best spacing for T posts for garden fence

rxkeith · May 20, 2021

i just spent a chunk of change at the local tractor supply for fencing supplies for
a new garden patch. call it the wife garden. no one has eight foot posts, so i had
to go with six foot posts to which i plan on attaching eight ft rough cut 2 x 2s to
create an eight foot high fence to keep the deer out of the garden. red brand
fencing will go on the botom, and lighter weight chicken wire will go on top.
i am sure there is optimum spacing for the T posts, but i am not sure what it is.
does anyone know?

keith

D.J. Wolf · May 20, 2021

Standard spacing for line fence is 16.5' (1 rod). That said, if you are fencing for deer, I would halve that, go 8' between posts. Also Keith, I know from experience that while deer 'normally" jump a fence, if it's too high to jump they will go under/between strands of barb wire spaced at 1' spacings

CrazyAboutOrchids · May 25, 2021

We fenced for deer here or I'd have nothing for us! We had done our own, but then over the years, storms, snow, animals and just deterioration took it's tole. We had a company come in a few years back and install posts into real footings. My garden is 24 x 32 and we spaced 8' on the long sides. The back is spaced less and the front has the door so spaced even closer.

We lined with a deer fencing which has something like 1" openings, but if I had my time back, I would spend the money and line with hardware cloth - at least the bottom few feet. It's heavier duty to withstand more weather issues and would deter the chipmunks. They don't seem to care to climb - they prefer to tunnel or slip through the deer fencing. They are destructive to tomatoes! If the weather is dry and they are looking for moisture and one has gotten from them in the past, they seem to teach their friends. Trouble is, they bite one here, one there, not really digging in to just one tomato but sampling all they can find. The squirrels will still balance along the top of the fence, climb, etc. but they are not as destructive as chipmunks. The deer fencing has kept deer and groundhogs out of my garden though.

If you have not started, I would also lay out a perimeter deterrent down in the ground to at least block off the lazier of those that tunnel. I did it for our chicken coop and is another thing i wish I had done for the garden. Next time!

Post pics when you get it all done!

Gardeneer · May 30, 2021

Eight ft round treated posts. Sold in lowes, hd, tsc..

May 20, 2021	#1
rxkeith Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Back in da U.P. Posts: 1,840	best spacing for T posts for garden fence i just spent a chunk of change at the local tractor supply for fencing supplies for a new garden patch. call it the wife garden. no one has eight foot posts, so i had to go with six foot posts to which i plan on attaching eight ft rough cut 2 x 2s to create an eight foot high fence to keep the deer out of the garden. red brand fencing will go on the botom, and lighter weight chicken wire will go on top. i am sure there is optimum spacing for the T posts, but i am not sure what it is. does anyone know? keith __________________ don't abort. we'll adopt.

May 20, 2021	#2
D.J. Wolf Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2021 Location: Illinois Posts: 199	Standard spacing for line fence is 16.5' (1 rod). That said, if you are fencing for deer, I would halve that, go 8' between posts. Also Keith, I know from experience that while deer 'normally" jump a fence, if it's too high to jump they will go under/between strands of barb wire spaced at 1' spacings __________________ Kevin (aka the DJ)

May 30, 2021	#4
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,915	Eight ft round treated posts. Sold in lowes, hd, tsc.. __________________ Gardeneer Happy Gardening !

May 25, 2021	#3
CrazyAboutOrchids Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Zone 6 - CT Posts: 151	We fenced for deer here or I'd have nothing for us! We had done our own, but then over the years, storms, snow, animals and just deterioration took it's tole. We had a company come in a few years back and install posts into real footings. My garden is 24 x 32 and we spaced 8' on the long sides. The back is spaced less and the front has the door so spaced even closer. We lined with a deer fencing which has something like 1" openings, but if I had my time back, I would spend the money and line with hardware cloth - at least the bottom few feet. It's heavier duty to withstand more weather issues and would deter the chipmunks. They don't seem to care to climb - they prefer to tunnel or slip through the deer fencing. They are destructive to tomatoes! If the weather is dry and they are looking for moisture and one has gotten from them in the past, they seem to teach their friends. Trouble is, they bite one here, one there, not really digging in to just one tomato but sampling all they can find. The squirrels will still balance along the top of the fence, climb, etc. but they are not as destructive as chipmunks. The deer fencing has kept deer and groundhogs out of my garden though. If you have not started, I would also lay out a perimeter deterrent down in the ground to at least block off the lazier of those that tunnel. I did it for our chicken coop and is another thing i wish I had done for the garden. Next time! Post pics when you get it all done!