Deer, rabbits and groundhogs may make entertaining movies, but when real deer, rabbits, groundhogs and other animals start turning your garden into their buffet it can become less than charming. There are various methods available that can help protect the vegetables in your garden from such animals.
Step one of protecting your crops against animals is identifying who’s eating them. Look out for clean snips on herbaceous plants or ragged damage on woody ones; signs of digging such as rabbit burrows and fecal pellet droppings should also indicate activity in your garden.
Fences
A rectangular fence surrounding a vegetable garden acts as a physical barrier that keeps animals out, as well as adding beauty and charm. However, for it to remain effective it must remain in good condition; regular inspections and prompt repairs of any damage can help ensure its purpose for years.
Wire mesh fencing is one of the more cost-effective and versatile options available for protecting a vegetable garden from animals like rabbits, gophers, groundhogs, and squirrels. Additionally, it’s simple and quick to install – providing your vegetables with basic level protection from their surroundings.
For something truly distinct and eye-catching, consider installing a living fence composed of hedges, vine plants or small trees. Not only is such fencing visually stunning but they can also act as natural barriers against common animal invaders; however, its maintenance can be more laborious and costly.
Before installing any kind of fence, it is crucial to conduct research into what kind of animals are threatening your garden. Some of the more commonly targeted animals include deer, rabbits and groundhogs – you can usually identify which animal caused damage by looking at its tracks or droppings; hooved animal tracks leave hoof marks in the soil while herbaceous plants are left with clean cuts by deer hooves while rabbits chew through stems of woody plants to access leaves for consumption; while groundhogs typically leave large mounds of dirt at their entrance while eating greens or fruit as they graze in search of sustenance from food sources such as plants that give shelter from predators causing problems before installing fencing – especially if the type of fencing solution is going to work!
Plant coverings are an effective way of safeguarding vegetables against animal damage, but they may not provide enough protection from groundhogs and other burrowing animals. If this is the case for you, an underground fence 10 inches or deeper needs to be installed – chicken wire, hardware cloth or rabbit fencing all work great buried below ground.
Plant Coverings
Covering your garden can help extend your gardening season or protect it from insects and animals by protecting plants from harsh weather conditions, providing ideal growing conditions for vegetables while helping prevent frost, weeds and early harvest. Covers can be made of various materials including shade cloth, cloches, row covers or plastic. Pins (commonly referred to as landscaping pins) should be used to secure these covers so they won’t sink beneath snowfall or fly away with the wind.
Attractive plants to animals vary considerably, which is why it’s wise to protect those most appealing by fencing them off from your garden. This is especially important with seedlings which need protecting until they can fend for themselves.
Rabbits and groundhogs can easily chew through fence wire and devour young plants, so adding chicken wire or hardware cloth at the base of your fence is an effective way to deter these creatures.
If a fence isn’t an option, try planting flowers and shrubs that deter animal predators instead. Options include barberry, winterberry holly, coral bells, summer lilac or plants with sharp spines that deter them. Also try poisonous or strong-smelling plants as an added defense system against animals that might try to reach over.
Mulch is an easy and cost-effective solution to keep animals out of vegetable gardens. Organic mulches add essential nutrients to the soil and over time improve it while helping retain moisture, decreasing watering needs, and helping retain moisture levels in the garden. If groundhogs or rabbits pose a threat, bury some mulch several inches beneath the ground as added protection.
if you are having issues with slugs and snails, purchase either a copper barrier or nontoxic, all-natural slug killer like Sluggo. Or create a simple trap using shallow containers such as yogurt cups or coffee cans and filling them with beer; the beer will attract the insects while making sure they can’t escape! Slugs will find themselves trapped.
Predator Urine
Many gardeners rely on predator urine repellents to keep deer away from their gardens. These olfactory repellents — typically made up of fox, coyote or wolf urine granules or liquid formulas — mimic animal markings to give deer the impression that these predator animals are nearby, thus dissuading them from entering gardens. Furthermore, predator urine creates a physical barrier by emitting foul smells that deter pests such as deer from coming near plants; however liquid formulas need frequent reapplication, especially after heavy rain washes away their scent.
Most predator urine repellents are designed to keep deer out, but they’re just as useful at keeping rabbits, groundhogs, squirrels, chipmunks and skunks at bay in vegetable gardens. Liquid repellents may be applied directly onto plants in your vegetable patch or stored in containers such as empty milk jugs or trashcans that have been weighted down and secured shut – or they may simply be applied directly onto containers placed around plants containing plants for additional protection against animals – some gardeners prefer using multiple approaches while others find one solution works better.
Deer can easily jump fences, making physical barriers such as fences essential to protecting your garden. Other methods could include planting azaleas or boxwood around it as protective barriers and clearing away brush piles, logs, or hiding places near it; adding mulch is another good measure. Furthermore, consider allowing pets to mark the garden; their presence may scare deer away.
Other olfactory repellents, like garlic clippings, castor oil and capsicum (the active ingredient in cayenne peppers), may also help prevent mice, squirrels, rabbits and deer from damaging your veggies. Irish Spring bar soap may also be placed in drawstring pouches throughout your garden to discourage animals from damaging plants – provided it meets food-grade safety regulations.
Beer traps offer an inexpensive and simple solution to combating slugs and snails that destroy veggie leaves or cause holes in fruits and vegetables. Simply fill a plastic or metal container with beer – perhaps an upcycled yogurt cup is even an option here – then bury it in the garden where any invading slugs or snails will crawl inside and drown themselves before dying off in their attempt at escape.
Bird Feeders
Feeding birds in your garden can help protect crops from rodents and deer pests, while at the same time eating insects that threaten your vegetables and crops. Birds are natural predators of these animals as well as eating any pesky insects that threaten them – though some gardeners fear too much feeding will alter ecosystem balance, most experts agree supplemental feeders can make your vegetable garden safer against animal pests.
There are various kinds of bird feeders on the market, ranging from store-bought varieties to more intricate homemade creations. Regular cleaning and emptying prevent disease spread. When setting up feeders in evergreen trees and shrubs, make sure they remain unattended for safety from predators such as cats.
Feeding stations can help deter some animal pests, especially deer and larger animals, by signaling there is potential prey nearby. Plant varieties with sharp thorns, toxic traits for animals or strong scents also serve as effective deterrents against many animal species – barberry shrubs, bluebeard shrubs coral bells and summer lilac can particularly repel deer and other large animals.
Bird feeders can be an effective and permanent solution to deter animals in certain regions, and may work better than planting hedgerows or barriers. When installing bird feeders to deter animals, choose locations away from structures or vegetation that could block birds’ flight paths, placing the feeders 12 feet from any windows so as to prevent collisions when birds attempt to reach your feeders.
Gardeners sometimes employ plastic owls or snakes to deter squirrels and other animals from entering their vegetable gardens. While this won’t stop groundhogs or other burrowing animals from digging holes under your beds, it could help scare off some of the smaller pests that otherwise might damage it. Supplemental feeders may also encourage local birds to stay nearby so mothers won’t need to travel as far to find food for their young.