Biodiversity Challenge #1

Everyone thinks deer are harmless, benign, beautiful, elegant forest creatures until they start a garden at the forest's edge. That's when it becomes clear that deer are the Great White Sharks of the plant world.

Just like you would never keep baby seals in open water off the coast of South Africa, you will never want to expose the tender buds of a grape vine to the insatiable maw of white tail deer between the ground and about 5.5 feet up.

To live with the deer you need an excellent and tall fence, or you need to train your grapes to a high wire and protect the shoots until they reach it.

Here's my strategy for urgent protection for vines I think will reach the top wire this season.

In past years I used layered fencing to discourage the deer, and with success. I need to purchase more fencing to do that since I added a few rows to the vineyard last year.