It is a truth universally acknowledged that if you are growing vegetables, you will end up searching for tips on how to keep squirrels out of your garden. Let’s face it, it’s not just squirrels. All manner of critters will be delighted by your efforts.
And if the squirrels (and friends) don’t like the green tomato they just nibbled, they are more than happy to throw it on the ground and move to the next item. Or is our squirrel particularly picky? Anyway, after a few too many encounters with Rocky (yes, we did name one of them after the cartoon), we finally have good ideas on how to keep squirrels out of your garden, and we thought we’d share.
Chicken Wire Crop Coop
I know a chicken wire crop coop isn’t quite as cool as saying we’ve put in a climate-controlled greenhouse oasis. The greenhouse idea is very much on the table once we can handle the time, disruption, and money needed. However, the chicken wire crop coop has done the trick.
We got our crop coop from Gardeners.com. This isn’t an ad, it’s just info. I’m sure you can find them at other places. Just be sure to double check the measurements, so you know it can fit snugly inside the edges of your container gardens.
Pros
Why do we love this as the answer to the ancient conundrum of how to keep squirrels out of your garden? It’s relatively inexpensive (at last check, it was $99), lightweight enough for me to put together and lift onto the raised garden bed on my own, and sturdy enough to stay in place when the Santa Ana winds howl. It also seems to stand up to curious Rocky, birds landing on it, and the occasional critter chase.
I love how easy it was to put together, and lifting the top to water, prune, or harvest is a quick task. And while it isn’t fancy, I think it looks good. Or maybe that’s just me being thrilled to see our bell peppers, kale, and Swiss chard make it beyond their first month in soil.
Cons
If you plan on growing things taller than 28 inches at the peak, you will have to get extenders for the system. I didn’t jump in right away because I wanted to make sure it fit our raised garden bed, and I didn’t want to spend the additional money. Now, I might consider it.
Obviously, this particular model, even with the extension, won’t work well for veggies that vine quite tall. However, I bet it’s possible to train sugar snap pea vines along the top if you want to keep critter friends away from the shoots. I might try it this fall, and I’ll let you know how it goes.
It is metal, and even with a coating, there is a possibility that our salty air and frequent fog might promote rusting. So far, so good. I’ll let you know if it is still in fighting form next year.
Why didn’t we just spray with peppermint oil?
I hear peppermint oil works to keep away squirrels, rats, and other critters. I have never seen it work. And I mean never. I like the smell, so it was an experiment worth trying when we were flummoxed at how to keep squirrels out of the garden, but it had zero impact.
Maybe we didn’t spray enough? Perhaps you have to constantly do it? I have no idea. But the chicken wire crop coop has proven reliable, and I’m happy that Andy and I don’t have to spend evenings spraying our fence, container gardens, and deck.
How goes your container gardens (or in-ground gardens)? You can find more container gardening articles here if you want to read more about our progress. Happy gardening!
