Basic + Planting Boxes
Overview
The Basic + Planting Boxes raft allows for the protection of an avian guard in addition to camouflage planting. It can also support a mammalian guard. This style raft does take more effort to prepare than the basic raft due to the time involved in preparing the planting boxes.
Base
The base for this raft is 48” x 32” x 4.5”. It has 2.3 layers of foam oyster floats. If planting boxes are expected to be especially heavy, a deeper base (48” x 32” x 6”), which houses three full layers of foam, can be used.
Planting Boxes
The planting boxes measure 48” x 6” x 6”. They are made from a u-shaped piece of trap wire with two 6” x 6” end caps that are attached with stainless steel hog rings.. The planting boxes are lined with plastic mesh, and two sturdy layers of landscape fabric. In our first season, planting boxes with no mesh performed just fine, but we will continue to use it to promote longevity. The landscape cloth can be wrapped around the outside of the boxes to cover the cagey appearance of the trap wire if desired.
The planting boxes rest on eco composite beams threaded through the base. The height can be adjusted, and we have found it best to submerge the bottom inch or so as this provides a healthy wicking of water throughout the season.
