How To Keep Squirrels Out Of Potted Plants

Introduction

Squirrels are belonging to the family Sciuridae. Though they looks sweet and harmless but you will be shocked to know that they damage potted plants in several ways like, digging, nibbling, seed predation, displacement, nest building etc. To prevent the damages, you have to keep squirrels out of potted plants.

While their antics are entertaining, squirrels can cause a lot of damage when they start digging up potted plants. Common tree squirrels with their big bushy tails and striped ground squirrels (also known as chipmunks) can uproot a thriving container garden in short order. Guided by their instinct to bury food for later use, squirrels often see a pot as a perfect spot for hiding their bounty. Also, the tender vegetation in the container is a tempting food source. Encourage these active rodents to play in the dirt elsewhere with these simple tactics for protecting your potted plants.

Here we will discuss about how to keep squirrels out of potted plants –

1.Create a Barrier to Keep Squirrels Out of Potted plants:

Most of the squirrels dig in the pot to store excess foods like seeds, acorns, and nuts.If you create a barrier around your container, it will help to keep squirrels out of potted plants. A simple DIY barrier also can be created with a cylinder of chicken wire or fine mesh just inside the lip of the container. DIY barrier can make the soil in your potted plants more difficult for squirrels to access. You can add a layer of stones or thick mulch too. Always remember that while adding stone,ensure that they don’t weigh down the soil too much. You have to pay close attention to the temperature of the rocks, as the sun can heat them quickly.

2.Use Scents that Deter Squirrels:

Using scents is a great way to keep the squirrels out of potted plants. It is a very popular solution during all the beginner. At first select a scent that squirrel dislike and then apply in your garden.

3.Sprinkle Coffee Grounds in Your Soil:

The taste and smell of coffee is not liked by squirrels. Mix the soil with coffee powder.One of the natural repellent is coffee ground as squirrels apparently dislike the smell. You can use it as a natural fertilizer too, which is a great benefit. If it rains, You should sprinkle coffee grounds all around the soil surface immediately after planting. After that, you have to reapply consistently as needed. You can use your finger and sprinkle them around the surface soil in your potted plant. Coffee provides a source of essential nutrients like nitrogen and potassium to promote healthy plant growth. Bone meal or blood meal also can be used as dual fertilizer to keep squirrels out of potted plants.

4.Make a DIY Essential Oil Repellent:

Mint, cloves and lemongrass can be used as essential oils to deter squirrels. To Create own DIY repellent, you have to add several drops such as 15 or so, then spray the bottle with equal parts vinegar and water. After that add a teaspoon or so of dish soap. DIY essential oil helps to keep squirrels out of potted plants and also serve as a natural weed killer. You can use it as insecticide for pests like caterpillars.

5.Make a DIY Spice Repellent:

Instead of essential oils, you can apply spices like cayenne pepper. At first create DIY repellent by boiling cayenne peppers or other hot peppers in water. Leave that in cool. Now ensure straining and pouring it into a spray bottle. This solution could cause burning sensation, so If you want to apply DIY spices in you pots to keep squirrels out of potted plants, be careful to protect your skin, eyes, and mouth.

6.Interrupt Squirrels’ Habits:

Squirrels attacked the plants which are loved by them. If you plant their favourite food or tree in your garden pot, they will return to it repeatedly. You can move a squirrel’s favorite container else where for digging. By following this technique, you can reset a squirrels feeding and digging patterns as you have move the container from the known location. At first you can try parking your pots in a well lit shed or closer to higher traffic areas like your porch or deck. Ensure that the sun-loving container plants will be just fine near a bright window for a few days. After 5 to 7 days,your container garden should be returned to its original location. Keep an eye on your container, if the new spot is suitable for the plants then keep the pot where it is if squirrels tend to leave it alone there.

7.Cover Plants with Plastic Netting/Fencing:

Some wire mesh,plastic bird netting or plastic chicken wire can be used to keep squirrels out of potted plants. They will create a tunnel over your plants like setting up row covers. This types of wire mesh, plastic bird netting or plastic chicken wire can help to ensure squirrels cannot access your garden bed at all. When planting bulbs or transplants,lay chicken wire or hardware cloth can secure it with tent stakes or sod staples. For this you have to cut a small hole just large enough for the plants to grow through. Your vegetable garden or flower beds can be protected by this techniques easily. Also you can use black netting for the most inconspicuous option. There is an another advantage that is, you can always remove it after the plants are established enough to withstand some soil disturbance. You can easily secure these materials onto container plants.

8.Noise Deterrents/Distracting Yard Decor:

Decorate your garden with bright and noisy things that can help to keep squirrels out of potted plants. You can use old CD’s, tin pans, whatever you have around the house and experiment with it yourself. Squirrels scared of predators so your bright moving lights and shadows signal to squirrels a predator may be nearby.

9.Incorporate Flowers That Squirrels Dislike:

There are some incorporate flowers that squirrels don’t like and avoid. So you can plant them in your garden. Scent of nasturtium and marigolds are disliked by squirrels. This flowers are natural repellent and an attractive addition too as they repel pests like cabbage worms. You have to consider adding these flowers to a set of smaller pots that you can arrange near your current assortment of potted plants.

10.Move Up:

Squirrels don’t like to do extra work involved in accessing. So you can use hanging baskets and window boxes. By applying the idea, you can consider moving your prized plants into hanging containers so that the squirrels can’t damage the plants. Not only flowers bloom well in hanging pots but also you grow vegetables like tomatoes up high.

11.Use Multiple Methods:

If one method becomes ineffective, try one after another method to keep squirrels out of potted plants. Though barriers are generally the best at keeping squirrels out but barriers not always work best. Repellents also help to prevent squirrels but require diligent applications.

Bright light or noising devices play important rules to keep out squirrels but could be worth trying to see how they work on your resident squirrels.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1.Squirrels are digging in my garden beds. What can I do?

Repellent is the best option to prevent squirrels digging. Fences are not effective as tree and ground squirrels are tough to control in an open garden bed. If you have a large dog or active cat, they will be also an effective deterrent.

2.Squirrels are stripping bark off a tree in my yard. How do I stop them?

Squirrels can strip bark of a tree in your potted plants.It us a superficial wound.Using a tree wrap can help you to dissuade the rodents.Repellent can be used too,which is also effective. Ensure Care for the tree by trimming off any loose bark.You should monitor it during the next growing season for any branch dieback.

3.Something is uprooting my container plants at night. Is it a squirrel?

You can move the pot to a different location for a few days to deter the raccoon as squirrels are active during daylight and by making the pot no longer available, the squirrels will likely move on to other food sources.

4.Do coffee grounds keep squirrels away?

One of the smell that squirrel dislike that is coffees smell. As it is a natural method, it will no be harmful for your soil or plants anyway. At the same time the smell of coffee will keep squirrels out of potted plants.

5.What smell keeps squirrels away from plants?

Smell like aromas is not liked by squirrels. You can apply coffee, peppermint, peppers (like cayenne), cinnamon, cloves, garlic, and vinegar too. All of them are able to keep squirrels out of potted plants.

6.What is the best homemade squirrel repellent?

You can use a lot of variety of ingredients to create a natural, homemade squirrel repellent, but hot peppers like cayenne is the most potent, and arguably the most effective, solution.

Conclusion

By following all this process and techniques, you can be a successful gardener though there are a lot of squirrels in your area.Specially if you are a beginner and want to have potted plants, you have to keep the above ideas in minds properly to keep squirrels out of potted plants without damaging any plants.