[pairofacres]

I'm just about to start putting up a rabbit fence around my plot and was wondering what people's opinions were on the best way to tackle the base of the fence?

My neighbour has dug a trench and taken the wire 12+ inches vertically down. Much as I hate to show all his hard work up as wrong, I don't think this is the best approach, as the rabbits will still dig downwards around the perimeter.

I'm thinking that either a) going down 6 inches, then out 6 inches, or b) going down just below the surface, then laying the wire out horizontally for about a foot may be better ideas, as it'll stop the rabbits digging sooner?

[John Wilkinson]

I think you could do the fence either way.....a rabbit would have to be pretty determined to dig down more than 12 inches although I must admit I would dig down half that amount and then run the fence out horizontally. It is a bit of a palaver but it will keep them out. Incidentally, most of the fences on my allotment seem to be just pegged down at ground level.

I certainly have not had any problems yet and we do have a thriving rabbit population!

[daisy1990]

we had rabbit proof fencing put around our patch 12 years ago and haven't had a single rabbit break in since.  It goes straight down for a foot then curves upwards back towards the surface for 6 inches (so if rabbits hit the first bit and think they are in they are put off by hitting the second bit presumably!) I suppose rabbits can easily dig down more than 12 inches so guess the deterrent factor is what matters (as I see lots in my neighbour's garden)

[Spana]

We just put in on the ground, out from the fence about18inches  and let the grass grow through it. 
We did have rabbits still getting in and i couldn't make out how as there was no digging under.  Then one day i caught a rabbit in the garden and watched to see where it went out.  It went straight up the wire and over the top.  So we put a big overhang on the outside at the top held up on brackets.  That stopped them.  Never had a rabbit in there again in about 8years.