Box Garden Squirrel-Proof Cover

Last year’s gardening experience was quite rewarding…except for the rampant theft of my tomatoes by the squirrels.  This year, I vowed it would be different.  I had an idea of what I wanted to create and I knew I wanted to keep the cost low.  PVC and plastic was my first thought, but ultimately I just went with wood and chicken wire.  It turned out sturdy and light-weight so I could easily move it if necessary.  I’m hoping I made the Fort Knox of tomato plant protection.  Time will tell and I’ll keep you posted.

For the project, I used a jigsaw, drill, staple gun, chicken wire, light-weight boards, screws and Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.  The Pale Ale obviously being mandatory for any construction project.

I bought eight 1x2x8 furring strips.  They were $.75 each.  I also used 24" by 24' poultry wire.  It was the most expensive part of the project at $12 a roll.

I just started building and drinking.  I made the top first.  I attached the wire netting together at the top by wrapping the wires together.  Squirrels are clever.  People have to be cleverer.

I obviously built the structure larger than the box garden to give the tomatoes plants room to grow.  BTW, I've named the plants Kristy McNichol and Matt Dillion.  I put furring strips in the middle to staple where the two strips of wire netting met.  

I left one side open.  I made sure I could lean all the way in to pick the beautiful tomatoes that will grow, untouched my squirrel hands.  

I had a left-over 2x4 from when I built my box gardens last year.  I used this to create a "door."  I needed something heavier than the furring strips to keep the door secured.  I stapled the wire to the two boards.

I placed to nails in the furring strip on the top to hold my "door" in place.  I secured the sides by bending the chicken wire ends.  the "door" is secure, yet easy to remove to pick the fully ripe, beautifully red and perfect-tasting tomatoes later in the season.