optimum spacing of T posts for garden fencing.

[rxkeith]

i just spent a chunk of change for fencing supplies for a new garden patch, and was
wondering what the optimum spacing should be for 6ft T posts to which i will be attaching
red brand fencing on the bottom. since no one around has 8 ft T posts, i have to go with shorter
posts. i intend to zip tie 8 ft rough 2 x 2s to the T posts to make an 8 ft high fence. lighter weight
chicken wire will go on the upper half. its either that or do a double fence roughly 4 ft apart angled
outward, a lot more work, and cost. i have more faith in a single eight ft fence for keeping deer out
of the garden. any thoughts?



keith

[pondgardener]

[mention]rxkeith[/mention] How big an area are you looking to enclose? The link below suggests 15-20', which seems to be pretty far apart, and they are using a different type of fencing. I would wonder if you could use some sturdy wood or metal posts at the corners and get by with wider spacing of the T-posts? I also read about having one wood post for every 5 or 6 T-posts, but again that would be determined by type and length of fence and how much stretching of the fence you plan on doing. Good luck...

https://blog.redbrand.com/post-spacing- ... -security/

[GoDawgs]

Most field fences around here have t-posts 10' apart. Deer sure are a pain in the butt! I've noticed they'll come mostly in early spring when the grass in the surrounding fields is all brown and they spy nice green brassicas in the garden. Then the netting tunnels get deployed over those beds. When the fields green up, the deer move on until the fields brown up during droughty summer times.

[Whwoz]

[mention]rxkeith[/mention] could you get hold of a portable electric fencing unit an run a couple of hot wires around the garden?

[stone]

Had to google "keweenaw peninsula"... Lake Superior... You have a garden season there?
I guess the lake breezes keep the mosquitoes down...

Not sure you'll be able to fence out the deer if the area is mowed...
I find that having tall stuff like shrubbery next to the fence is almost essential.

At my house, I'm growing my fence posts... I plant all the black walnuts I can lay my hands on, I have patches of osage orange and robinia, I even planted honey locust seed... Plus the hardy orange and climbing roses planted next to the fence...

When I've done the short metal posts with conduit lashed to them with poultry mesh threaded through it... (in town) it does work, but the poultry netting has a habit of sliding down the conduit pipe... Have you tried looking into ordering the 8 ft posts? Most stores seem willing to order stuff if we pre-pay.

[rxkeith]

i have thought about electric fencing. we know people who have fencing connected to a solar powered
battery. we have fencing around the main garden, and it is high enough to keep the deer out. we need to
keep the rabbits out of the garden too. looks like it might be a bumper crop of rabbits this year.
the new garden patch is 48 x 35 ft roughly. we haven't had deer in the garden as long as the entrance has
been secured. oh, and chickens, they have to be kept out of the garden too. other wise they would be
snacking, and excavating, and wreak havoc.
a lot of things have been in short supply this year. we maybe could order posts, but my wife is not a patient
person in some aspects. the garden is being done right the heck now.

stone,
yes we do have a gardening season here. its just a different kind of season than what you might be used to.
i wish the big lake did keep the bugs down, but its the opposite effect. we have enough skeeters, and black flies
here to cloud out the sky it seems, make you run a pint low in blood, give you enough red welts to make people
think you have some contagious disease. we got bugs.


keith

[bower]

I did my brother's quick fence with 6 ft metal posts and no top rail, the spec was 10 ft apart for that. But it wasn't level ground, I think on the level you could space a little further and get away with it. OTOH for keeping animals out... IDK, you know the deer better than I do. I like Stone's idea of shrubbing the fence. That would be the perfect consolation for moose, if it grew fast enough.

[GoDawgs]

My feed and seed recently had run out of the 6' posts I needed for a project. We went outside to double check the outtage and the owner said all he had now was some "irregular" posts in varying lengths. Irregular meant lacking the plate at the bottom or slightly rusty and a few had a slight bend. We found the five (straight ones) I needed, just a tad of rust here and there, two with no plate. OK by me, especially when he knocked the price down from $5 something each to $3 each!

I'm wondering if any vendors around you have such irregulars they'd sell you. Might not have all you need but shoot, they last for years and money is money.

[worth1]

Bumper crop of rabbit means meat on the table to me.
Tee post fence gets what they call stays in between posts.
It's a twisted wire thing.

[pondgardener]

[mention]worth1[/mention] You triggered a memory of a job I had over 40 years ago testing cinch stays for tensile strength and zinc coating. Attached is a screenshot of a former company in Indiana who also made them...any relation?

Screen Shot 2021-05-22 at 3.19.49 PM.png

[worth1]

@worth1 You triggered a memory of a job I had over 40 years ago testing cinch stays for tensile strength and zinc coating. Attached is a screenshot of a former company in Indiana who also made them...any relation?

Screen Shot 2021-05-22 at 3.19.49 PM.png

I have no idea.

[NMRuss]

Bumper crop of rabbit means meat on the table to me.
Tee post fence gets what they call stays in between posts.
It's a twisted wire thing.

Gotta watch out with the rabbit meat. Tularemia is running rampid here in nm.
The fence stays are for barbed wire fencing. It keeps the wire from sagging and prevents the cattle from pushing thru the fence. For normal fencing t- posts are put in 17feet apart and two stays in between posts. I think the 17 feet comes from them being a fathom apart?.. old timey stuff.

[stone]

stone,
yes we do have a gardening season here. its just a different kind of season than what you might be used to.
i wish the big lake did keep the bugs down, but its the opposite effect. we have enough skeeters, and black flies
here to cloud out the sky it seems, make you run a pint low in blood, give you enough red welts to make people
think you have some contagious disease. we got bugs.
keith

I've camped at lake Superiour... I've camped on the UP, and in northern Wisconsin... Really don't believe that you could possibly have as many mosquitoes as they do further inland... I felt positively claustrophobic... like the walls were closing in... a head net was essential...

People kid about the Louisiana state bird... the south has nothing on you all!

as to whether y'all have a gardening season... was a joke... I'm sure that you can grow cool season stuff like taters and carrots and english peas... tomatoes and watermelons and hot peppers and sweet potatoes might need a hoop house or something... I've seen your July frosts.