Garden visitors are a real pain when the vegetable patch has been raided. Not the two legged kind but those cute little scurrying rodents that help themselves to everything.
It’s only natural, local wildlife will find and enjoy your garden. More often than not they will eat more than their fair share or take one bite and decide it’s not to their liking.
What’s a gardener supposed to do? Stand guard and frantically wave their arms?
Sharing the bounty with those furry friends is fine for country gardeners, as they have the “luxury” of acres of space, but some town gardens are relegated to a small backyard.
Squirrels are particularly destructive for town gardeners. Neighbourhood cats are always on the prowl for a litter box.Groundhogs, rabbits, moles and raccoons are the country marauders.
A few raccoons can slaughter a sweet corn patch in one night.
Regardless, if your vegetable garden is in town or country, the only protection is to plan ahead for any unwanted visitors. Like in all aspects of gardening, no single solution will be foolproof. A few suggested remedies may be in order.
The old adage, “good fences make good neighbours” may create a deterrent. Although an unsightly metal mesh fence may not fit with the idyllic garden decor, a barrier will help to keep those unwanted visitors in their place.
Garden “experts” agree that a fence is an effective and the least harmful way to hold those critters at bay; they can’t reach them. The height of the fence and what it’s made of will depend on what animal you’re trying to hold back.
It is recommended burying the bottom of a chain-link fence at least one foot into the ground will prevent burrowing rabbits, groundhogs and moles.
Those animals that climb, fly or jump will need a further deterrent.
Create an almost cage-like structure, by covering and tying down chicken wire to form a top covering on the perimeter fence.
Cut back any overhanging branches that provide a gateway to the garden. Squirrels are notorious jumpers and will try every angle to get in. They will even gnaw at a vegetable that has managed to grow up to the edge of the fence.
Keep the garden area clean. Remove other food sources (garbage, dog food dishes, bird feeders).
Some gardeners are convinced that raised beds are the way to go. Adding a fence to the top of the structure will build a further layer of refuge.
Just as the name suggests, raised garden beds are confined growing areas that are built on the surface of the ground. They are framed by some type of barrier to contain planting soil. Once constructed, they have many other advantages.
Soil that is not fully warmed after winter is simply not ready to accept seed for germination. Seeds require ample heat and moisture to begin to grow. If seeds are left too long in cold, damp soil they will begin to rot.
Raised beds assist by warming the soil much earlier in the season, which facilitate sooner plantings. Not only do they provide the benefit of sowing plants and seeds into warm soil but it allows for greater moisture control.
Similarly, after a rainstorm, gardeners have to wait for the ground to sufficiently dry before it can be worked. Raised beds drain quickly.
Raised gardens can be worked for longer periods during the year. They can be beneficial for those gardeners with only a small space and want to grow vegetables.
A deep bed system monitors the fertility of the soil, while allowing plants to be placed closer together and still getting excellent yields.
Placing a fence in your garden is a one-time expense that will last for many years. Unlike other chemical repellents, a fence will never have to be reapplied.
Ron Stevenson is a member of the Fergus Horticultural Society
