How to Keep Rabbits From Eating Garden Plants

Overview

When the rabbits eat your ornamental plants and vegetables, it's time to take action. You have several options to keep rabbits from eating garden plants, with a fence being the most effective. Whether you choose a low fence or a natural soil amendment that often repels rabbits, with tenacity and effort, you should gain the upper hand and keep the rabbits away.

Fences

Step 1

Dig a 3-inch-deep trench around the entire perimeter of your garden for installing the fence. Make the trench approximately 2 to 3 inches wide. Spread the tarp nearby and place the soil you remove from the trench onto the tarp. You will return this soil along the trench to secure the bottom of the fence.

Step 2

Drive one fence post every 4 to 6 feet along the trench using the post driver. Drive the fence posts at least 3 inches deeper than the trench to secure the posts.

Step 3

Stretch the chicken wire along the trench and curve the bottom of the chicken wire in the trench so the bottom of the chicken wire bends at a 90-degree angle outward away from the growing area. Attach the chicken wire to the fence posts using nylon ties.

Step 4

Fill the soil back into the trench to cover the bottom 3 inches of the fence. As you cover the fence, make sure the fence remains bent at the 90-degree angle, away from the growing area. This will prevent rabbits from digging under the fence.

Blood Meal

Step 1

Fill the shallow containers with enough blood meal to cover the bottoms of the containers and place the containers around the base of plants that rabbits find appealing.

Step 2

Sprinkle a thin layer of blood meal onto the soil around established plants. Rake the blood meal into the soil lightly with the hand rake.

Step 3

Reapply the blood meal once each week or after heavy rains.