How to Keep Rabbits Out of a Vegetable Garden

How to Keep Rabbits Out of a Vegetable Garden

Article by Walter Chase

Introduction

Vegetable gardens are all the rage these days. Why? The cost of food is up and going up further. The reason for the increase in cost is partly because of emerging countries wanting a better diet. Also the US government is requiring more corn to be used as ethanol. Both these conditions help drive the price of vegetables up.

If this is your first time, or even if you have had a vegetable garden before, you may be plagued by those cuddly, pesky rabbits, eating all you crops. Here is how I kept the rabbits out of my garden over the years.

Raised Beds

I first started off with railroad ties. I stacked several on top of each other till they were about a foot and a half high. This will keep the rabbits out. But this way also requires you to bring dirt in. If you bring dirt in and raise the beds it will require frequent watering on your part because they will dry out quicker.

If you do not want to bring dirt in, you can plant your garden between the ties.

Motion Detector

When I lived in Alaska, I used a motion detector to detect rabbits or other animals in my vegetable garden. When the motion detector senses movement, it would create a sound like a dog barking. Worked perfectly and was rather cheap also.

Large Animal Urine

You can purchase animal urine such as fox or coyote urine and sprinkle it around your garden. This will help keep the rabbits out. I would suggest using animal urine that the rabbits in your area are familiar with. For example, I live in an area that has lots of coyotes, that would be my urine of choice.

Netting

You can buy animal netting from just about any garden or hardware store. It is difficult to work with, but it not only keeps rabbits out, but will also prevent birds from attacking your vegetables.

Construct A Greenhouse

When I lived in Alaska I had a greenhouse, which worked well at keeping the rabbits out. It also allowed me to extend my growing season by almost one month. Depending on your area, by using a greenhouse, you could potentially extend your growing season by up to three months or more.

Conclusion

If rabbits plague your vegetable garden, there are several actions you can take to keep them out and allow you to keep more of your vegetables. These include such actions as using raised beds, having a motion detector, sprinkling animal urine, using netting or constructing a greenhouse.

About the Author

I have been gardening for over 35 years.

If you want to know how I grow tomatoes go to my site Tomatoes. Also I have placed a picture of a cabbage I grew in my greenhouse in Alaska at this site Greenhouse. The cabbage is over 35 pounds!

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