How to Keep Rabbits Out Of Your Garden 2023

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Six tried-and-true ways that will work all season long.

Whether you prefer stretches of wildflowers or rows of vegetables, gardens are a labor of love for whomever sets out to plant one. However, there's nothing worse than going to check on your plants and noticing that a creature has been snacking on your beloved blooms overnight. Rabbits are one of the most common, and most annoying, garden pests out there. And because of their small and quick stature, they are notoriously difficult to keep at bay.

If you've been trying to keep rabbits out of your garden, but have previously failed, you're in luck. We've rounded up the six best methods to keep rabbits out of your garden. From natural remedies to fences and more, read on for the six best ways to keep rabbits from eating through all of your hard work.

One of the easiest ways to keep rabbits out of your garden is to install a wire fence around your garden beds. While this isn't the most aesthetically pleasing method of keeping critters at bay, it is very effective. The Farmer's Almanac recommends using chicken wire as opposed to wood or grid wire fencing materials. "Install a fence that is 4 feet high and bury it at least 6 inches deep," the Almanac explains. "Bend the top foot of the fence away from the garden like a security fence so they can’t climb or jump over it." For bulbs, they recommend trying a dome or cage of chicken wire secured over the bed.

Hungry rabbits will eat almost anything, but an easy way to keep them looking elsewhere for food is to plant things that rabbits are known to dislike. Choose plants such as forsythia, lilac bush, zinnias, daffodils, lavender, and snapdragons for flower gardens. For vegetable patches, choose onions, peppers, garlic, or other highly fragrant bulbs. They're also known to not like asparagus or potatoes.

There are a number of plant and pet safe deer and rabbit repellant sprays that you can purchase from your local gardening supply or hardware store. We recommend checking the ingredients to ensure that there is nothing harmful to your, your plants, or your pets before purchasing.

Supposedly, rabbits are afraid of their own reflection, so placing small mirrors or jars filled with water around your garden is said to keep them at bay. Place them near your most valuable plants or the ones they attack the most.

Rabbits sniff around, a lot. So having things that rabbits don't like the smell of is a natural way to keep them away from your garden. Rabbits detest onions, so either planting onion bulbs or sprinkling cut onions around your beds is an easy way to repel them. Repeat the method with Irish Spring soap, hot peppers, garlic, or talcum powder for a similar effect. This method is not foolproof, but gardeners have seen success!

Rabbits don't travel far, so odds are, if they're nibbling in your garden, they live nearby. Start by filling in any holes and blocking off any access to under your home or deck to deter rabbits from nesting. Farmer's Almanac also recommends removing any piles of brush or leaves that rabbits could burrow beneath.

Kate McGregor is House Beautiful’s SEO Editor. She has covered everything from curated decor round-ups and shopping guides, to glimpses into the home lives of inspiring creatives, for publications such as ELLE Decor, Domino, and Architectural Digest’s Clever.

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