Garden rabbits quickly decimate vegetable patches and flower beds, often focusing on the newest, most tender growth. Successfully protecting a garden requires a layered approach using humane, non-lethal, and natural methods. The most reliable strategy involves creating physical obstacles, using strong-smelling repellents, and making the garden a less appealing habitat. These techniques exploit the rabbit’s natural behaviors and highly developed senses of smell and taste.
Creating Physical Exclusion Barriers
Physical barriers offer the most consistent, long-term defense against rabbits grazing on garden plants. An effective rabbit fence requires specific construction details to prevent animals from jumping over or burrowing underneath the barrier. The fence material should be galvanized hardware cloth or chicken wire with a mesh size no larger than one inch, since juvenile rabbits can easily squeeze through larger openings.
The vertical height of the barrier must be at least 24 inches to deter the common cottontail rabbit from hopping over it. Securing the fence posts every few feet provides stability against weather and animal pressure. Preventing burrowing is equally important, requiring the barrier to extend beneath the soil line.
To thwart a rabbit’s digging attempts, bury the bottom edge of the fencing a minimum of six inches deep. For greatest security, the buried portion should be bent outward at a 90-degree angle, forming an “L” shape that extends about six inches away from the garden. When a rabbit attempts to dig under the fence, it encounters this horizontal apron, which it will not instinctively try to dig past.
Utilizing Natural Scent and Taste Repellents
Rabbits possess a highly sensitive sense of smell and taste, which can be leveraged using natural, non-toxic repellents applied directly to or around vulnerable plants. Repellents fall into two categories: those that smell unpleasant and those that taste unpleasant. Capsaicin, the compound found in chili peppers that causes a burning sensation, is a simple and effective taste repellent.
A homemade repellent spray can be created by mixing one teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes and one tablespoon of dish soap—which acts as an adhesive—into one quart of water. Another recipe combines crushed garlic cloves, crushed red peppers, and dish soap into a gallon of water, allowing it to steep for a day to maximize potency. The strong odor of crushed garlic itself is a significant deterrent.
The repellent must be applied directly to the plants, as effectiveness relies on making the foliage taste or smell unappetizing. Reapplication is necessary because ingredients break down over time and are easily washed away by rain or overhead watering. New plant growth will not be protected, requiring fresh applications every week or two, especially during periods of rapid growth.
Strategic Planting and Garden Design
Modifying the garden environment by altering plant selection and removing potential shelter significantly reduces a garden’s appeal to rabbits. Certain plants are naturally avoided due to their strong aromatic oils, fuzzy foliage texture, or unpalatable taste. Strong-smelling herbs such as lavender, rosemary, mint, and sage are often bypassed by foraging rabbits, making them excellent choices for planting along garden borders.
The Allium family, which includes ornamental onions and garlic, is disliked because of its pungent odor. Plants with a fuzzy or prickly texture, like Lamb’s Ears and Russian Sage, are less appealing than smooth, tender leaves. Conversely, rabbits are highly attracted to young, tender plants, which should be prioritized for protection with physical barriers, including:
- Clover
- Lettuce
- Beans
- Peas
- Young cabbage
Environmental management is a powerful deterrent, focusing on eliminating areas where rabbits might seek shelter or build nests. Rabbits look for dense cover to hide from predators and raise their young, so removing these elements makes the area feel less safe. Clearing away brush piles, stacks of lumber, tall weeds, and overgrown ground cover near the garden perimeter eliminates these attractive hiding spots. Keeping the area clear of debris and ensuring stored items do not provide safe harbor reduces the likelihood of rabbits establishing a permanent presence.