What are your frugal and sustainable tips and tricks?

[LizzzyJo]

I’m

I mentioned my "bag flag" fence hack. Here's a picture of what I mean. The twine is nylon, and so far, it is holding up just fine. I get about 12-14 flags per chicken feed bag, cutting them about 3" wide, the length of the bag.
View attachment 3370873
I cut a hole in the middle of the strip so that I can tie the twine to each one.
View attachment 3370875

Each section of twine is its own bit. That means LOTS of knot tying! But it also means that if one breaks, it doesn't take the whole ring down, just that one section. So far, none have broken.
View attachment 3370877
By a whole lot of knot tying, I mean:
34 sections x 3 courses
Plus the knots holding the flags: 3 flags per section. You do the math; it'll make my head spin and my fingers ache.

The posts themselves were a HUGE freebie score. The place where DH works made a whole bunch of exterior signs for a local hospital for during Covid. When the signs were no longer needed, the DH's company took them down. The hospital DID NOT WANT those posts! DH's boss asked him if he did, and I told him, YES, he most certainly did want
25, ten foot, powder coated U-channel posts!

Priced online they were $53 each, plus shipping. I didn't even look up what shipping would be for over half a ton of steel.

I had most of the 2x3 welded wire fencing I needed from what we had originally, but some had to be replaced, and fence ain't cheap. I did buy 3 rolls of 50' at $70-85 each. At 4' high, deer can hop over it, easily. It would take another 7 rolls to go around the garden again. (Yeah, it's big: 145'x25')

The bags were free, the twine was about $50. I want to put up one more course through the very top hole in the posts, and I need another roll of twine for that.

I think I must’ve missed it - what is the purpose of the bag strips on the fence?

 

[alwaystj9]

I mentioned my "bag flag" fence hack. Here's a picture of what I mean. The twine is nylon, and so far, it is holding up just fine. I get about 12-14 flags per chicken feed bag, cutting them about 3" wide, the length of the bag.
View attachment 3370873

I am glad you explained! At first glance, I thought, "Oh no, someone's drying toilet paper..."

 

[Sally PB]

I think I must’ve missed it - what is the purpose of the bag strips on the fence?

Oh, duh! I should have said what they were for! It's so the deer can see that there is something there. They might or might not see the twine, but they'll see the fluttering flags and (hopefully!) not try to jump over. The top course of twine is about 7.5' above the ground.

I am glad you explained! At first glance, I thought, "Oh no, someone's drying toilet paper..."

(cleaning coffee off my monitor...)

 

[gtaus]

By a whole lot of knot tying, I mean:
34 sections x 3 courses
Plus the knots holding the flags: 3 flags per section. You do the math; it'll make my head spin and my fingers ache.

I have started using small cable ties for lots of stuff like this. At less than a penny per tie, you can fasten lots of things together. And when you don't want or need that tie any longer, I just cut it off with a scissors or snips and the original item is untouched. For example, I fasten bird netting on the top of my 6 foot tall fencing and stretch it across the chicken run. The cable ties are easier for me to tie things together.

The posts themselves were a HUGE freebie score. The place where DH works made a whole bunch of exterior signs for a local hospital for during Covid. When the signs were no longer needed, the DH's company took them down. The hospital DID NOT WANT those posts! DH's boss asked him if he did, and I told him, YES, he most certainly did want
25, ten foot, powder coated U-channel posts!

Priced online they were $53 each, plus shipping. I didn't even look up what shipping would be for over half a ton of steel.

Great score! To think that one person's junk is truly another person's treasure! Thanks for sharing.

 

[Sally PB]

DH told me there might be more posts in the future. I told him to tell his boss, ABSOLUTELY we want any or all of them. My other garden has fence envy.

Oh, I hear you on zip ties! That's how the garden fence is held to the posts, and half of my chicken run is held together with zip ties. All the fence attachments, tying the fence pieces together, even the windbreak. I love those things!

 

[gtaus]

Oh, duh! I should have said what they were for! It's so the deer can see that there is something there. They might or might not see the twine, but they'll see the fluttering flags and (hopefully!) not try to jump over. The top course of twine is about 7.5' above the ground.

I have a friend who has a small vineyard in his backyard. He fought with deer eating all his grapes for many years. He started off with a 6 foot wire fence, which made no difference. Then he went up to 8 feet and the deer still were eating his grapes. So, he added an angled section of wire to the top, making it look like a prison yard, but at least he solved his deer problem.

Picture this type of setup in your backyard....

That's basically what he had to do to solve his deer problem. Your flag system, if it works out for you, seems to be less harsh.

I hope you post updates. Will be watching for final results.

 

[gtaus]

Oh, I hear you on zip ties! That's how the garden fence is held to the posts, and half of my chicken run is held together with zip ties. All the fence attachments, tying the fence pieces together, even the windbreak. I love those things!

As I got older, I developed a touch of arthritis in my hands and somedays it's harder for me to accomplish the fine motor skills like tying knots, especially tying lots of knots for a long period of time. Cable ties just seem to be easier on my hands, plus they have other advantages over a piece of string you need to tie or a section of wire that needs to be twisted tight. I guess, for me, it was an accomodation with unexpected advantages. Now, I use cable ties as my first choice for most of my tying/fastening jobs.

 

[Sally PB]

Other anti-deer ideas:

They won't (usually) jump into an area that they can't see. A neighbor has a bunch of burning bush around her garden, and the deer rarely jump in. Even the branches in winter make a pretty good screen. When they're leafed out, you can't see the asparagus and other goodies on the inside.

This one is expensive:

Put a second fence about 3 feet outside the main fence. The fence doesn't have to be really tall; 4' should be enough. The inner fence is higher, like 6' or more. Deer can jump high, or long, but not both. The space between the fences isn't enough for them to land in and then jump the higher fence. Well, you could turn it into a chicken moat...

If you go the electric fence route, try this: Put some peanut butter on some aluminum foil, then wrap the foil around the wire. Deer will try the peanut butter. Once, so I'm told.

 

[gtaus]

Put a second fence about 3 feet outside the main fence. The fence doesn't have to be really tall; 4' should be enough. The inner fence is higher, like 6' or more. Deer can jump high, or long, but not both. The space between the fences isn't enough for them to land in and then jump the higher fence. Well, you could turn it into a chicken moat...

I have heard of that double fencing solution. But I think the concern is that the deer might get hung up on the fencing and hurt, or kill, themselves. Anyways, my friend went higher and then had to add the angled wire at the top.

I live out in the country, on a lake, and we have deer passing through all the time. Most of the food I grow does not seem to interest them enough to sneak in the garden and eat. With the exception of beans. I have to cover my beans with chicken wire out in my main garden. The past few years, I have mainly been growing beans out on my second floor deck where the deer have no access. That deck is right off our kitchen/dining room. We like to pick some fresh beans for supper out on the deck and bring them right into the kitchen. Makes everything really easy for us. Easy is good.

 

[LizzzyJo]

We put fishing line around our orchard and garden. One 3 feet, the other around 5. They never get in. It feels weird on them at night and scares them.

We also put Irish soap on each tree. Can’t tell you if that works because the line works so well.