I'm a new gardener with some empty flower beds that I want to fill with bulbs for spring blooms. However, I've noticed a lot of squirrels in my garden—they're always digging holes in my lawn at night! I've read about a trick where you can plant the bulbs, cover them with wet cardboard, and then add soil on top. This supposedly keeps the weeds away but still allows the bulbs to grow. Will this actually keep squirrels from digging them up? Or will the bulbs struggle to grow through the cardboard? Any advice on this would be appreciated!
5 Answers
I’ve been having some luck not having squirrels touch my bulbs. I planted them not long ago, and although I have a squirrel that digs, it hasn’t shown interest in my bulbs—probably because I added lawn clippings as mulch. It might help to disguise the area from wildlife!
An alternative approach is to plant about 20% more bulbs than you want, as some will likely get dug up. Also, try sprinkling some chili flakes around the area; squirrels tend to dislike that!
I've planted native daffodil bulbs, and while squirrels dig them up occasionally, I think they mainly look for loose soil to bury their hazelnuts. Keep the area packed down to reduce their digging motivation!
I used chicken wire over my bulbs and removed it once the shoots came up. This really kept the squirrels off them! I doubt the cardboard will decompose quickly enough in one season to be effective, though.
You could consider giving your roses a little prune and using those cuttings to cover your beds. Otherwise, laying some chicken wire over the bulbs until they start sprouting can really help, too!