Hedges are a practical and environmentally friendly boundary option for your garden, which offer aesthetic benefits as well as a safe habitat for wildlife. However, natural boundaries such as hedges are not always completely secure. Young hedges can take a long time to mature, and established hedges will often have gaps particularly towards the bottom which can allow unwanted animals in, or provide an opportunity for pets to escape!
Traditional fencing solutions may not be the best option for securing a hedge, as they may obscure the natural look of the boundary, or it may be difficult to install rigid fencing up against the uneven hedge. Therefore, securing a hedge with Chicken Wire is often a great way to provide additional peace of mind that your boundary is safe.
What is Chicken Wire ?
Chicken Wire netting, or poultry netting, is a light-weight and flexible wire mesh with hexagonal shaped holes. It is a cost effective fencing option with lots of uses, including boundary fencing, vegetable protection, bird proofing, rabbit proofing. For more information on Chicken Wire and its uses, see our guide on What is Chicken Wire used for?
The flexibility of Chicken Wire makes it the perfect wire mesh to secure a hedge, as the mesh moulds to the uneven shape of the hedge, providing unobtrusive protection.
Why do I need to secure my hedge?
Hedges can be made up of a various different plants such as hawthorn, holly, ivy, yew, laurel, or a combination of the above, and they may also contain remnants of old fencing which has deteriorated over the years. This can lead to gaps or holes in the hedge boundary, allowing either unwanted visitors such as cats to wander through the hedge, or allow Houdini pets to escape!
How to secure a hedge with Chicken Wire
Step 1: Trim back the hedge
If your hedge is overgrown, it may be a good idea to trim the hedge back to give you better access to the boundary line. Before cutting the hedge back, it's important to check for any bird nests to avoid disturbing the wildlife. For tips on how to prune hedges see the following guide on the RHS website.
Step 2: What materials and tools do I need?
- Roll of chicken wire netting, either galvanized netting or stainless steel netting for additional longevity.
- Protective gloves.
- Hog ring plier and clips (if you have existing fencing or wire within the hedge).
- Cable ties or tie wire.
- Drive-in metal posts.
- Mallet or post basher.
- Wire cutters.
- Heavy-duty ground pegs.
Step 3: Fix the wire netting to the hedge
It will be easier to install your wire netting if you keep it rolled up, and then fix the netting to your hedge as you unroll it along the perimeter. This gives you more control and makes installation simpler than trying to unroll the netting along the ground and lift the mesh to the hedge. For tips on how to remove the wire netting from its packaging, see our What is Chicken Wire Used For? guide.
Secure the start of your chicken wire netting to a suitable starting point on your hedge. To do this you can either use cable ties to fix the netting onto strong, well-placed branches, or you can use the hog ring plier to fix the netting onto any existing wire fencing or line wire which may be located within the hedge. If there is not a suitable anchor point, then install a drive-in post using your mallet or post-driver, and then fix the wire netting to the post using cable ties or tie wire.
Once you have secured the start of the wire netting to an anchor point, you can unroll the netting along the hedge. The flexibility of the wire netting should allow the fencing to mould to the uneven shape of your hedge. Approximately every 30cm (1ft), use your fixings to secure the wire netting to appropriate fixing points such as branches, or install more drive-in posts if it's not possible to fix the netting directly onto the hedge branches.
Continue along the hedge until you reach the end of your run. At this point you can simply use your wire cutters to cut off the remainder of the roll. You can then start the process again on any other hedges you wish to secure.
What should I do to prevent pets or animals from digging or pushing under the wire netting?
A great way to deter your pets or other animals from pushing underneath the wire netting is to use heavy duty ground pegs. The pegs will secure the netting into the ground, simply push the pegs into place using a few pegs per metre.
If you are concerned that your pet may try to dig under the netting, you can bury part of the mesh into the ground. We would suggest bending the bottom of the netting to create an "L" shape before burying. This will create a little shelf which a burrowing animal (such as rabbits, or a pet dog) will hit when digging down. If burying the mesh is too difficult, you can simply bend the bottom of the netting into an "L" shape before using the ground pegs to secure the netting to the ground surface. This will still create a shelf-like barrier to deter digging.
For more information on how to keep out rabbits, see our guide on How to Deter Rabbits and Keep Them Out of Your Garden. Our Knowledge Hub also has useful information on How to keep cats out of your garden, and How to deter foxes and keep them out of your garden.
Tidying up
Once you have secured your netting to your hedge, it is a good idea to walk the perimeter to spot any sections which require some tidying up. You can use additional cable ties or line wire to fix sections more securely to the contours of the hedge, you can tuck in any wayward branches to neaten up the boundary, and you can ensure that there are no gaps at the bottom of the hedge. Once this process has been done, you can leave the hedge to establish itself safe in the knowledge that you have secured the perimeter.
George's Jungle Garden, wire netting installation video
To see a video on how to successfully secure your hedge with wire netting, then take a look at George's installation at the following link George's Jungle Garden, Hedge Wire Netting Installation Video.
George has a passion for exotic gardening and growing plants through the UK seasons in his Jungle Garden located in North Lincolnshire. George has put our stainless steel wire netting to great use in dog proofing his hedge boundary, and was kind enough to put together a fantastic video showing the different stages of the installation.
FAQs
What is the best mesh to secure a hedge?
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How do I fix chicken wire netting to a hedge?
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How to stop dogs from pushing under chicken wire netting.
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Whatever your needs, at Mesh Direct we can provide you with the right wire mesh, from animal enclosures like dog runs, catios and chicken coops, to pest proofing including insect mesh, fox proofing, rodent proofing. If you need any help with your project, don't hesitate to get in touch with our friendly and experienced team.
Why trust Mesh Direct?
Mesh Direct is a family-run UK specialist established in 1952, with decades of hands-on experience supplying wire mesh, wire netting, and fencing solutions. Our guidance is shaped by real-world use across domestic, trade, and industrial projects, helping customers choose materials that are fit for purpose and correctly specified.
As members of the British Stainless Steel Association and recipients of the Feefo Platinum Trusted Service Award, we provide transparent, expert guidance you can rely on. If you are unsure which mesh is right for your project, our team can offer practical, application-led advice. Contact us for guidance.
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About the author...
Dan is the owner and Managing Director at Mesh Direct, and has extensive knowledge of the mesh industry having advised on mesh and fencing products for over 15 years.
After graduating from Cambridge University in 2003, Dan went on to become a corporate lawyer specialising in commercial litigation at an international law firm. In 2010, Dan joined Mesh Direct, the e-commerce division of his family business originally established in 1952 as a corn, seed and animal housing supplier. Dan’s key areas of expertise include product technical advice, product sourcing, logistics, and B2B / B2C e-commerce.
Dan Hancock, Managing Director
Mesh Direct | LinkedIn
About the author...
Dan is the owner and Managing Director at Mesh Direct, and has extensive knowledge of the mesh industry having advised on mesh and fencing products for over 15 years.
After graduating from Cambridge University in 2003, Dan went on to become a corporate lawyer specialising in commercial litigation at an international law firm. In 2010, Dan joined Mesh Direct, the e-commerce division of his family business originally established in 1952 as a corn, seed and animal housing supplier. Dan’s key areas of expertise include product technical advice, product sourcing, logistics, and B2B / B2C e-commerce.
