We’ve got a few problems and I’m hoping these problems will become the solution.
We’ve just planted 50 or so tube stock on our 5 acres. Due to the positioning of certain gates occasionally our neighbour leaves a gate open which allows half a dozen cows onto our land (they’re not his cows btw). We’re not yet living there so can’t monitor the situation all the time. I visited today to check on the tube stock to find the cows in there. They’ve pulled up trees, strampled stakes, eaten some… just generally made a bloody mess.
We also have a major grass problem atm so we’re thinking of allowing the cows to stay, thus eliminating the issues with the neighbour/gates and controlling our grass therefore eliminating the need to pay someone to come and slash the grass.
But I need some way of protecting this tube stock!!! Any suggestions?? They currently have hardwood stakes and plastic covers around them, but this just made them more attractive (and obviously stand out more) to the cows…..
Leave existing stakes and green plastic guard in place around the tube stock.
Around that, 1 metre out from the tube stock, place 4 x 1.8m metal star pickets, then use wire or strong rope to tie off the enclosed tube stock. If you can, group and corden off several tube plants together.
Another option, is star pickets with wooden pellets tied/secured to them.
Whatever you choose, it needs to be strong enough to keep out a heavy cow or two.
If you have many trees the cost will be up there, star posts are about $7 each on average, $28 for each tube, plus you will need heavy duty netting or mesh to protect a cows head from going thru or over the top. So, ur looking at about $50 a tree that way.
If they are along a fence line its best to run a second fence.
We tried to fence off a small mango tree from our 2 cows with star pickets and chook wire. They started using it as a scratching post and were determined to get to the tree… I reckon it’s either cows or trees…
Electric fence usually does the job if the trees are in some kind of order that the fence can go around them. Like Bushy said, get the cows out of there or forget about planting more trees.
I think we’ve decided to run with the slashing option as to fence off the trees will become too exxy. We’ve planted them all over the place so there’s no real option to fence them off in bunches.
If we slash, the amount of grass that will go back to the earth will be phenomenal so it’s not all bad 🙂
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