Corners are like open invitations, aren’t they? I’ve seen folks pour concrete footers just for the corners, dig down a foot or more and bend the wire outwards. Overkill maybe, but honestly, it slows down even the most determined raccoon. Wood chips are a good call—easier to spot their handiwork before it gets out of hand.
Funny you mention corners—last year, I thought I’d outsmart the local critters by just doubling up the mesh and staking it deep at the corners. Figured that’d do the trick. Turns out, a determined possum will still find the one spot I missed and squeeze right through. I ended up pouring a mini concrete pad in that corner after all. Not pretty, but it’s held up so far. Wood chips are great for spotting fresh digs, but man, they sure attract mushrooms in the spring... tradeoffs everywhere.
I get the appeal of concrete in the corners, but I’ve always found it’s a bit of a pain if you ever want to move or redo the fence later. Once that pad’s in, you’re pretty much committed unless you want to break out the sledgehammer. I’ve had better luck using heavy gauge hardware cloth, bent into an L-shape and buried horizontally out from the fence base—kind of like a skirt. It stops diggers without needing to pour anything, and it’s easier to patch if something finds a weak spot.
About those wood chips—yeah, mushrooms everywhere in spring. I started mixing in some gravel around the perimeter instead, just in the high-traffic spots. Doesn’t look as nice, but it cuts down on both mushrooms and burrowing. Not perfect, but fewer surprises when I walk out after a rainstorm...
Concrete is definitely the “forever” option—unless you enjoy a little demolition workout now and then. The hardware cloth skirt trick is clever, though I’ve seen some especially determined raccoons treat it like a puzzle box. For me, I compromise with gravel and a few pavers in key spots—keeps things flexible when the fence inevitably needs “just a little adjustment” (which, let’s be real, always happens). Mushrooms are like uninvited party guests... show up as soon as you turn your back. Gravel isn’t pretty, but at least it doesn’t sprout anything weird overnight.
Concrete is a beast—once it’s in, you’re basically married to it. I learned that the hard way when I tried to move an old chain-link post that had been set in what felt like half a ton of the stuff. Ended up renting a jackhammer, which was a whole adventure in itself (and not one I’d sign up for again).
I get what you mean about gravel not being the prettiest. But honestly, after digging out some fence lines where the previous owner just let weeds and mushrooms have their way, I’ll take ugly over fungal any day. At least with gravel you can rake it back into place or pull up a paver if you need to shift something. Flexibility wins out for me, especially since nothing ever seems to stay put for long—tree roots, frost heave, or just my own indecision about where the fence should actually go.
Raccoons though... those little bandits are relentless. I tried hardware cloth too, but they just found another way around. One even figured out how to lift the latch on my gate—felt like I was living in some weird raccoon escape room.
Curious if anyone’s had luck with those “no-dig” fence posts? The ones with the big screw base you twist into the ground? I see them at the big box stores but haven’t tried them yet. Wondering if they hold up or if they’re just another thing that’ll end up crooked after a season or two.