Hardware cloth liner for raised beds
I’ve complained about moles so much that my four-year-old son thinks the official name for a mole is “dangmole.” “Look, it’s a dangmole hole!” We’ve had problems with moles in this yard forever, so I’m not sure why it didn’t occur to me to do some basic mole prevention when we built these raised beds a few years ago. Sure enough, I’ve been battling moles in the raised beds. They come up from the bottom and absolutely destroyed my beet crop last year, among other annoying problems. There are a couple of beds that are particularly mole infested, so I decided to dig them out (with some help from Derek) and line them with hardware cloth. Hopefully this will slow the little suckers down this year.
Lettuce, spinach, and shallots in the greenhouse
Inside the greenhouse, the lettuce, spinach, and shallots I planted on February 14 are all doing well. Everything in the picture above was direct sown and is now up and looking perky, except the carrots which are slower going than the spinach, lettuce, and shallots.
Alpine strawberry patch
Outside, I’ve been dividing and creating new patches of alpine strawberries. These small but tasty strawberries produce fruit for months. The kids love walking around the yard and searching the many patches of alpine strawberries for fruit. Aside from being nice edible plants, these strawberries make good groundcovers.
The 10 Year Challenge 
Dang Moles! Hardware cloth does seem to do the trick but it sure is a pain in the patooty to have to go to that trouble.
Everything is looking great in your greenhouse plantings! Your spinach will be ready in no time at all for harvesting.
Hardware cloth is a great choice and should last a long time. Did you use 1/2″x1/2″ or 1/4″x1/4″?
Hardware cloth is a great choice and should last a long time. Did you use 1/2″x1/2″ or 1/4″x1/4″, galvanized or vinyl coated?
Hello Duncan, looks like you are a hardware cloth expert. I think it was 1/2″ galvanzied. I hope the holes are small enough to keep the moles out.
Yes, it was 1/2″ galvenized hardware cloth. I’d like to do the same to the raised beds in the greenhouse as well in the off-season as the moles have tunneled through 8″ of crushed rock and gravel…
Don’t worry, I’ll dig. 🙂
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