| I think that the answer is "it depends". I've never had a problem with small animals such as mice, chipmunks, squirrels, etc. going after the grape plants but deer are a different story. If you have a lot of deer in your neighborhood, they'll eat almost anything in early spring and late fall including grape vines. They prefer other foods though - like hostas, crocus, tulips, etc. - so if you have these growing without trouble you might be ok. Grapes will definitely climb that fence and cover it in a couple of years if the soil nutrients are okand it's a southern exposure. The damage that you'd get would be from animals browsing on the other side of the fence and it's tough to tell how much would be major until you know how many of the critters are in your area. Also, if you have a lot of deer, a 55" fence is not going to bother them at all ... they'll clear a 6 foot fence easily if the food looks good. |
