Planting and growing a vegetable garden can be a lucrative and, of course, lucrative hobby. However, just like you, many wild animals are also interested in tasting the fruits of your labor. Keeping animals out of the garden can be a big challenge as the animals will usually keep trying to get into the garden and damage it. However, there are many methods you can follow to keep animals out of your garden and save the vegetables you have for your enjoyment.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Blocking Access to the Garden
Step 1. Install a fence around the garden
A great way to keep animals away from your vegetable garden is to put up a fence. You can choose various types of fences to be installed around the garden as a barrier between the animals and the vegetables being planted. While it can be an effective barrier, its installation can be expensive and complicated. In addition, consider some basic information about garden fences when you want to install them:
- Usually, you will need to install fence posts or posts before installing the fence itself around the garden.
- Generally, a fence is installed to surround the entire garden.
- The material and style of the fence you want will depend on your choice. You can use wood, metal or a plastic such as polypropylene to make the fence.
- Some fences are equipped with an electric current that can shock animals that touch them.
- It's a good idea to bury some of the fence 30 centimeters deep so animals that like to dig holes in the ground can't get through.
Step 2. Create a raised plot of plants in the garden
Growing vegetables in such plots can be a great way to prevent weeds from growing around the plants so that garden maintenance is easier and garden pests are kept away. Usually, raised garden designs are simple enough to follow and create so you can create a pest-safe habitat for your vegetable crops.
- Typically, raised plots can be made of planks of wood, stone, brick or concrete blocks.
- Try to create a plot about 60 centimeters above the ground to prevent rabbits from entering and damaging the crop plot.
- Line the bottom of the plot with wire mesh so that animals that nest in the ground cannot penetrate the plot and damage the plants.
- You can still install fences and enclosures on the plots to provide additional protection.
Step 3. Create a crop cover
If you are concerned about certain plants in your garden, you can try putting up a small fence or cover to protect them. The cover can keep garden-destroying pests away from plants. You can make your own plant cover or buy one from a home and garden supply store.
- Installing chicken wire fences around plants is enough to keep pests away.
- You can purchase garden fabrics to cover the plants and protect them from being eaten by animals or pests.
- Young plants can be covered with deer or bird netting.
Method 2 of 3: Keeping Animals Out of the Garden
Step 1. Spray an animal repellent spray product around the garden
Usually, animals enter the garden because they smell the vegetables and are attracted to enjoy the “free food”. However, smell can also be used to keep animals away. An unpleasant odor can indicate that your garden is not a safe place to eat. Consider these two types of animal repellent spray products to find out which product is right for your garden:
- You can buy repellent products that smell like predator urine. These repellent products make your garden seem dangerous to other animals. However, it's important to know what animals are entering your garden before buying a repellent spray that can scare certain animals away.
- You can try using hot sprays or bad smells around the garden. These spray products make animals feel uncomfortable and the garden smells strong so animals will look for food elsewhere.
- Animal repellent sprays can be purchased at home or garden supply stores.
- You can find recipes for animal repellent mixes and make your own.
- Spray products usually need to be used quite often because rain and moisture can remove the mixture from the garden grass.
Step 2. Plant the types of plants that animals find disgusting in the garden
If you know the types of animals that frequently enter your garden, you can try growing some plants that you find disgusting or irritating to the animals. Planting plants that garden pests don't like can keep these pests away and protect the vegetables you grow. Take a look at some of the following types of plants that, it is said, garden pests don't like:
- Rabbits dislike plants such as azaleas, boxwood, lamb's ear, peonies, and marigolds (calendula).
- To repel deer, you can plant bleeding hearts, lilies, hyssop, and mullein.
- You can plant some of these plants in the garden so that the entire garden looks unattractive to animals and pests.
- Try planting some of these plants along the edges of the garden to ward off pests.
Step 3. Fear unwanted animals
Even if your garden is a peaceful place, animals that try to enter can pose a threat to the plants you grow. Therefore, you can install a special device designed to surprise or scare any animal that wants to eat the vegetables in the garden. Consider some of these suggestions on how to create a chilling atmosphere for “uninvited” animals in your garden:
- Modern scarecrows are usually equipped with motion sensors and can shoot water if an animal enters the garden and hits the sensor.
- Having dogs left outdoors can help keep other animals away from the garden.
- Some deterrent devices use shiny or reflective materials to scare birds away.
- You can buy electronic protection products that emit an alarm or scary sound when the device detects motion.
Step 4. Let your cat help repel small animals
Instinctively, cats love to hunt and can help keep small animals out of the garden. In addition to hunting small animals, the smell and presence of your cat can scare away other animals that want to enter the garden. Therefore, if you have a cat that is used to being outdoors, try bringing your cat into the garden to help reduce the number of animals that enter and eat vegetables in your garden.
- Make sure your cat is vaccinated as many wild animals carry the disease.
- Always keep an eye on your cat to make sure that it is healthy and that it is capable of outdoor activities.
Step 5. Place the “victim” plant near the garden
While this may seem counterintuitive, placing plants that animals like near your garden can be a great way to keep animals away from your vegetable garden. Once you know what animals are causing problems in your vegetable garden, you can try growing their favorite plants far enough away from your garden that they won't come into your garden to eat (and damage existing vegetables).
- Make sure the plant is placed far enough from the garden.
- Having food readily available to nuisance animals helps prevent them from entering the garden to eat.
- Try growing a few extra vegetables in places where nuisances can get to them so they won't come into the main garden to eat.
Step 6. Arrange the garden landscape to make the animals feel uncomfortable
Some environments and landscapes can make animals feel less (or more) comfortable when it comes to gardens. Depending on the current landscape of the garden or yard, you may find it convenient to visit the garden. Therefore, rearranging the garden landscape can be an easy way to make nuisance animals feel uncomfortable and keep them away from the garden. Consider some of these tips when you're setting up your garden landscape to help keep nuisances away:
- Prevent the development of weeds or too heavy cover (eg mulch) as animals usually like to hide behind leaves.
- Remove any piles of wood that may be near or around the garden.
- Prune or remove shrubs that surround the garden.
Method 3 of 3: Dealing with Fairly Common Garden Pests
Step 1. Determine what animals are causing problems in your vegetable garden
Before you can successfully keep animals from plaguing your garden, you need to know what kind of animals you are dealing with. By knowing more about the type of animal, you can plan a unique strategy, according to the character of the animal. The more focused the method you follow on the aspects that nuisance animals like and hate, the safer your garden situation will be. Get to know some of the animals that commonly plague gardens to know exactly what kind of animals you should be dealing with:
- Rabbit
- Squirrel
- White rat (mouse)
- Mole
- Raccoon
- Sewer rat
- Skunk
- Deer
- Bird
Step 2. Create an unpleasant atmosphere for the rabbit in the garden
Rabbits will find a way into the garden and eat whatever you plant. Since rabbits can be categorized as a vegetable garden pest, you need to organize your garden so that the environment is not pleasant for rabbits and can prevent them from coming. Consider some of the tips below to get rabbits to stop eating vegetable crops in your garden:
- Install a garden fence with a height of (minimum) 1 meter.
- Plant the fence into the soil to a depth of about 30 centimeters so the rabbits can't dig into the soil and enter through the underground hole.
- Elevated garden plots can make it difficult for rabbits to enter the garden.
- Try placing repellent plants like azaleas or boxwood to keep rabbits out of the garden.
- Clear piles of brushes/brooms, wood or rocks so the rabbit has nowhere to hide.
- Check with the local authorities about rabbit trapping rules if the disturbance persists.
Step 3. Keep deer out of your garden
Deer are a fairly common garden pest and can cause major problems for your garden. To keep deer away from your garden, you need to create a garden atmosphere that makes them uncomfortable. Try these methods to keep deer out of your garden and protect your vegetable crops:
- To ward off deer, install a fence about 2.5 meters high.
- The deer won't jump over the fence if it doesn't see a safe place to land. Therefore, try installing additional inner fences or fence posts to prevent deer from jumping into the garden.
- Spray predator urine products around the sides or ends of the garden to scare off deer.
- You can also scare deer using a device with a motion sensor.
- If you have a dog and allow it to roam outside, it can help keep deer out of the garden.
- Rosmarin, garlic, and oregano make great deer repellent plants.
Step 4. Keep birds out of your garden
Birds can be annoying pests in your garden and love to nibble on the fruits and vegetables you grow. You can keep birds away from your garden in a number of ways, such as:
- Try attaching sparkling balloons to poles around the garden. It's a good idea to use a vinyl ball with a scary facial expression image.
- Try creating a barrier using chicken wire to attach around the plant.
- Installing a net over the garden area is the most effective way to keep birds from coming in and eating the vegetables. You can make the framework beforehand using bamboo poles, fence posts or tall stakes. After that, spread the net over the frame so that the ends touch the ground, and tie each end using a bent wire so that the net doesn't fly off in the wind.
- You can also run fishing line or black thread throughout the garden as birds don't like wire and will stay away.
- Try using high-tech devices, such as computer systems and loudspeakers that can make owl screams to scare off birds that want to come into the garden.
