Garden Tips: Keep Critters out of the Garden

One of the biggest challenges gardeners face is how to not share their produce with rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels and other pesky-yet-adorable, hungry animals, critters and pests who are an enemy to the backyard garden.

Here’s how to safely stop rabbits from eating your veggie garden!

To fence or not to fence

One obvious answer is putting up a garden fence. If you do fence in your garden plot, you’ll need a type of fencing that doesn’t allow small vermin to get through it. Varmints such as little chipmunks can get through very small fencing! Chicken wire fence, as it’s called by some, works well. I actually did put a wire fence around my garden that has only very small square openings.  It was actually reclaimed from an old corn bin that my dad had on the farm where I grew up. Reusing fencing will save a ton of money, because if you go to the store and buy it – it’s not cheap! I’ve seen fencing for sale at garage sales and yard sales, and even tried to buy some at a local private auction (but was outbid by an over exuberant fellow gardener who apparently wanted fencing more than I did!) Fence is probably the best idea, and I highly recommend one. But, like I said – it’s not cheap.

Another thing to consider if you’re going to fence around your garden: at the end of this year and/or next year when you need to roto-till, you’ll need to work around the fencing. I have an amazing neighbor who has a big rototiller attachment for his tractor. It’s not a lawn tractor, it’s a pocket tractor or mid-size tractor. He graciously comes over to till my garden for me, but in order for him to get in there and till, I would have to disassemble the fence. The fence is in the way. So, there’s that.

Keep animals out of Gardens naturally

Since you’re growing your own food, the last thing you probably want to do is dump a bunch of chemicals on them. Well, maybe you do but if you can avoid it – it’s at least an interesting concept! 🙂

Here’s what Better Homes and Gardens suggests for keeping rabbits out of your garden:

Shake baby powder or flour on young seedlings and garlic powder on mature plants to make them unpalatable.  Surround prized bushes or herbaceous plants with a thick planting of garlic and wormwood to offend rabbits’ discriminating sense of smell.

So you can use baby powder or flour, garlic and wormwood to repulse rabbits and save your vegetables from those hungry critters!

Want more Garden and Canning tips? Check out our blog category!