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Is there anything apart from fencing to discourage rabbits from eating plants? I live on the borders of Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire




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Not that I've found. Fencing's the only answer, or growing only plants that rabbits won't touch - and there aren't many of those. Even plants that adults don't eat are munched by babies while they're learning what to eat and what not. And it's not much consolation to find the spat out bits of penstemon, or whatever, they've decided isn't edible after all.

The only reliably not-eaten plants I have are - japanese anemones, alyssum, bluebells, daffs & narcissi, foxgloves, lavender, lilies, lychnis coronaria, oregano, penstemons (but they get a bit nibbled & spat out), pelargoniums, schizostylis, sempervivums, sweet williams (but other Dianthus species must be very tasty) some thymes (I find the silver edged leaf one survives well).

You can get shrubs and larger plants established inside a cylinder of wire netting for a few years, then remove it and accept that leaves and shoots up to about 2 feet above ground level will be eaten, but the plant survives.

I've read the list of supposedly rabbit proof plants on the RHS website and disagree with lots of their listing - they get munched in my garden. Perhaps it depends how desperate your local bunnies are!

5 Sep, 2011

 

There is some help online. If you google 'rabbit resistant gardening' you will find suggestions for plants rabbits don't like. Of course, these may not be the plants you want to have in your garden, but stocking a fair few which they won't eat may be a bit of a help. I know they don't like lavender or euphorbias, for example, and others here will suggest many more.

5 Sep, 2011

 

I've had euphorbias eaten to inch-high stumps over a week-end, so don't believe everything you read about rabbit resistant plants.

5 Sep, 2011

 

NNDC had a spray to stop rabbits eating plants..they ate everything that had been sprayed. Patience and a shotgun

5 Sep, 2011

 

dried chilli flakes from the supermarket ( cheapest in the ethnic section) not the powder which gets washed away-- this has worked all summer for me and my neighbour, we both had a lot of trouble in troughs and tubs, make sure some flakes/seed goes on the foliage AND use glove and dont touch your eyes!!
I originally read it dererred squirrels so I experimented--I'd love to know if it works for you too

5 Sep, 2011

 

I tried chilli flakes & found that they worked for a few days then the rabbits were back.

More plants they don't eat -
Ferns & fuchsias.

5 Sep, 2011

 

you have to be more persistent than the little perrishers!!
I've used about a 500g bag and as yet they havn't developed a taste for it!

5 Sep, 2011

 

I expect it depends what other options your rabbits have. I have a large area of garden and there aren't a wide range of other plants to eat available nearby. I expect your neighbours are inadvertantly feeding your local bunnies, Pam. Which is fine, if they leave you alone :-)

5 Sep, 2011

 

Shotgun! hehe! I have noticed though that my bunny population has dropped over the summer . On return from my summer hols the garden was not the usual party venue for the rabbits that it usually is . I have only seen 1 rabbit in the garden over the last few days and it seems to have mixy so hopefully that will cull some of the local population for a while anyway.I agree with Beattie on which plants dont seem as attractive and also fuschias thankfully as I love these.

6 Sep, 2011

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