Yep, I did it all wrong the first 2 years myself. Then last year I did it right but had no rain. This year it has finally come together. We' ve had above average rainfall and the plots are growing like gangbusters. On the fencing, I wouldn' t even bother unless you go 10 feet high. Even a 6 foot fence will only keep them out for a few days and then they' ll go over it like it wasn' t even there. Good luck on the plots. Keep us posted on how they' re going.