Wanting to know how to keep animals out of the garden may not be something you feel comfortable about. After all, wildlife is a precious aspect of gardening for many – and often the advice is geared towards how you can encourage beneficial garden animals to visit. But there are times when you won’t want to have an ‘open door’ policy to any and all animals.
Creating a beautiful backyard garden is truly a labor of love. It is easy to understand the disappointment and frustration that growers may have when they find that troublesome animals have started to frequent the space. Unwanted animals in the garden are known to cause immense damage to seedlings, established plants and even property. In this article, we’ll reveal some of the best ways to keep animals out of the garden.
Identifying Unwanted Visitors
For gardeners, growing spaces serve many purposes. While some focus on producing crops, others may have different goals. These can include the creation of pollinator gardens or spaces that help to enhance the local ecosystem. Unwanted animals that directly impact these objectives are the most likely targets of growers hoping to deter their visits.
Deer, elk, rabbits and other foraging animals are common in more rural areas. Those in urban environments may find stray animals, like cats and dogs, to be especially problematic.
How to Keep Animals Out of the Garden
In many landscapes, it is important to consider how to keep animals out of the garden without a fence. Though effective, fences can be costly or subject to local laws or regulations. In these cases, gardeners should develop a multi-faceted approach. This usually includes a combination of exclusion techniques, repellents and habitat modification strategies:
- Exclusion Measures: Keeping animals out of the garden most often begins with exclusion. This technique can be highly effective if it is implemented properly. Fences have traditionally been the main way of excluding animals, either by surrounding the garden or just vulnerable plants. However, other strategies to protect crops include the use of bird netting, chicken wire or even various types of tubing.
- Using Repellents: Repellents are another popular choice for keeping animals out of the garden. Growers can purchase commercially made repellents that have been specifically designed for use with problem animals, or simply create their own. Regardless of type, most repellents work on the same general principle. Each is composed of ingredients that are meant to be unpleasant to the animal in question.
- Modifying Habitat: In learning how to keep animals out of your yard, a great solution may be habitat modification. In most instances, animals are attracted to a space because of something it has to offer. This commonly includes their basic needs like water, food or shelter. Changing the space in a way that no longer benefits the animal is an excellent means of discouraging their visits.
Using Homemade Sprays to Keep Animals at Bay
Recipes for homemade animal sprays are plentiful. Most consist of a combination of ingredients with especially strong or potent odors. If you want to know how to keep animals out of the garden cheaply, you can also use various types of hot peppers or oils.
Check these online antidotes are safe for use in gardens and that they will yield the desired results. Experienced growers suggest only following advice from reputable sources, such as universities and agricultural extension offices.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Cheapest Way to Keep Animals Out of Your Garden?
Creating homemade animal deterrents is a cheap and efficient way to scare unwanted visitors from the garden. These scare tactics frequently make use of found or recycled materials that are placed near especially vulnerable plants or parts of the garden. Shiny or loud objects are often effective. Examples of frequently used materials include old pie pans, CDs, bells or even tin cans tied together with string.
How Do I Keep Animals From Digging Up My Plants?
Animals may dig up plants for a variety of reasons. Often, applying certain fertilizers may encourage animals to become curious about the garden. Though it may be tempting to build a barrier near affected plants, pests like chipmunks or groundhogs can easily burrow beneath such structures. Experienced growers find the use of repellents to be the most effective means of deterring this behavior.
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