I have a small house rabbit, and he can easily jump over a 2-1/2 foot fence, so I'd think you would want to go 4 feet high. They can squeeze through very small spaces too, so many people add poultry wire to the bottoms of the fences, about 2' high.

EG has a beautiful setup in his garden. You could do the same, only add poultry wire to the bottoms of the frames. The pictures are at

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/sqfoot/msg0814340323042.html?58

Granny

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden

that defeats my purpose. I am trying to get away from fencing. If I have to fence around each box then why go to square foot gardening.

You could do a 4 foot fence around your garden area, then create paths with mulch or gravel around your raised beds. That's what most of us did. But the idea of digging it into the ground to keep those crafty bunnies out.

Good luck and enjoy your garden!

Here is a link that might be useful: Sinfonian's garden adventure

I doubt you would be able to build a bed high enough to keep rabbits out that would be low enough for you to be able to garden. I've seen wild rabbits jump a good 4 feet straight up in the air. My Netherland Dwarf can easily jump up onto my bed.

Granny

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden

You will have the vegies. All you need is the rabbit.

John

{{gwi:1282959}}

Here is a link that might be useful: Johns Journal

do you or your wife cut hair? if you put hair around that garden supposedly the rabbits will stay away. my aunt used to do that all the time and the rabbits would stay away from her garden, but would get everything that wasnt near the hair. she cut hair for a living. also you can go to a beauty shop/barber shop and ask for the hair. and they would more than likely gladly give it to you!! less that they have to throw in the trash!! LOL i throw the hubs and kids in their and i don't have any problems. :') ~Medo

My neighbors in Arizona tried to keep the rabbits out of their yard, as they had planted a bunch of new citrus and palm trees. They heard you could put mothballs out and it would keep the bunnies away, so they scattered them all around their yard. Neighbor said she looked out the window the next morning, and a rabbit was trying to sit on a mothball! So THAT didn't work. At our place we feed the wild rabbits twice a day. They fill up on alfalfa pellets and never eat our plants.

Granny

Here is a link that might be useful: Annie's Kitchen Garden

We have about 10 wild rabbits or so running around here. We have an external fence around the whole garden area, and then the raised beds inside there. I tried leaving the fence off one year and I lost almost the whole garden. I sure ain't going to feed 'em, as they will just multiply. I also don't wanna shoot 'em as I have a 3yr old daughter. You could try a tightly spaced picket fence, 3-4 ft high if you want to avoid metal entirely. Good luck.

Belleville,

Why not do true raised beds? Mine actually have legs under them to keep our dogs out of the garden.

This picture is from earlier in the summer, but it gives you the basic idea. :)

lissa - I love that raised bed. How's it doing for ya?

EG

I just started a thread about exactly that! I've had good luck so far, though. Lots of green beans, radishes, lettuce...stuff that grows okay in the hot summer down here. I'll be sure to keep it updated once I can plant in earnest. September is coming! :)

I appreciate all the suggestions given. I think I will realign my fence and do a combination of traditional gardening and ease into square ft. due to the costs of making the raised beds and the soil I would need to fill those beds. Thanks again

I put a single strand electric fence around my sfg to keep my dogs out. Works wonders.
Stan