CROSS POST seed/seedling protection?

[MamaHawk]

Hi everybody, I’m looking for advice about protecting my garden.

The big culprits will ideally be kept out of my raised beds by 3 ft. chicken wire with 1 inch spacing. The problem is, chipmunks are the WORST around here and pop up everywhere, so I’m definitely expecting problems.

Currently I’ve only got four things planted in four square foot spots, which means they’re tight enough to be covered by cheap wire wastebaskets from Dollar Tree. However as soon as I fill a square, it’ll be too big for the baskets, and I don’t know how to protect them best. Those squares would have beans, carrots, and flowers, struggling to live.

I tried chili pepper last year, I don’t think it was super successful. I also germinated the seeds inside last year, and planted them once they sprang. That meant I knew they SHOULD live, which helped, but then they majorly died for various reasons, some known and some unknown. Should I make a cover for the beds? If so, how? Should I sprinkle a powder or tincture or something to ward away the rodents? We don’t have any cats locally that I’m aware of, and because of the toddler I don’t want to go nuts with poison or Buckets O Death, so I’m just twiddling my fingers at this point.

I have heard that they don’t like the threat of being tangled in netting, so could I sort of frame the beds with a crumpling of bird netting? Maybe around the top or bottom?

Any advice is appreciated, I just really want the beds to flourish and I’d be so frustrated if all the seeds/seedlings got eaten right when I can’t do much about it (baby due at the end of June). Thanks!

 

[oneeye]

Hi everybody, I’m looking for advice about protecting my garden.

The big culprits will ideally be kept out of my raised beds by 3 ft. chicken wire with 1 inch spacing. The problem is, chipmunks are the WORST around here and pop up everywhere, so I’m definitely expecting problems.

Currently I’ve only got four things planted in four square foot spots, which means they’re tight enough to be covered by cheap wire wastebaskets from Dollar Tree. However as soon as I fill a square, it’ll be too big for the baskets, and I don’t know how to protect them best. Those squares would have beans, carrots, and flowers, struggling to live.

I tried chili pepper last year, I don’t think it was super successful. I also germinated the seeds inside last year, and planted them once they sprang. That meant I knew they SHOULD live, which helped, but then they majorly died for various reasons, some known and some unknown. Should I make a cover for the beds? If so, how? Should I sprinkle a powder or tincture or something to ward away the rodents? We don’t have any cats locally that I’m aware of, and because of the toddler I don’t want to go nuts with poison or Buckets O Death, so I’m just twiddling my fingers at this point.

I have heard that they don’t like the threat of being tangled in netting, so could I sort of frame the beds with a crumpling of bird netting? Maybe around the top or bottom?

Any advice is appreciated, I just really want the beds to flourish and I’d be so frustrated if all the seeds/seedlings got eaten right when I can’t do much about it (baby due at the end of June). Thanks!

I have a colony of cats living outdoors on my property. Five cats, all with clipped ears. Having clipped ears means they are spayed and neutered. I trapped them a long time ago to keep the cats population down. It worked but they never left, now no mice, rodents, or even bugs.

 

[MamaHawk]

I have a colony of cats living outdoors on my property. Five cats, all with clipped ears. Having clipped ears means they are spayed and neutered. I trapped them a long time ago to keep the cats population down. It worked but they never left, now no mice, rodents, or even bugs.

I'm considering planting catnip to get some strays to show up and help out...we'll see!

 

[oneeye]

I'm considering planting catnip to get some strays to show up and help out...we'll see!

If you want to attract a feral cat, put out a feed station. You will have a cat with in a few days.

 

[MamaHawk]

Ooh hadn't thought of that - much more straight forward than catnip! Only problem is I KNOW a family of raccoons live under the runoff drain on our property and they would probably get there first. Any ideas?

If you want to attract a feral cat, put out a feed station. You will have a cat with in a few days.

 

[oneeye]

Ooh hadn't thought of that - much more straight forward than catnip! Only problem is I KNOW a family of raccoons live under the runoff drain on our property and they would probably get there first. Any ideas?

That wouldn't work because you would have a bunch of happy raccoons and no cats.

 

[MamaHawk]

That wouldn't work because you would have a bunch of happy raccoons and no cats.

Yeaaah that's my concern - they don't need any more food than they already find around this neighborhood anyway.

 

[Oliver Buckle]

I have heard that they don’t like the threat of being tangled in netting, so could I sort of frame the beds with a crumpling of bird netting? Maybe around the top or bottom?

I find that depends on the birds, a bit of wire hanging over my cabbages and pigeons go "Trap!" and don't go near them. On the other hand the blackbird will go all around caged strawberries looking for a place the wire doesn't fit so it can creep in, then it panics and bashes around the inside when I walk up the garden. Similarly I see people use hanging cd's which flash in sunshine , or children's windmills, I reckon they will work with some birds, others will just go 'That's pretty', but I suppose any reduction is good.