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Author Topic: Natural Fence  (Read 8167 times)

Offline bwallace23350

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Natural Fence
« on: February 17, 2017, 05:06:12 pm »
I got my 5 strand barb wire fence up. I was thinking of planting a natural fence right beside it to help keep the cows out. I was leaning towards holly bushes because they are evergreen and stick you. But my question is how much do honeybees like them. Surprisingly Google was not that helpful.

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Natural Fence
« Reply #1 on: February 18, 2017, 09:26:20 am »
Wallace,
I don't have holly bushes but is have several species of holly trees and in the spring the bees cover the trees. I can hear the bees on the trees from a long ways off. What is nice is that they bloom on different weeks, not all at the same time.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
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Offline GeezLouise

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Re: Natural Fence
« Reply #2 on: February 18, 2017, 02:06:32 pm »
Holly spines probably won't phase cattle (if that's what you were thinking); they have thick skin. I don't remember if it's poisonous to them.

Also if you'll be in the area in sandals, hand weeding, or mulching with grass clippings from there, you may want to avoid spiny plants.

Says the person who planted about 75 feet of Oregon grape along a fence in a suburban backyard. The Oregon grape did keep humans from climbing over the fence.

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Offline bwallace23350

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Re: Natural Fence
« Reply #3 on: February 18, 2017, 03:34:51 pm »
Holly was a thought but I would really like something that blooms in the July/August time frame. I have more research to do.

Offline bwallace23350

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Re: Natural Fence
« Reply #4 on: February 18, 2017, 07:21:09 pm »
Holly spines probably won't phase cattle (if that's what you were thinking); they have thick skin. I don't remember if it's poisonous to them.

Also if you'll be in the area in sandals, hand weeding, or mulching with grass clippings from there, you may want to avoid spiny plants.

Says the person who planted about 75 feet of Oregon grape along a fence in a suburban backyard. The Oregon grape did keep humans from climbing over the fence.

Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk

Poisonous to the bees or cattle?

Offline GeezLouise

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Re: Natural Fence
« Reply #5 on: February 18, 2017, 07:49:56 pm »
LOL, the cattle.

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Offline bwallace23350

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Re: Natural Fence
« Reply #6 on: February 20, 2017, 11:50:56 am »
I have gave up on the actual natural fence idea and instead am just going to plant random herbs, lavender plants, butterfly bushes, lantana, and other such plants sporadically along the fence row.

Online Acebird

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Re: Natural Fence
« Reply #7 on: February 21, 2017, 08:45:56 am »
Just curious, what is the fence for?
Brian Cardinal
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Offline bwallace23350

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Re: Natural Fence
« Reply #8 on: February 21, 2017, 11:13:57 am »
Just curious, what is the fence for?

I put up a 5 wire barb wire fence and expanded my fruit orchard garden. I thought about including a natural fence inside the barb wire to help keep the cows out and also as a way to give my bees something to feed on during a dearth.

Online Acebird

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Re: Natural Fence
« Reply #9 on: February 21, 2017, 08:43:38 pm »
So the fence is to keep the cows out.  Got it.
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Offline herbhome

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Re: Natural Fence
« Reply #10 on: February 21, 2017, 09:31:32 pm »
The pioneers here used wild roses as a natural fence. Bees don't care for it much. Once started they are near impossible to kill out without herbicide. Osage-orange, also known as Bois D'arc, is a good one I think the bees would like.
Neill

Offline bwallace23350

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Re: Natural Fence
« Reply #11 on: February 22, 2017, 02:55:36 pm »
I am thinking that I might just do a variety of herbs and perennial bushes. Target things that bloom in the dearth season.

Offline Nico

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Re: Natural Fence
« Reply #12 on: February 22, 2017, 05:21:37 pm »
Bwallace in Aust. lantana is declared a invasive pest, some species is definitely poisonous to cattle.
Nico

Offline bwallace23350

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Re: Natural Fence
« Reply #13 on: February 23, 2017, 09:41:55 am »
Bwallace in Aust. lantana is declared a invasive pest, some species is definitely poisonous to cattle.
Nico

Thanks. I will skip the lantana because of the poison part. I might stick to lavender then.

Offline Jim134

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Re: Natural Fence
« Reply #14 on: March 19, 2017, 04:08:29 pm »
       I know where I'm located at you need electric fence. Bears !!!!!  :shocked:


                   BEE HAPPY Jim 134.  :smile:
"Tell me and I'll forget,show me and I may  remember,involve me and I'll understand"
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"The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways."
 John F. Kennedy
Franklin County Beekeepers Association MA. http://www.franklinmabeekeepers.org/

Offline bwallace23350

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Re: Natural Fence
« Reply #15 on: March 19, 2017, 08:00:20 pm »
       I know where I'm located at you need electric fence. Bears !!!!!  :shocked:


                   BEE HAPPY Jim 134.  :smile:

Does an electric fence even keep bears out?

Offline herbhome

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Re: Natural Fence
« Reply #16 on: March 19, 2017, 08:04:37 pm »

[/quote]

Does an electric fence even keep bears out?
[/quote]

a good one does
Neill

Offline Dallasbeek

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Re: Natural Fence
« Reply #17 on: March 19, 2017, 08:32:53 pm »
Slows them down, anyway, and makes tem reconsider the plan.
"Liberty lives in the hearts of men and women; when it dies there, no constitution, no laws, no court can save it." - Judge Learned Hand, 1944

Offline Jim134

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Re: Natural Fence
« Reply #18 on: March 19, 2017, 11:04:24 pm »
       When you live in Bear Country and get serious about keeping Bears out. This is something you may do. No bear has gotten in the past 15 years. Of course you need to maintain the grass growing against the fence.
        As you can see this is a chain link fence that is solar electrified





                   BEE HAPPY Jim 134  :smile:
"Tell me and I'll forget,show me and I may  remember,involve me and I'll understand"
        Chinese Proverb

"The farmer is the only man in our economy who buys everything at retail, sells everything at wholesale, and pays the freight both ways."
 John F. Kennedy
Franklin County Beekeepers Association MA. http://www.franklinmabeekeepers.org/

Offline herbhome

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Re: Natural Fence
« Reply #19 on: March 19, 2017, 11:58:06 pm »
Jim 134,

That'll do it!
Neill

 

anything