Cats and Gardens

The last time we talked about dogs and gardens, this time we'll touch on the other popular pet, the cat. How do we keep cats out of our gardens? Are they as easy to control as dogs? Or are they totally different? Hugh Harris Evans discusses how we can deal with our feline friends when we tend to our gardens.

Cat Repellent Or How To Keep Cats Out of Your Garden

Do cat repellents work? How to stop a cat from using garden as litterbox? Tell me how to keep cats out of my garden. These are common questions of concern to all gardeners but is there a real answer?

The first line of defence is to ensure that your yard boundaries are secure. Any gaps in your fence should be blocked to deny low level access. But cats can jump so fix a taut wire or string some six inches above the top of your fence to deter this approach.

Once inside your garden many people say that the best cat repellent is a dog who will soon see off any feline invader. If you are not a dog lover then you will have to resort to more passive methods. Since cats like to lie on freshly dug soil you should lay mulch on your borders so that no bare soil is left exposed. Seed beds should be covered with wire netting or twigs arranged as a barrier.

Young trees should have plastic guards fitted around their trunks to protect them against use as a scratching pole. Your garden pond should be covered with netting to keep your fish safe.

Cats are generally known to dislike water so a well aimed bucketful or a squirt with the hose will certainly make an intruder run. After one or two dousings it may learn the lesson and stay away.

To protect plants and borders both mothballs and citrus are said to be effective deterrents. Place the mothballs, orange peel or lemon rind in the borders. Alternatively spray cloths with orange scented air freshener and place the cloths around the plants you wish to protect. Other known cat repellents are cayenne pepper, coffee grounds, pipe tobacco, lavender oil, lemon grass oil, citronella oil, eucalyptus oil and mustard oil.

Certain herbs are said to deter cats. In particular rue but not catmint which has the opposite effect. Coleus canina is another plant which is marketed by one merchant as a cat repellent.

The broadcaster Jerry Baker has suggested treating your yard with a tonic made from chewing tobacco, urine, birth control pills, mouthwash, molasses, detergent and beer. A smallholder has reported success using dried rabbit blood but you may feel that the ingredients listed in the previous paragraph should be tried first.

If you visit your local garden center or hardware store you will find several cat repellent products on sale. These range from electric water sprinklers and ultrasonic devices to sprays and granules.

Motion activated sprinklers act in the same way as a burglar alarm using an infra red detector. When the cat enters the area covered by the detector the sprinkler shoots out a jet of water to scare the animal away. It is claimed that, after one or two encounters with the jet, the cat will learn to avoid the area.

Ultrasonic devices emit a high frequency sound which is annoying to cats (and dogs) but is not audible to humans. There are various different models some of which operate continuously and others which have an infra red detector and only emit a pulse of sound when the cat triggers the device. To be successful you need to ensure that the model is powerful enough to cover the area you wish to protect. In addition make sure that the sound frequency is designed for larger animals since some models are intended to deter insects and so would be no use for cats.

There are also commercial scent cat repellents. Those that use chemicals should be kept away from any food crops but the essential oil based granule varieties act in the same way as orange and lemon peel mentioned above. Another way to keep a cat out if the garden is a repellent evaporator which consists of a container holding puffed rice which has been impregnated with essential oils. These are effective for three to four weeks and can then be refilled for a further period. Another natural product which many people claim really keeps a cat out of the garden is lion's dung. You may need to visit your local zoo to obtain this although some stores do stock zoo poo.

In Ontario, Canada the local township provides a cat trap service. Once the animal enters the cage it cannot escape but is completely unharmed. The owner has to pay to recover his pet and so should be encouraged not to let the cat stray in future. Apparently few owners bother to reclaim their cats but just obtain another kitten. However this sounds like a good way of dealing with a cat that cannot be deterred by any other method. If there is no such scheme in your area, just buy your own trap.

So, to recap, the first priority is to secure your boundary fences. Then you have the whole selection of suggested cat repellents ranging from homemade recipes to expensive commercial gadgets. I would suggest that you try the orange peel and prickly twigs for a start. If you are around when the intruder appears, try the bucket of water or hose. Even if you miss, the shock may be a sufficient deterrent. If these do not do the trick, then you may have to consider the commercial alternatives.

Hugh Harris-Evans is the owner of The Garden Supplies Advisor where you will find further articles, gardening tips and product reviews.

gardening tips, cats and gardens, cat repellent

Dogs And Gardens

A comment I received on my previous post from a dog training enthusiast, led me to write about this topic. For those of us with dogs and gardens, it's important that we allow the two to coexist in a peaceful, and meaningful manner.

How do we enjoy our gardens with our dogs? Yvonne Cunnington, an avid gardener and dog lover, has written an article that sums this situation up nicely:

Dogs and Gardens: 10 Tips for Enjoying Your Dog and Your Garden Too

For as long as I've been gardening, I have shared my love of the outdoors with one-of-a-kind dogs ("mutts" to most people). I certainly can't imagine gardening without a dog keeping me company. Here are some tips to help you make this work for you too.

Set the ground rules first

• Be clear about how you want your dog to behave in the garden. Set the ground rules for your dog from the start. As with people, pet habits, once established, can be a challenge to change.
• Remember that bored dogs are most likely to get into trouble, so use walks and games to use up excess energy that might otherwise go into destructive garden behavior. (Your dog burns calories this way, and so do you!)
• Decide where your dog is allowed to go and where you don't want him to go.
• Be consistent. It doesn't help if you let the dog do what he wants when the flowerbed is weedy, but then expect him to respect the garden when it's all tidied up.

Dogs and gardens - training tips

Dogs like to be where people are, so when you're in the garden, take your dog with you for at least part of the time, and when you're not, keep your dog with you indoors.

• When you're with your dog, you have lots of opportunities to encourage and train behavior you like and discourage activities that are destructive to the garden.
• To keep dogs out of flowerbeds, use a verbal cue such as "out of the garden." This works best if you're actually in the garden with your dog.
• It may be expensive, but a fenced yard is a godsend for dogs and gardens.
• Some people use invisible fencing – a system that delivers an electronic shock via a receiver in a special dog collar. Actual fences are more effective because they both keep your dog in the yard and other animals out. As well, your dog can't escape, ignoring the electrical shock when chasing a squirrel, for example, and then getting shocked when trying to get back into the yard.

Garden safety and your dog

When you have dogs or other pets spending time in the garden, choose alternatives to chemical lawn and garden care.

• If you use pest control products, even organic ones, keep pets out of the garden when you're applying them.
• Keep your dog away from treated areas for as long as recommended, usually until the treated area is dry or 24 hours.

For more information about which garden chemicals you must keep away from your pet dog, see http://www.flower-gardening-made-easy.com/Dogs-and-gardens.html | If you have problems with dogs and lawns, visit http://www.flower-gardening-made-easy.com/dogs-and-lawns.html | For pet-friendly garden design ideas, see http://www.flower-gardening-made-easy.com/Pet-friendly-garden.html

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Edibility

Last time we discussed factors to take into consideration when designing container gardens.

Although flowers, and regular plants work in containers, most people don't consider edible crops. Today we'll discuss fruits, vegetables and herbs that work well in container gardening.

Fruits

Citrus plants work well in container gardens. Oranges, lime, and lemon are common. The foliage is very attractive even in limited light, but the more light the better. Citrus plants bloom during long spring and summer seasons. They are very fragrant, and can be harvested in the late fall or winter.

Blueberries also work. They can tolerate extremely cold temperatures, but they require special "acid soil" and even better drainage than citrus. They bloom in the spring, bear fruit in early summer, and have attractive foliage.

Vegetables

Perhaps the most popular container vegetable is the Tomato. With tomatoes, the larger the container the better. This is necessary because, when watering, the water distributes better. During hot summers, water every day and fertilize with a soluble fertilizer every week. Tomatoes usually grow as vines, so use a wire mesh cage to keep the vine upright. Plant tomatoes in August for the fall and early April for the spring. Give them as much sunlight as possible.

Other vegetables that work in containers are peppers and eggplant. Treat these as careful as tomatoes for optimum bearing. Onions, leaf lettuce, and carrots work as well, and can tolerate more shade than the other plants.

Herbs

Common herbs grown in containers are thyme, rosemary, and mint. These plants are very fragrant, and release pleasing scents. They are a valuable addition to any container garden. Water them regulary, and give them enough sunlight. Fertilizer is not too important, but overfertilization can be a hazard. They can be grown year round, but be careful in extreme temperatures.


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Interesting Blogs

Here are some interesting blogs relating to gardening, and promoting health for a healthy well being.

• Build A Water Garden
  
  
  
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Check them out.

Gardens In A Box

Perhaps the easiest type of garden to create is a box or "container garden". These gardens take up little space, and are very enjoyable and satisfying because they are so simple to design.

A container garden is made up of plants growing in pots, boxes or other containers. It is usually used for decorational purposes, but can be useful in places where land is not suitable for plants and crops, or there is limited space. They usually consist of flowers or plants, but it is possible to also grow fruit, herbs, or vegetables.

When designing a container garden take these factors into consideration:

Size.

Different plants need different root space, so the height of the container is important. If you are growing root vegetables, note the size a typical item, and take into consideration how many you want to plant in one container. Also, consider how much water can be held in your container when it is watered. You don't want to drown the plant, but you do want to keep it adequately watered. Provide proper drainage holes at the bottom of your container as well, to prevent overwatering.

Light.

Keep your containers in a well lit place, where the sun can reach your plants. Some fruits, vegetables and herbs can manage well in shady places, but the more light your plants receive, the better off they will be.

Temperature.

Keep the area around your containers at a moderate temperature. Say about 70 degrees Farenheit. If it gets too cold, say below 30 degrees Farenheit, it is best to cover up your plants with cloth and plastic, or move them inside to a warmer environment, if they are outside.

Next time we will discuss what types of fruits, vegetables, and herbs grow and manage well in container gardens.


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Gardens are special in that they reflect the unique personality of their creators. Some people prefer large gardens, others may want small intimate gardens. Some people may enjoy it as a hobby, where others may garden for income or food.

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