Keeping Cats OUT of the Garden | Pantry Chat Podcast Short

We’re all busy and have a lot on our schedules, and sometimes we only have time for a quick podcast. Come listen to this podcast short as we answer your questions in a short amount of time.

Today’s podcast short is all about how to keep cats and other pests out of the garden. Though we haven’t perfected this, here are some of our tips.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

MORE ABOUT US!

Grow, Preserve & Thrive with us!

A few highlights you don't want to miss are our FREEBIES!!

FREE PDF DOWNLOADS:
- Permaculture for Your Homestead- An introduction to permaculture with some strategies for applying it to one’s homestead and garden.
- Carolyn’s Cottage Garden herb list - Carolyn’s favorite herbs for growing at home.

[charlaemery]

Simple solution, I just cut livestock panels to fit the tops of my raised beds, keeps all critters from digging or laying on top of your newly planted beds. Plus it gives you a nice planting grid. 5 cat momma and longtime gardener.

[mossy_hollow_creations]

For pots - I’ve seen an old gardener gal here in TN put the wire hanging planters (without the coconut liner and chains) upside down over the pot so it acts like a decorative metal dome - she did it to keep her chickens from pecking the seeds out. Would work for cats as well.

[grace]

I used chicken wire laid flat over my raised flower beds (and stapled down to the bed) the plants grow through the metal. The only issue I ran into was one cat enjoyed laying on top of the wiring like a hammock and would bring her kittens up there to nurse. I thought it was adorable and a win-win situation, lol.

[sharonwittmayer]

I haven’t had a problem since I planted garlic and shallots randomly through the raised beds…. Not sure why it works but it does

[Pryjmaty]

I put bamboo skewers all through my raised beds to keep the cats out.

[permieforlife]

Bend the edges of hardware cloth to make a slightly raised metal cover for the areas they prefer.

[torchx]

works 100% of the time. Lemons!! We had problems for years and then an old farmer told us to squeeze lemon juice on the outside of where you dont want them to go and leave the squeezed lemons on the ground surrounding the garden roughly 1 foot apart. You can rip the lemons into quarters and drop them also Im telling you it works 100% of the time.

[aarrbash]

When seeding, keep it moist at all times. They will look for somewhere dry. Ideally find a corner of the garden and dump a few bags of sand. Then they will prefer that. Good to hear I'm not the only one with this issue.

[ferngulleyhomestead]

I’ve laid scrap metal fencing directly on top of freshly seeded ground and it works fantastic. Once the plants are grown up a little bit, I remove the wire and add mulch.

[tinabow]

I have that problems with the neighbors cat's so what I did but old chicken wires on top of it my raised beds or the fencing wasn't touching what I was grown is on the wood and the cats stopped.

[mossy_hollow_creations]

Sections of chicken wire over the top - they also can be removed easily when the plants grow in. Also sticks poked in the soil all around the area so they can’t really even walk around in it - large toothpicks in pots - the plants grow in just fine around the sticks. My cats decimate my pots and the chicken wire or stick/ picks stopped it.

[FineFeatheredHomestead]

We raised chicken wire above the raised bed sides on metal posts, and lay a more rigid wire mesh over top. It's kept the stray cats out well, though it does make gardening more challenging moving the mesh around.

[preppergodgbee]

I schedule the timer of the drip irrigation to run a very short cycle in the evening, deters cats because they hate moist soil.

[elaineoutdoors]

I get cayenne pepper in bulk, it's cheap and cats won't go there because they sniff around before doing their business. Reapply periodically

[roseharrell]

My neighbor taught me last year to poke plastic forks (handles down) into the soil scattered throughout. It works!

[MarciPrice-cleq]

I use those kids little spinner toys on a stick..I put all around my beds..inside & out...no cats..

[azure]

Biild cages to height of your plants, 12, 18, 24 inches. 2x2" square to fit on top of 4x4 ft plots.attach chicken wire to 2 adjacent sides, bend at appropriate ht and width, attach to other side. Keeps out cats, rabbits, squirrels, and birds. Reference Mel Bartholomew, Sqrare Foot Gardening.

[karenw]

Forks, prong up - skewers placed at odd angles - motion sensor sprinklers

[krickette]

I use Growers Solutions weed fabric on my raised garden bed now, but prior to that I bought rolls of green plastic wire from Home Depot and cut them to fit. Sunlight and water can get through and the cats won't . I use the green wire over my flower beds now and it works great there too.

[cjdflkj]

I’d have cayenne pepper in my beds, and have a cayenne free bed for the cat, it’s designated the kitties box. You have to reapply, but this keeps out nice too as mice get around by scent.