Cucumbers and Rabbits

[greenthumbomaha]

Do I need to protect newly planted cucumbers and squash from rabbits and other field critters? I placed a small chicken wire fence around the transplant but once the large true leaves grow out I don't see how the plant can grow through it. Is there a better rabbit guard?

Never had problems with rabbits snipping anything but peppers, but this year it seems to be open season on my garden. Turkeys and ducks are coming into the suburbs too.

- Lisa

[Stvrob]

I saw your thread title and thought you were going to share a recipe!

[greenthumbomaha]

Last year I ended up planting in a fenced area. Now I'm rotating to a pot. I'm just curious how vulnerable they are to backyard critters.

- Lisa

[jmsieglaff]

I can't say for sure. My gardens are all surrounded by rabbit guard fence. Things outside of the fence that they have eaten this year include baby sunflowers and parsley. I want a coyote to take up residence in our neighborhood and more hawks.

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by jmsieglaff

I can't say for sure. My gardens are all surrounded by rabbit guard fence. Things outside of the fence that they have eaten this year include baby sunflowers and parsley. I want a coyote to take up residence in our neighborhood and more hawks.

You wont get one coyote you will get a whole pack of them.
Even then you will still have rabbits.
I have eagles hawks coyotes wild cats owls foxes possums coons armadillos rabbits deer squirrels skunks and lord only knows what else around the house.

Worth

[Salaam]

Our neighbourhood cats - people's outdoor cats, I think - take care of them. They've done a tiny bit of damage in my garden, established a nest in one of my earthtainers last year!, but as spring rolls into summer, the cats reduce their population significantly. Once in a while I see a rabbit hanging from a cat's jaws! So, if you can, get a good outdoor cat or two!

[MissS]

Well I sure enjoy having a coyote population around here. When they deplete the rabbit population and move on or there is major construction which scares them off, the rabbits quickly get out of control. Rabbits, rabbits everywhere. I love having the coyotes around. They do not bother anyone other than their food source. I even enjoy them howling every time that a train sounds it's whistle. I find it amazing and let's me know that they are still here. The few years that they were gone and I no longer heard them sing with the train, they were sorely missed.

[Elliot]

We don't have a rabbit problem because we feed the ferrel cats and keep them around

[dmforcier]

That's a good point. Cats don't have to kill the rabbits to make them avoid the area.



Rabbits are kinda dim, but they're not stoopid.