Fencing to Establish Boundary around Garden

Lemlin

Hi folks,

Wanted some advice re fencing. I have 900 foot of fencing that I want to do around my garden. The plan is to plant a hedge behind this fencing so I didn't want to go post and rail which, besides being expensive, will need too much maintenance with painting. As well as that, the plan is that the fence will eventually be taken away when the hedge grows.

I want the fence to be about 4 foot in height and someone had suggested sheep wire. Another person had mentioned "badger fencing" which I hadn't heard of. The fencing is mainly to establish a boundary and I have a couple of dogs that I want to keep from wandering. That said, any bsic fence will keep them in as they are not too interested in wandering far.

Could anyone suggest any type? Also, would anyone have any idea of cost?

Lemlin

Anyone with any opinion re this?

jimini0

What type of hedge do you want to plant?
What is on the otherside of your boundary? Farm?
A hedge won't stop a dog getting through so you might need a fence anyways

bbam

Sheepwire and a hidden electric fence to keep the dogs in.. In reality no other fence or hedge will keep dogs in..

Markcheese

Don't put the hedge too close to the fence,if you have to maintain your fence in 10 years time to stop a bullock pushing through your grissalinia,you'll appreciate being able to get at it ..
If there is stock on the far side of the fence,try and have a strand of electric wire on the top ,( connected to your neighboring farmers fencer )

vcshqkf9rpzgoe

Sheep wire, then if there's cattle in the field a strip of barbed wire at the top

49801

Is the badger fencing the net you see hourse folk use... Holes are in a v shape.

If it was not for the dogs I'd say just use 3 or 4 strands of barbed wire and let the hedge grow through it.

Miname

whitethorn quicks planted tight and staggered either side of the fence and nothing willl get through it. simple hedge that cant be beat imo.

Nekarsulm

100 meter rolls of high tensile sheep wire would be a good job. Cost about 125 euro a roll, so 3 of them should do the job. Buy the best posts you can afford, and you will need a post every 6 or 7 paces. If you have access to a mini digger or similar, plant a railway sleeper or ESB pole about 5 foot in the ground at the corners, and at midway points in the run of wire as well. Let me know when its finished, and I'll throw a few pet lambs down to you to keep it trimmed

Its going to take about 50 posts, plus the sleepers if you choose to go for them. Sleepers are about 30 euro a pop, plus between 6 and 10 euro per ordinary post, plus staples and odd and ends. going to be hitting a 1000 euro, doing it mostly yourself. Going to need a thousand whitethorn quicks as well, on top of the price of fencing. If you have yourself, of know a neighbour who has a single furrow plough or does a bit of vintage ploughing, he could run a furrow along where you plan to put the fence, and plant the hedge in the sod.

Miname

Nekarsulm wrote: »

100 meter rolls of high tensile sheep wire would be a good job. Cost about 125 euro a roll, so 3 of them should do the job. Buy the best posts you can afford, and you will need a post every 6 or 7 paces. If you have access to a mini digger or similar, plant a railway sleeper or ESB pole about 5 foot in the ground at the corners, and at midway points in the run of wire as well. Let me know when its finished, and I'll throw a few pet lambs down to you to keep it trimmed

Its going to take about 50 posts, plus the sleepers if you choose to go for them. Sleepers are about 30 euro a pop, plus between 6 and 10 euro per ordinary post, plus staples and odd and ends. going to be hitting a 1000 euro, doing it mostly yourself. Going to need a thousand whitethorn quicks as well, on top of the price of fencing. If you have yourself, of know a neighbour who has a single furrow plough or does a bit of vintage ploughing, he could run a furrow along where you plan to put the fence, and plant the hedge in the sod.

id be inclined to put the posts closer, 4 meters max, it will help stop wire from sagging. if its for keeping in dogs id be planting the quicks a lot closer too (at least 2 per foot)

Lemlin

To answer some of the queries raised:

1. The other side of the fence is a lane. There will be no animals on this lane. The land on the other side of the lane is already fenced off by my neighbour.
2. The fence isn't too keep the dogs in. It's to establish the boundary and keep my kids in our garden. The dogs are fairly placid and if there's any sort of a fence there they won't pass it.
3. I was told posts will be about €2 a post.
4. The hedge will not be planted for a while but I plan to plant something that will grow quickly and be a good wind blocker.

Nekarsulm

Hi lemlin,
I see a neighbour has planted holly for her boundary hedge, its in about 3 years now and starting to really motor. there is also stuff called, I think, Red Robin, that also looks very nice and grows thickly. Lot of nurseries ran out of holly after the severe winter 3 years ago, cause they had the plants in small pots, and the frost got into the roots and killed them. 2 euro posts probably only the "pencil" posts, and a false economy in my view. Thorn quicks are very slow to grow, and the wind will whistle through them!

J.O. Farmer

Sheep wire will be the most straight forward wire to put up that will be safe for the kids. Barbed wire is easy to put up and stretch once you wear gloves but the kids could get scrapes and cuts. Depending on how adventurous they are you might want a strand on top to deter them from climbing on the sheep wire.
You want to get fairly thick posts and I would say round €3-3.50 for those.
If you want the hedge for shelter you will want an evergreen hedge. How about laurel hedging. It's easy grown and grows into a good thick hedge. It's pretty hardy too.

Lemlin

J.O. Farmer wrote: »

Sheep wire will be the most straight forward wire to put up that will be safe for the kids. Barbed wire is easy to put up and stretch once you wear gloves but the kids could get scrapes and cuts. Depending on how adventurous they are you might want a strand on top to deter them from climbing on the sheep wire.
You want to get fairly thick posts and I would say round €3-3.50 for those.
If you want the hedge for shelter you will want an evergreen hedge. How about laurel hedging. It's easy grown and grows into a good thick hedge. It's pretty hardy too.

Thanks for the info. If fencing comes in 100 metre rolls, then 300 metres should do my job. So if I'm putting a post every 4 metres, I'll need 75 posts.

So my cost is looking like:

3 rolls of 100 metre high tensile sheep wire at 125e a roll - 375e.
75 posts at we'll say 3.50 a roll - 262.50e.

There's no need for barbed wire. Wouldn't be safe for the kids and I don't think the dogs will try to get out once the fence is there.

My aim is just to get the fence up now and the hedge will come at a later date. The fence is the most important thing at the minute.

The laurel sounds good alright because I live in quite a wet area and I've heard it'll thrive in that. I want something thick as well. Only 100 metres of the area I'm fencing needs a hedge anyway. The rest is along a ditch that is already there.

paddysdream

Lemlin wrote: »

Thanks for the info. If fencing comes in 100 metre rolls, then 300 metres should do my job. So if I'm putting a post every 4 metres, I'll need 75 posts.

So my cost is looking like:

3 rolls of 100 metre high tensile sheep wire at 125e a roll - 375e.
75 posts at we'll say 3.50 a roll - 262.50e.

There's no need for barbed wire. Wouldn't be safe for the kids and I don't think the dogs will try to get out once the fence is there.

My aim is just to get the fence up now and the hedge will come at a later date. The fence is the most important thing at the minute.

The laurel sounds good alright because I live in quite a wet area and I've heard it'll thrive in that. I want something thick as well. Only 100 metres of the area I'm fencing needs a hedge anyway. The rest is along a ditch that is already there.

Price wise its about the following;

3 rolls ht sheepwire at 95 plus vat or so(about 115 or so inc. for tornado gripple on a docket in front of me as I type) 350 euro

Stake at 5 metre or so intervals at ?6 euro for cresoted 6ft. 4 inch using 60 stakes (inc. props);360 euro

7no. 8ft. strainers at 18 euro or 2 8ft. strainers for ends and 7 ft. turning posts for middle;140 euro.

1 roll ht plain for top(don't use barbed around site or kids ,not necessary and dangerous) 45 euro(2 if using one strand on bottom)

5kg barbed staples; 15 euro

Whats that ? 900 euro or so for materials.

Thats the cheap part if you decide to erect it with shovel sledge and pick.Really need a post driver

Zr105

If its for a garden i definitely wouldn't be going with any type of thorn... There a sore enough bugger when ya have to fence around them in the field. Wouldn't exactly be jumping to put them where kids will be playing.

The laurel or similar would be a good choice alright

The_Pretender

Another vote for laurel. Ours is about 11/12 foot high, that's with yearly trimming pf the top and sides. Was planted maybe 13 years ago-ish give or take a year. Absolutely nothing phases it.

To be honest as it's for a garden, if you're looking for a decorative sort of hedge you'd probably be better posting the hedge part of the question in the Gardening forum and I'd say you'd get a wider variety of answers.

Also, if ye have much of an interest in gardening, now would be a good time to plant in a few blackberry bushes or blackthorn (sloes) in one part of the garden.

TomOnBoard

Forget the wire and stakes in your case.

Plant an intermix of Beech, Hazel, Ash and Whitethorn. 1 plant every foot:

Beech is green in Summer and retains it leaves over the Winter so maintains the screen (albeit Brown)

Hazel is EXTREMELY fast growing and will grow tall, pliable poles that you will use in later steps..

Ash grows fast and tall and will give your hedge vertical character. Every 5-7 years, coppicing will produce firewood.

Whitethorn provides low-down bushy growth that quickly provide a stock-proof boundary. Regardless of your current situation, you would be most unwise to install a stock-proof boundary.

Oh, and finally, put in an Oak tree every metre or so. Cut them out to thin while you are alive, and your heirs or theirs will honour you in centuries to come..

And the LATER STEPS: In 5 years time, start to Lay your hedge... See Google for info..

Lemlin

Local builders providers has creosoted 3 to 4 inch posts at 4.39e plus VAT which is 5.28e. Would those be decent looking for the front of a house folks?

Muckit

Are you putting wire up also or is it post ans rail.

I personally wouldn't like a wire fence as a boundary fence along the front of my house. Then again, you may be working to a budget. Is it to be permanent or a temporary arrangement?

Lemlin

Muckit wrote: »

Are you putting wire up also or is it post ans rail.

I personally wouldn't like a wire fence as a boundary fence along the front of my house. Then again, you may be working to a budget. Is it to be permanent or a temporary arrangement?

It's temporary until the hedge has grown.