QA

Quick Answer: How To Keep Groundhogs Out Of Vegetable Garden

Lavender – Try planting some lavender around the garden. While it smells lovely to us, groundhogs find it offensive and avoid the areas where it is. They also dislike the smell of these herbs: basil, chives, lemon balm, mint, sage, thyme, rosemary, and oregano.

What smells do groundhogs hate?

3. Plants as deterrents. Plants with strong fragrances, such as lavender, will keep groundhogs out of your garden. The Farmers’ Almanac says groundhogs also dislike the smell of these herbs: mint, sage, basil, lemon balm, rosemary, thyme, chives and oregano.

What vegetables will groundhogs not eat?

Avoid Brassicas In my experience, groundhogs are especially fond of anything in the cabbage family. That means no broccoli, cauliflower, kale, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, turnips, radishes or mustards. Too bad they are so tasty and healthy.

Does Irish Spring keep groundhogs away?

Irish Spring is an effective repellent against groundhogs. A bar of soap should be hung from a post or fence to scare off groundhogs and prevent them from digging up the lawn or eating the plants.

Will vinegar get rid of groundhogs?

Mix ammonia with washing detergent, vinegar, hot pepper and soap and pour the mixture down each hole. This may have to be repeated for a few days until the groundhogs go away. This may have to be repeated if it gets washed off.

How do I get rid of groundhogs in my garden?

Sprinkle blood meal, ground black pepper, dried blood, or talcum powder around the perimeter of your garden. You can try using hair clippings as well. Puree and strain hot peppers and garlic, mix them with water and enough liquid soap to make it stick, and spray it liberally around the garden.

Do marigolds deter groundhogs?

Groundhogs do not like noxious smells. They particularilly do not like certain flowers like marigolds, snapdragons, dianthus, ageratum, nicotiana, sweet alyssum, and annual poppies. The bonus is that you will have beautiful flowers to view and plants that are unappealing to groundhogs.

Do groundhogs hate coffee grounds?

Maybe the coffee smell will be a deterrent. It’s a great soil amendent, in any case. Woodchucks seem to have very distinct foraging preferences — curcurbits, tomatillos, kale, and beans are greatly preferred.

Will groundhogs eat tomato plants?

Woodchucks. Woodchucks are messy eaters that often trample the tomato plant in the process of eating the tomatoes. Although woodchucks prefer peas, beans and corn, they often dine on tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage and other tender vegetables.

Do groundhogs eat zucchini plants?

One simple way to discourage groundhogs is to harvest your garden often. Their favorite foods include young, tender greens like lettuce and cabbage, as well as cantaloupes, green beans, cucumbers, zucchini, and corn. Pick them as soon as they’re ripe instead of leaving them in the garden for a few days.

What is the best repellent for groundhogs?

Lavender – Try planting some lavender around the garden. While it smells lovely to us, groundhogs find it offensive and avoid the areas where it is. They also dislike the smell of these herbs: basil, chives, lemon balm, mint, sage, thyme, rosemary, and oregano.

Do mothballs repel groundhogs?

Groundhogs hate the smell of mothballs, but the truth is, they are just not strong enough to scare these rodents away.4 days ago.

Will Irish Spring soap hurt my plants?

Irish Spring soap does not always eliminate pests completely but can be a helpful tool to reduce the rate of attack on plants. Irish Spring won’t hurt your plants, either, so if you’re growing edibles you won’t have to worry about contaminating your produce with chemicals.

How do you humanely get rid of groundhogs?

To humanely trap a woodchuck, set up a trap close to (but not blocking) the burrow entrance. Use a piece of fruit as groundhog bait and replace it daily. Once the groundhog is trapped, release it away from the yard and populated areas.

Does bleach deter groundhogs?

Insert a funnel into the hose and pour a quart of chlorine bleach down the hose. Immediately pour a quart of ammonia after the bleach. Pull the hose out and stomp the dirt solid. If you did it right, that woodchuck will never see the sun again.

What time are groundhogs most active?

Activity: Groundhogs are diurnal (active during the day) from spring to fall. Most activity occurs during the early morning and early evening hours, at which groundhogs emerge from their burrows to gather food.

Can you flood a groundhog hole?

Take the mortars and bale to the groundhog hole, light the mortar, throw it as far down the hole as you can get, then drop the bale on top of the hole and sit on it. The blast will send a concussion wave through the tunnel and kill or at least seriously injure any groundhogs in the tunnel.

What do groundhogs eat to trap them?

Bait the trap with apple slices, cantaloupe, other fruits or vegetables such as carrots and lettuce, or use professional paste baits. Change or refresh baits daily. When food is abundant, woodchucks may not respond to bait. In that case, wire the trap door and bait the trap.

Do groundhogs eat hot pepper plants?

With plenty to choose from, groundhogs by me have NOT eaten tomatoes, peppers, and corn. However, if they ran out of other veggies I’m betting they might find them tasty, too.

Does lavender repel groundhogs?

Many herbs have vegetation and/or leaves that smell wonderful to humans but that pests find repellent. Lavender (Lavandula) is such an herb. Harvest those fragrant stems and lavender-colored flowers that the groundhogs conveniently avoided all summer and use them in potpourris for your home in winter.

Will groundhogs eat hostas?

Groundhogs can devastate a garden very quickly. In your garden, they eat freshly planted annuals and returning perennials, hostas, and just about every leafy herb and vegetable in the veggie patch.