Forum home Problem solving
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Rabbits eating my plants

2»

Posts

  • Samantha55Samantha55 Posts: 30
    Hi, I have the same problem but agree with the other folk that it's something you learn to live with. I used the contents of my spice cupboard in an effort to deter them but to no avail. Last spring I planted over 100 quid of David Austin roses, they were full of life when the rabbits came and chopped them to half their size. By June the roses were magnificent - never mind the Chelsea Chop, I now call it the Rabbit Romp!
  • Singing GardenerSinging Gardener Posts: 1,237
    The first year that I had my David Austin roses the rabbits decimated the new growth so I put mesh guards around them. They are climbing roses so by the second year they were tall enough to be away from the rabbits. Then the deer arrived....
  • itsueyitsuey Posts: 42
    Thankfully no deer where I live, they're always the ones to blame at my parents' house. Them and slugs, which I seem to have a curious absence of too. 

    I think I might try and make a temporary plastic surround until it's tall enough to escape the rabbits. I just wish they'd eat the nettles!
  • itsueyitsuey Posts: 42
    I think I actually did it; I bought some chicken wire and just made metal cloches around the rose and it's looking so good I did it for my tiny oregano plants too! And I managed to get green wire so unless you're looking for it, it doesn't look out of place. 
  • Think yourself lucky!
    Until a few weeks ago I was saying the same after they wiped out my brassicas. Now they have nearly all been wiped out by RHD -rabbit heamoragic disease. It only has around 10% survival rate apparently, which is why our rabbits are now listed as  a 'near threatened' species. They play an important role in creating habitat diversity because of their selective grazing.
    You can minimise their effect by encouraging plenty of the plants they eat and protecting those they love (like brassicas!)
    They did no damage in my garden except for the veg patch, as there were plenty of the wild flowers they like to eat for them to enjoy :)




Sign In or Register to comment.