How to Protect Your Strawberries Using Rebar Frames

Strawberries are a nutritious treat that home gardeners can grow. Most strawberries bloom and fruiting time depends on the length of day not the temperature. While strawberries (Fragaria x ananassa) are hardy throughout the continental United States, they can still benefit from being grown in hoop tunnels to protect them from predators such as deer and squirrels. Commonly grown in raised beds to control their spread because they spread via runners, you can adapt your raised bed to protect your strawberries from predators.

Rebar
Pipe bender
Electrical conduit tie-downs
Screws
Drill with Phillips-head bit
Metal mesh
Zip ties
Tin snips

Instructions

- 1
  Bend the rebar into a hoop using the pipe bender. Start in the center and work towards the edges bending the rebar a small amount each time. Leave the ends straight so that they can be attached to the raised bed more easily.
- 2
  Push each side of the bent rebar into the earth on either side of your strawberries. Place a rebar hoop every 2 feet over your raised bed in the outline of a tunnel. For additional security, strap the rebar to the sides of the raised bed with electrical conduit tie-downs. Screw the tie-downs into the wood of the raised bed.
- 3
  Attach a roll of wire mesh to one end of the tunnel using zip ties. Unroll the wire mesh along the base of the rebar tunnel attaching it to each rebar hoop with zip ties.
- 4
  Extend the mesh across one mouth of the tunnel, across the second side of the tunnel and then back over the second mouth. Cut through the mesh and secure it to the rebar.
- 5
  Continue to cover the hoop with the wire mesh until there is no entry to herbivores.

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