Rabbits are often drawn to the tender new growth of spring and fresh vegetable starts, causing significant damage quickly. Protecting your garden requires a layered approach combining physical exclusion, sensory deterrence, and habitat modification. Understanding the habits of rabbits allows you to implement practical strategies to keep your plants safe.
Building Effective Physical Barriers
The most reliable defense against rabbits is a properly installed physical barrier, as this directly prevents access to the protected area. A fence must be tall enough to prevent jumping and secure enough to prevent burrowing, which requires specific construction details. The netting should extend at least 2 to 3 feet above the ground line to be effective.
Galvanized wire netting or hardware cloth are the best material options. The mesh openings must be small, ideally no larger than 1 inch, to ensure that young rabbits cannot squeeze through the barrier.
To stop rabbits from digging under the fence, the barrier material must be buried at least 6 inches deep into the soil. For maximum effectiveness, the bottom 6 inches of the mesh should be bent outward in an “L” shape, extending away from the garden before being buried. This flange prevents the rabbit’s tendency to dig directly down next to the vertical fence line.
Using Taste and Scent Repellents
Repellents work by creating an environment that is unattractive to rabbits, targeting their sense of smell or taste. Commercial products often contain active ingredients like putrescent egg solids, which create an unpleasant taste on the foliage, or sulfur and bone tar oil, which function as strong odor deterrents. These are classified as contact repellents, meaning they must be applied directly onto the plants that require protection.
Area repellents, which include ingredients like bloodmeal or various essential oils such as peppermint and rosemary, deter rabbits with a strong smell rather than an off-putting taste. Regardless of the type used, the effectiveness of any repellent is heavily dependent on regular reapplication. Rain, irrigation, or even heavy dew can wash away the active ingredients, necessitating reapplication every three to four weeks, or immediately following significant rainfall.
New plant growth is completely unprotected until it is treated, so you must spray any foliage that has emerged since the last application. Rabbits can also become accustomed to a single repellent over time, a process known as habituation. To counteract this, a successful strategy involves rotating between two or more different types of repellents, ideally alternating between a taste-based product and a scent-based product.
Long-Term Habitat Management
Beyond immediate barriers and repellents, modifying the surrounding habitat can significantly reduce a garden’s appeal to rabbits. These animals seek out areas that provide both food and secure cover. Removing or reducing potential hiding places near the garden perimeter is a proactive step that makes the area less inviting.
This includes clearing away brush piles, stacks of wood, and tall, dense weeds that offer shelter from predators. Rabbits also use low decks and sheds as nesting sites, so blocking access underneath these structures should be considered. Ensuring that pet food or water bowls are not left outside overnight eliminates secondary food and water sources that might attract them.
Plant Selection
A strategic long-term measure is to select plants that rabbits naturally avoid when planning your garden. Rabbits generally dislike plants with strong odors, prickly or fuzzy leaves, or those that exude a milky sap. Plants such as Catmint, Russian Sage, Geraniums, and Lavender are often avoided due to their pungent scent or unappealing texture.
Conversely, rabbits tend to favor plants with tender, smooth leaves, such as lettuce, peas, beans, and clover. While no plant is entirely rabbit-proof, incorporating less-preferred varieties can reduce the overall food incentive. Using these less-palatable plants as a border around more vulnerable crops can also help to steer rabbits away from their favorite targets.