An enjoyable garden is even more so when protected from animals who want to make it their personal feast! Luckily, there are numerous strategies that can protect your crops without resorting to harmful pesticides.
Plant repellent plants like barberry shrubs, winter holly, coral bells and summer lilac that deer find repellent. Visual deterrents such as scarecrows or shiny objects may also help.
Deer
Deer can quickly destroy a vegetable garden when they raid it for food, especially in rural areas. Unfortunately, this is an ongoing challenge for gardeners but there are strategies available to them to protect their plants.
Physical barriers are usually the best way to keep deer and other animals at bay, such as fences, netting or plastic covers for your plants. You could also plant deer-repelling flowers such as cleome, verbena bonarensis and lavender around your vegetables or at the center of your plot to deter their attention – which should send deer and other hungry wildlife elsewhere.
If you opt for fencing, make it tall and secure. At least four or five feet high and one foot deep should suffice to deter burrowing animals like groundhogs from burrowing under. Angle the top so deer cannot jump over easily. To increase security further, put a second fence layer about five feet inside the first one using chicken wire, boxwire or any less expensive material; this inner layer could save money while still offering adequate security.
Chemical repellents that smell foul to animals may be effective, though not for every species. Some have reported success using products containing coyote urine; other have not seen results. It’s best to try various repellents in your area or on specific plants until you find something suitable.
Other repellents containing capsaicin, the compound found in hot peppers that makes them spicy-tasting, are extremely effective against most forms of deer and other herbivorous animals. Spraying your leaves and stems with this chemical will deter deer and other herbivorous animals from damaging your crops; certain repellents even make edible plants safe to apply without worrying about damaging crops; just remember to apply consistently and frequently if they’re to be successful!
Rabbits
Rabbits may seem cute with their big ears, soft fur and bunny hops; but these voracious nibblers can wreak havoc in a vegetable garden. Their voracious appetite means they enjoy nibbling away at any tender leafy plants they come across; lettuce, beans and broccoli tend to be particularly appealing; plus gazanias, marigolds and pansies love being devoured! One way to keep rabbits out is erecting fences around your beds that extend underground by about an inch or two for gophers or woodchucks to access.
Repellents can also be purchased at most home and garden centers; just take caution when spraying these products near edible plants, as most repellents aren’t meant for consumption. When applying repellents near vegetables, be careful as many contain strong odors designed to deter animals but they can have unpleasant flavors for humans as well. Irish Spring soap contains an odor which rabbits dislike; you can either cut up bars and sprinkle flakes onto vegetable beds or hang whole bars around your garden to deter pests.
Other effective deterrents for rabbits include onions and dill. Our Greenhouse team members may also place jars of white vinegar around their garden to deter rabbits and other foraging animals; its pungent odor should deter rabbits but won’t work against birds that peck holes into fruit or steal ripening berries. Alternatively, try burying chicken wire under your plants to prevent rabbits from digging under it to reach your crops.
Squirrels
Squirrels may seem harmless enough, but their destructive tendencies often manifest as raiding vegetable gardens, digging up bulbs or eating fruits from trees in your yard, nibbling flowers and depriving young plants of moisture – even chewing up bark on fruit trees! Gardeners usually notice squirrels by finding half-eaten daisies gnawed by teeth marks left from digging or leaving holes dug in the ground – telltale signs.
Similar to deer and rabbits, squirrels tend to be most active between spring and fall and tend to linger near areas they’ve recently fed on. Recognizing which species you are dealing with is key for effective deterrents – specifically targeting repellents on each animal will generally prove more successful than general spraying applications. Furthermore, it’s wise to act at the first signs of damage as animals become used to being disturbed quickly, becoming even more resistant over time.
Physical barriers are an effective way of keeping squirrels at bay. Metal mesh cloches are great at protecting young vegetables such as leafy greens. Chicken wire fences will keep squirrels out, as will metal bands or aluminum flashing wraps on tree trunks that help prevent chewing by squirrels. Many gardeners employ such tactics in protecting individual plants or whole beds of produce from squirrels.
Natural deterrents like soap and garlic spray are effective natural deterrents for garden pests that don’t pose too many safety issues, like chemical formulas that shouldn’t be used around pets or children. Ultrasonic repellents may also work, especially when combined with physical barriers.
Birds
Birds can be an ever-present threat in vegetable gardens. Their constant feeding leads to damaged fruit and stems as well as costly nest building in greenhouses and barn roofs – not to mention costly repair bills! But there are ways you can protect your vegetables without resorting to chemical repellents!
Create barriers using tall grass, bushes, trees and annual flowers such as calendulas, nemophilas, cornflowers and field poppies around your vegetable patch to deter wildlife from entering it freely. Also plant annuals that resemble annual flowers in order to confuse pests like pigeons which tend to devour cabbages and other members of the brassica family like peppers.
Covering your garden with floating row covers, hardware cloth or even affordable yards of fabric store tulle can help deter unwanted visitors and extend the growing season by protecting vegetables from animals, insects and harsh weather conditions. When selecting netting options make sure they’re UV resistant varieties to protect against sun exposure as well as having mesh sizes and qualities that prevent birds from getting caught in it.
Motion-activated scare devices like toy owls, rubber snakes and reflective Mylar balloons filled with peppermint or citronella-scented gel will send birds fleeing your garden. Be sure to move these objects frequently to keep birds from becoming used to their presence. Scented sprays and oils that imitate predatory smells like those from owls, snakes and foxes may also work; just ensure the ones chosen are organic, nontoxic and suitable for birds, beneficial insects and pets!
Moles
Molehills can be the telltale sign of a mole problem in any vegetable garden. Moles are solitary animals that inhabit low to alpine areas of cultivated ground, gardens and vegetable patches where they feed underground on insects and earthworms – moles being primary insectivores (they eat insects). Their digging also loosens and permeates the soil making it more permeable (similar to what happens with rototillers or hand digging).
Moles may damage roots of vegetables and other plants during tunneling activity; however, voles likely use their tunnels to gain entry to your garden and cause more significant harm.
There are various methods of repelling moles without resorting to killing. One effective approach is identifying where mole activity in your garden is concentrated, then treating those areas with scents or noises they dislike such as dish soap mixed with water or castor oil; another strategy might include using grub control products like nematodes which will eliminate food sources that attract moles so they go elsewhere instead.
Moles can also be deterred by planting mole-deterring plants such as marigolds and daffodils that emit an unpleasant odor that scares them away, along with solar- or battery-operated devices emitting buzzing noises to scare them off. Finally, eliminating shelter for moles by installing fences around your vegetable garden, covering ground with mesh material or burying small stones or woodpiles may help. If these tactics fail, professionals who specialize in trapping or poisoning moles using products safe around children, pets and wildlife may need to be hired in to help.