Growing Flowers, Fruits & Veggies

I have a raised (18") bed with heirlooms. The squirrels are doing their usual thing - taking a bite then leaving. I grew one grape tomato plant, hoping they we eat these. Nope - they love the big ones. DH has mounted an ultrasonic device, but it is having only moderate success. What have the rest of you tried? I can't put anything along the edge of the bed, because it is wide enough for me to sit on and work.

Jacquie, in mid-IL

I have used some of the organic repellents (ie shake away etc) with success in keeping away the rabbits and the deer.

YOu can also mix up cayenne pepper, rosemary amd some garlic in water in a spray bottle and spray it on the plants - supposedly they will not like the taste. I know that cayenne pepper, rosemary and garlic are listed on the ingredient list of many of the organic repellents. This year I planted all three in various ares around the garden and I had less of a problem. I also crushed up rosemary leaves, some pepper and garlic with water and boiled. After it cooled I sprayed it on and have not had any further prob;ems. It will probably need to be reapplied after rain.

HTH!

I got some bobcat urine at  a garden center and actually i put some of it in a bad pot that is cracked.  figured i wouldnt grow anything in it anyway. then i also put the stuff in a couple other things.  i did see a set with fox urine and that had 3 little plastic bottles with holes towards the top and a little tie so you could hang those off things..but i did not want to spend more money for that. i might try getting some cheapie empty bottles like at walmart...those tiny travel bottles you can fill.  then put some in those...after rigging a way to have opening so the scent comes out.

i had gotten some of the spray with the cayenne pepper etc but it also has some wax in it and i have a habit of coming open and grazing on the cherry tomatoes that are real ripe and good to eat. I DO NOT want to bite in to a coated one!!  But if the chippies get nasty again I might.

DH researched and found the fox urine to be very effective. Unfortunately, he has taken this squirrel problem personally and is designing all kinds of protective shields (complete with hinged doors) to put over the bed. He forgets that one of the best feature of the raised bed is that it is 18" high and 6" wide at the edge, which makes it easy for me to sit and tend to weeding, picking, etc.

I'm also afraid of spraying anything on the fruit because I tend to graze. Discovered how good young green beans are for munching right off the vine.

Jacquie

That is the very reason I have not tried that spray with Cayenne pepper. Years ago I did just sprinkle white cayenne pepper on the pea plants cuz the bunnies were nibbling them down to about 1/2 inch tall!  The first time I said, 'oh there is no water for a couple miles so I just cant be that mean.' The 2nd time they did it to both the bean plants and the pea plants, I said "thats IT!@!!!"  Since that did not have any wax with it, it washed off easily but heck a small can of white pepper is cheap! I did actually then get peas and beans from the plants!

 I think the fox and bobcat stuff are sort of interchangable.  My stuff helped quite a bit but I did have to put some more down last week cuz they were getting interested again! I will say I have gotten many more tomatoes, although sadly I think the cherokee purple and the black krim both did not work out at all well!!