You can get (3) 16 1-2’ lengths from each 50’ roll of welded wire fencing. Or (6) from a 100’ roll.
48’ square allows enough room for the mower to get in. (OK, it can be 46-1/2" or 47". Thereabouts is fine.)
An easy way to layout the T-posts is to make a 4’ x 4’ cardboard template. Put a couple inch wide U-shaped slot to the center of the template from one side. Slip is around the tree via the slot and use colored flags with wire to mark the T-pots around the corners of the 4’ square.
I like the idea of bringing the cage up off the ground. I used something similar to put down mulch (half lap joint)
My cages are round and I use 9ga landscape staples to hold them down. Bending the fencing and using t-posts is too much effort for me. Plus I want to keep low crawling critters out too. I don’t trust plastic with my rodents.
I like round cages myself, but that’s on smaller stuff- second year trees and our roses- and I rest them on the ground.
My two, bigger trees are about 10 and 8 feet tall respectively and I hang netting from the branches. They can’t browse through the netting. It’s similar to this: Garden Craft 84 in. H X 100 ft. L Plastic Netting .75 in in. Mfr# 320601 - Ace Hardware
Yeah, I prefer round cages too. A cylinder is the most efficient shape for achieving a specific distance from the tree. For example, with a 2’ (technically 1.99’) distance from the tree, you need 12.5’ of fence (1.99 x 2 x pi). So you can get 8 from 100’.
Also, my deer must be especially acrobatic because they have no qualms about crawling under a fence. [I once saw a doe duck under a fence with a 1’ space at a full gallop.]. So I put the fence on the ground. That means I really need 6’ rather than 4’ fencing, but it is what it is.
I’ve seen some pretty ugly pics of wire/fencing wrapped around antlers. If I left a foot open under my trees, I’d almost certainly end up with a buck getting his antlers tangled up while trying to get at dropped fruit.
Never a problem that way. But one deer died getting hoof caught in the crotch of Asian Pear tree. Sorry, no pics.
