Vegetable garden...

[generator12]

Well, despite the proximity of several grocery stores and a farmers' market, the lady wants to put in a vegetable garden. So I marked off a seventeen by thirteen area of the yard and roto-tilled it. Mixed in some dairy cow manure and it's ready to plant.

My question, probably a non-starter, is: "How best do I keep animals out of the garden?" I'm primarily concerned with squirrels, chipmunks, and the occasional raccoon.

A fence is obviously one solution, with its plus and minus aspects. I'm wondering if anyone on the forum has had any luck with other ideas. (i.e., human hair, chili peppers, soap chips, etc.)

 

[gm280]

Re: Vegetable garden...

Unless you're willing to install some good quality and close nit fencing on all four sides AND the top AND bury it pretty deeply in the ground, I don't know of any way to keep the animals out...if they truly want to get in... Those animals are very clever and persistent.

 

[colbyt]

Re: Vegetable garden...

Plant a little extra to feed the critters is the best advice I can offer. Never had to deal with coons; the other don't eat much.

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Vegetable garden...

Well, despite the proximity of several grocery stores and a farmers' market, the lady wants to put in a vegetable garden. So I marked off a seventeen by thirteen area of the yard and roto-tilled it. Mixed in some dairy cow manure and it's ready to plant.

My question, probably a non-starter, is: "How best do I keep animals out of the garden?" I'm primarily concerned with squirrels, chipmunks, and the occasional raccoon.

A fence is obviously one solution, with its plus and minus aspects. I'm wondering if anyone on the forum has had any luck with other ideas. (i.e., human hair, chili peppers, soap chips, etc.)

Never. Unless you keep all the plants in a sealed greenhouse. The animals you listed are ALL smart and skilled climbers!! NONE are affected by hair, soap, chili powder or any other home remedy except may a Gamo, Beeman or a Crossman remedy!

Those critters will chew through and swipe everything thy can and go store it.

Now the wife and I do a few things. We feed ALL the critters about 150 feet from the garden. Sunflower seeds, peanuts and bird food.

They actually never go after the tomatoes, peppers, beans and green veggies........ however they decimate our blueberries

 

[MTboatguy]

Re: Vegetable garden...

Living where we do, it was just cheaper to purchase our produce at the store. And believe you me, we tried.

 

[blackhawk180]

Re: Vegetable garden...

Dog for the deer and coons, cat for the rest.... oh, and the .410/.22/.177 help too. Forget the fence unless it covers the whole crop and is buried a foot or more in the ground. Even at that, we have losses (I swear the dog has a union contract and won't work overtime no matter what).

 

[salty87]

Re: Vegetable garden...

don't forget neighborhood cats dumping in the nice fresh dirt. be careful when weeding.

our garden is fenced but not buried. haven't seen anything get in or eat veggies. it's the smaller critters...bugs and caterpillars that cause the problems. check into neem oil for an organic alternative to pesticides.

 

[Dawg'sLife93]

Re: Vegetable garden...

My wife says, Marigolds planted around the garden, keeps rabbits out of it.

 

[ehenry]

Re: Vegetable garden...

I have a deer problem where I live and put up an electric fence which they figured out pretty quick.

You'll probably think this is gross and your wife will as well but has worked for me for quite some time......what I did to keep the deer and other wild life out of my garden was collect some pee in a jug and pour a little of it around the garden on all sides and keep putting it out every week until you're done with your garden.

 

[colbyt]

Re: Vegetable garden...

Not gross at all if it works. I have heard other say that collecting a bag of hair at the barbershop and spread that works.

 

[blackhawk180]

Re: Vegetable garden...

I've heard you can buy actual cougar urine (have no idea who collects that for resale) but imagine that would be an excellent deer repellant.

 

[generator12]

Re: Vegetable garden...

I have a deer problem where I live and put up an electric fence which they figured out pretty quick.

You'll probably think this is gross and your wife will as well but has worked for me for quite some time......what I did to keep the deer and other wild life out of my garden was collect some pee in a jug and pour a little of it around the garden on all sides and keep putting it out every week until you're done with your garden.

Uh, yeah Ehank, that would keep the lady out of the garden as well...

 

[joed]

Re: Vegetable garden...

Just go out and deposit directly instead of collecting it.

 

[ehenry]

Re: Vegetable garden...

Joed, I would BUT the folks in the neighborhood might have something to say about that and besides I might miss and hit the electric fence.....LOL. Dont wanna do that. I hear the neighbors dumbass lab holler about 3 times a week from peeing on the fence.

Generator....the only gardening my woman does is zinia's, sunflowers and crap like that and her garden is on the other side of the house. She pretty much stays outta my garden and besides she doesnt know what I do to keep the varmints out of the garden except for the electric fence.

I dont grow peas, lima beans or corn. I get peas and lima beans already shelled from the farmers market for $20 a bushel and buy my corn already picked and crated from a local farmer for $7 a crate with any where for 48 to 50 ears per crate. WHat I grow are tomatoes, squash, snappin beans, peppers, cucumbers and mellons.

 

[WIMUSKY]

Re: Vegetable garden...

Now the wife and I do a few things. We feed ALL the critters about 150 feet from the garden. Sunflower seeds, peanuts and bird food.

(

We do the same, but then we get to deal with bear. The wife gets tired of washing paw prints off the glass door...:facepalm:

Living where we do, it was just cheaper to purchase our produce at the store. And believe you me, we tried.

Sure, but they don't taste as good as they do being freshly picked and grown by ourselves..... Kinda like it's much cheaper to buy fish in the store rather than spend 10s of thousands of dollars on a boat/gas/gear....

My wife says, Marigolds planted around the garden, keeps rabbits out of it.

Deer are not supposed to eat marigolds either. Pffft, they'll eat anything.

We do the fence thing just to keep the deer out which is our main thieves.........