Size of fruit tree cages?

General Fruit Growing
#21

Clearly you have to figure out if it isn’t better just to put a single fence around an orchard. However, I think your fencing source is high priced, it’s about $70 at Home Depot which is a steep increase over the last time I purchased it. Other suppliers seem to be selling it for a little over $50. Here’s a 100 ft, 5’ tall roll for $80 https://www.farmandfleet.com/products/307462-mazel-and-co-50-14-gauge-welded-wire-fence.html?feedsource=2&PID=8280252&Pubname=Redbrain+Ltd&CID=4023395&cjevent=17f69938b00b11eb81b8e48e0a82b82d

As far as your questions about cutting back growth from the fence- I let the deer do my training for me. Leaves outside the fence get eaten and the tree is encouraged to grow up, but still has plenty of productive leaves within the fence.

Alternatively you can grow trees close together in a small fenced in area and than transplant when enough of the trees are above the browse line. That’s how I manage my nursery. I have very closely spaced trees that I move to outside of fencing once they are tall enough.

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#22

Thanks so much Alan. Yes our local sources have gotten crazy high on fencing. I did find one place that has the 5’ for $90, but that’s the cheapest. There’s a lot of demand here for all fencing materials, partly due to the large amount of ranches and farms.
The deer pruning the limbs back makes sense to me as well. My friend has already planted out all of the trees, but I see where starting them in a smaller nursery area would have been easier, in that you could just have one fence around them all until they reach desired height. Something to consider if more trees will be added later. Thanks again!

#23

I have / and have had good luck with cages ~1ft - 16 inches in diameter. 6ft tall the 2x4 inch wire .with one good rebar stake woven through the wire. Cardboard , hay for mulch.
I have medium to high deer pressure.
I know this sounds too small.but it has been working for me for many years . I plan for three years with the cage , good fertility,
When it looks like next year I will have trouble getting the cage off,
I take off the cage and fertilize heavily with nitrogen.
Usually it will out grow deer browsing that year.
This has been working for me for decades. Good results.
If the leafs inside the cage remain un browsed , allowing some branches to grow through the cage ,the tree will usually put on a lot of growth when cage is removed.
A bigger cage may be better , but too costly for the numbers involved here.
Oh ,and two small cages can be made into one bigger one fairly easily.

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#24

These small cages have lasted decades of use,
Many I know are 20yrs old , have raised ~ 6 trees each.
Sourced for about $3 each , so ~ 50 cents per tree + a rebar stake from the scrap yard that has been re used many times .
Not planting all your young trees the same year, but a new batch every three or so years allows re use of cages

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#25

That is VERY economical. I would think 12"-16" diameter would be way too small, but it sounds like you have a good system working for you!

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