If you see the picture you will realize the said fence is sitting on a mounds of mud that is taken from the trench that i dug, trench is 6 ft wide with 6ft depth, this itself is sufficient to keep most of the cattles and humans too. But there are always smart and athletic cattle that can cross this too. Bamboo is around 3ft on the mud mound.
Very true, this is a planned activity, i have various things planned for this. This bamboo placed along the fence is also to protect the gliricidia plant that was getting eaten by monkeys apart from shielding from cattle. The trench side was also planted with some stumps that are growing very nicely.
Now, there are multiple layers, first the trench, then the stumps that are established themselves, bamboo for another level of protection and now i have planted casurina plants every 3 ft, this is placed on the innerside of the mud mounds. Next, around next monsoon i am planning to have some things like Bouganvilla, Karunda, Lantana and Mehandi plants planted to cover the open area on the border.
Believe me i have not spent much on these, here is approx price to give you rough idea.
- stumps were planted with 20 man days,
- Gliricedia/Acacia were generated from seeds.
- Bamboo on the bunds were placed with 12 man days.
- Casurica plants were bought from forest nursary @ 1.50 per plant and planting + supporting poles costed my around Rs 5 per plant.
Trench was very expensive, but it also acts like rain water harvesting.