The recent "clean food" kick I've been on lately has led to a relatively surprising turn of events. I've become a reader of gardening blogs, magazines and seed catalogues. I've become familiar with Chioggia beets, Rainbow Chard and Riesenstraube tomatoes. I have been growing seeds under grow lights that must have my neighbours wondering if I'm running a grow-op in here.
The only irritant in this new idyll is squirrels. Yesterday I planted onion and garlic bulbs. This morning I saw a squirrel munching one, chased it away, then realized the rest of the bulbs were already gone. I've been warned by many experienced gardeners - squirrels will make me crazy.
Tomorrow marks the beginning of operation Red Hot. I found a recipe for homemade squirrel repellent which calls for Murphy Oil Soap, Cayenne Pepper, and hot sauce. You spray it everywhere and the squirrels are supposed to dislike the taste - you have to reapply after each rainfall. It apparently doesn't hurt the plants. We'll see, it stinks and makes my eyes water...so hopefully it will do the trick. Racoons chewed a hole in our roof last year causing $4000 of water damage - I am likely to lose it if "urban wildlife" attacks my garden too! If anyone has any tried and true squirrel repellent ideas, I'd love to know about them.
And no, the squirrel in the picture is not real.
Pellet guns work well, but requires vigilance, which can be a fun past time, however probably not appropriate in front of the kids.
ReplyDeleteYour other enemy will be the neighbourhood cats, they will view your veggie patch as their own personal toilet. This is far more irking than squirrels especially when you accidently pick up one of those turds up without realising it as you fastidiously tidy your garden from weeds.
My solution is chicken wire, place over your young seedlings and as your plants sprout you can cut holes bigger if they need it.
It should deter squirrels and cats and other pests that like to dig.
the whole cayenne pepper thing is a pain to make and keep reapplying - and it never worked for me in the past.
Thanks for the tip Renise. Did you make a frame to attach the chicken wire or just lay it on the ground directly?
ReplyDeletejust right on the ground.
ReplyDelete