Rabbits, while adorable, can be a gardener’s worst nightmare. Last year, these furry critters turned my vegetable patch into their personal buffet, devouring sugar snap peas, corn seedlings, and even gnawing through green bean stalks. As much as I appreciate rabbits, they are definitely not welcome in my garden!
Determined to protect my precious plants this year, I decided to take action. My solution? Replacing the old, ineffective garden fence with a brand-new, hopefully impenetrable, rabbit-proof barrier. Whether you prefer watching how-to videos or reading step-by-step guides, this Bunny Garden Guide will walk you through the process of building your own rabbit-proof fence.
One crucial lesson I learned early on is that rabbits are diggers. Simply placing a fence at ground level is an invitation for them to tunnel underneath. The recommended approach is to bury the fence, going as deep as you can manage, considering soil conditions and potential obstacles like rocks.
However, even burying the fence might not deter the most persistent diggers. To truly rabbit-proof your garden, the trick is to create an “L” shape with the bottom of the fence. By bending the bottom portion outwards, away from your garden, you create a horizontal barrier. When a rabbit digs down along the fence line, it will encounter this horizontal section and be unable to tunnel further into your garden.
To implement this, I dug a trench as deep as possible, given the rocky soil in my garden. Then, I carefully bent the bottom section of the fence to form that essential L-shape, creating an underground deterrent against digging rabbits.
Another critical aspect of rabbit-proofing is the fence mesh size. Bunnies are surprisingly adept at squeezing through small openings. They can navigate holes as small as one inch, and even adult rabbits can fit through gaps of 2-3 inches. To combat this, I opted for a dual-fence approach. The primary fence has a mesh size of 2 inches by 4 inches, offering sturdiness and standing 4 feet tall. This height is also intended to discourage larger animals like deer, although determined deer might still jump over.
For the bottom portion of the fence, where rabbits are most likely to try and squeeze through, I used hardware cloth with half-inch square openings. This fine mesh is impenetrable even to the smallest bunnies. While mice and other tiny rodents might still find their way in, stopping them would be an almost impossible task, and rabbits were my primary concern.
I secured the hardware cloth to the main garden fence using galvanized wire. Zip ties or even sturdy string would also work just as well – the key is a secure attachment.
Access to the garden is still necessary, so a rabbit-proof gate is essential. My old gate was simply a section of garden fencing and offered no protection against rabbits.
For the new gate, I decided to repurpose a wooden pallet I had on hand. I constructed a robust frame to ensure smooth swinging action and structural integrity. Drawing on my mechanical engineering background, I incorporated a diagonal board in the gate design. This diagonal support is crucial to prevent the bottom corner of the gate from sagging over time. Similarly, a diagonal 2×4 on the gate frame maintains the vertical alignment of the pivot board.
To further stabilize the gate structure, particularly when open, I hammered a fence post at a 45-degree angle. This angled post supports the gate and prevents sagging when it’s in the open position.
The gate frame features a continuous board along the bottom edge. I attached hardware cloth to this bottom board, mirroring the fence design, and buried it in the ground. This ensures that no rabbit will be able to dig under the gate and gain access to the garden.
With the new fence installed in the trench and the gate functional, the next step was to backfill the trench. But then I had another idea…
Since the trench was open, it was the perfect opportunity to tackle one of my least favorite gardening tasks: weeding. Weeding around fences is notoriously difficult. To minimize future weed growth along the fence line, I decided to install landscape fabric. I cut strips of landscape fabric, doubled them over for extra strength, and slid them into the trench beneath the fence. Then, I covered the fabric with rocks and woodchips. Hopefully, this will significantly reduce weed growth along the fence perimeter.
This fence project was quite labor-intensive, and I only completed one side of my community garden plot. Fortunately, my gardening neighbors have robust fences, so I’m hoping for the best with the existing fences on the other sides. I can always reinforce them if rabbit issues arise.
Building a rabbit-proof fence is a worthwhile investment for any gardener facing persistent bunny problems. By following this bunny garden guide, you can protect your vegetables and flowers and enjoy a thriving, rabbit-free garden.
