How To Keep Rabbits Out Of Your Garden
Four easy, organic ways to protect your prized produce from being ravaged by rabbits.
Jacob Lund / Shutterstock.com Gardening is becoming more prevalent among families as a bonding tool, money saver, and way to unplug and reconnect with Mother Earth. How gratifying is it to have your homegrown produce be the star of the dinner spread?
Just as there are tons of benefits to be gained from gardening, there can be a crushing downside — pests. And one of the most rascally garden thieves you may have to deal with is rabbits.
Imagine working tirelessly, fertilizing, pruning, weeding, and watering your prized pasture, just to have it invaded by Peter Cottontail and his crew.
Now, before you go Full Metal Jacket and prepare for war, think of what that means for the rabbit and your garden. Generally gentle creatures, rabbits are known as a sign of good luck. Fortunately, there are ways to keep them out of your garden without collecting a rabbit's foot for a keychain.
Using harmful substances such as poisons, fumigation tools, or pesticides could potentially be harmful to you and your family. Not to mention the fact that purchasing all of those items and their accessories can be expensive.
Let's stick to natural ways that are cost-effective and non-toxic.
Following the four simple tips below will help keep the rabbits out, saving your garden and your wallet.
How to keep rabbits out of your garden using four simple tips
1. Use coffee grounds or roasted coffee beans.
Rabbits have a strong dislike for the scent that coffee can emit. Used coffee grounds can be used as a great compost, and while you're at it, spread the used grounds in the soil to send the rabbits hopping away from your plants.
If you brew coffee at home daily, take the grounds and place them in a container. Then, spread the grounds evenly around the area where you're seeing the most rabbit traffic
If you like to grab your cup of joe while in transit, then ask your local coffee shop to allow you to take the grounds from the previous day's brews.
Not a coffee drinker? You can grab some coffee beans or grounds, and follow the same process. Be mindful to mix carefully within the soil.
2. Plant herbs with a strong smell.
Rabbits are attracted to the plants they love to eat. Keep them away by planting herbs with a strong smell outside of your garden's perimeter. No matter the type of garden you have — container, raised bed, or rows, the pests will come.
Herbs like mint, rosemary, and basil may be aromatic to us, but the smell has the opposite effect on rabbits. You can plant the herbs in a container or directly into the soil. Either way, create a barrier around your garden to help repel our furry friends.
Herbs have a tendency to take over. Keep a daily routine of harvesting and pruning the herb plants so that they don't overtake your garden.
3. Spread squares of soap and water in high-traffic areas.
I know what you're thinking — give the bunny a bath? Not quite. Soaps that have a strong smell can deter rabbits from wanting to enter the garden.
There are a couple ways to get this trick to work.
- First, take a bar of soap, like Irish Spring, and chop it into small squares.
- Then, take the squares and put them into cheesecloth or into a netted bag.
- Next, spread the squares or place the baggie of soap in the high-traffic area.
Carefully observe your plants in the days and weeks after to see if there is improvement in the destruction.
4. Spray a soap and water mixture around the garden.
If you plan to frequent your garden multiple times a day, you can do this a bit differently.
Option number 2:
- Take the same type of soap, chop it into small squares or make shavings.
- Then, place it into a spray bottle. Add water to the bottle and shake until foamy.
- Spray this mixture each time you frequent your garden area.
The same smell will come from the mixture as the method above. Either way, the bunnies are not fans of the odor and will keep out of your garden.
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Whether you're a master gardener or just adding a little green to your thumbs, these tips will help you keep the rabbits out of your garden and the produce on your table.
Ty Booker-Griffin is an Associate Editor and writer for YourTango.