Chicken wire can rust away in less then 3 years leaving you unprotected. Gophers will get into your raised beds as soon as they find the chicken wire has rusted away. Use stainless steel or double galvanized “gopher wire” which is made specifically to last in underground applications like lining raised beds, making gopher baskets, etc.
I saw this article on the web today about lining your raised beds with chicken wire. I wanted to let our readers know of the shortcoming of chicken wire or sometimes called aviary wire. It does not have thick enough galvanization to protect it from the oxidative effects of being in moist soil. It can rust away in 2-4 years.
