars idea of a living fence it’s a beautiful timeless classic idea it’s wonderful to see how you’ve carried it out on your beautiful property and thank you for sharing everything that you share with us

[margareth]

Oh love to hear your voice again, so unique and such good information to listen to.

[deanevangelista]

My suburban back yard abuts a state/national park. When my original 3 foot fence stood, the deer had the run of my yard, so I had an 8 foot fence put up, and I’m successfully growing paw paws, persimmons, kiwis, blueberries, etc. Since having the fence installed in 2011, I’ve only had deer in my yard once, and only because I left the back gate open. Fences work!

[janemack]

True for goats and pigs, too. The neighbors' goats and pigs roam at will periodically. Goats strip everything. Pigs eat roots. I already knew i wanted a fence. Thanks for the fence ideas.

[puresoul]

Excellent video- this is valuable wisdom I’ll be glad to share with others. It comes to me before the homestead so it’s all in great timing. Thank you