It’s harvest season! Here are 10 ways to keep animals out of your Mississippi garden
Our gardens are often our pride and joy.
Preparing the ground, planting, watering and watching for endless hours. Clipping, picking and replanting.
There’s so much that goes into a garden and once you see the fruits from your labor (literally, sometimes), it makes the entire process worthwhile.
However, the whole process could be squandered in minutes all by a cute, furry rabbit or deer and some less cute ones like skunks, squirrels or raccoons.
If you’re struggling to keep these animals out of your garden, we’ve got a list of tips and tricks for you.
Here are 10 ways to keep the critters out:
Fencing
According to Bob Vila, “Building a fence around the garden may solve your pest problem and protect your plants. You’ll need to determine the ideal height for the fence based on the type of critters that have been getting into your garden.”
Make it Minty
Deer and many other insects hate the smell of mint, so having a mint plant nearby will help cut down on trips from these animals.
The Garden Weasel also recommends using citrus scents to repel animals: “gather up orange, lemon and grapefruit peels and scatter them around your plants.”
Castor Oil
Burrowing pests like skunks, moles and gophers don’t like the taste of castor oil, so making a homemade castor oil spray may help keep those pests away.
“To use castor oil as a burrowing pest repellent, combine 3 tablespoons of castor oil, 1 tablespoon dish soap, and 1 gallon of water. Spray the solution in areas around the garden and anywhere else you’ve noticed pests in your yard,” according to Bob Vila.
Use Wire
Get some chicken wire and place cages around your plants.
Get spicy
“Most critters will stay far away if you add red pepper flakes around your plants. While you’re at it, add a few colorful pinwheels to scare them when a breeze comes in,” according to the Garden Weasel.
Get Loud
Animals will likely get spooked if they hear loud noises, so it’s a good idea to have wind chimes around or other loud objects.
According to the Mississippi State University Extension: “Growers have tried many scare devices. Metallic flashing, rattles, noisemakers, and scarecrows have all had varying degrees of success.”
Repellents
Grab up some deer repellent at your local store or purchase some ultrasonic repellent.
Vila recommends a solar model that is motion activated.
Sprays are another repellent to use, but in Mississippi coastal areas, these types may be less effective. According to the Mississippi State University Extension, “repellents are often short-lived, especially in wet weather, as they can be easily washed away by rain or irrigation.”
Use your hair
This is an odd one, but animals don’t like the texture or scent of human hair. Next time you get your haircut, ask your stylist to bag some clippings so you can spread them in your garden later.
Scare them
Scarecrows are a thing for a reason. But you don’t even need to get fancy with it.
The Garden Weasel suggests hanging strips of rags, aluminum foil or balloons on branches or a clothesline to scare some animals away. Even rubber snakes around can be enough to spook them.
Alert the pets
If you have a cat or dog at home, it may be time to let them loose, or at least alert them to the animals lurking in your garden.
Just the presence of a cat in the window or a barking dog can be enough to ward off pests in the garden.
Stay away from these plants
In addition to the tips above, it is also recommended to stay away from the following plants because they can actually attract insects and animals, inviting them into your garden.
Blueberries: blueberries attract many types of wildlife, even birds
Oak, dogwood, service berry, beauty berry, cherry laurel, red buckeye, mulberry and sumac attract wildlife
Happy gardening.
Have more questions about how to keep animals away from your garden? Comment below or email me at cmadden@mcclatchy.com
