Rabbits keep eating the tops off my green beans as soon as the first true leaves appear. I rent and want to protect a small garden without building anything permanent. What tends to work?
How do I keep rabbits from clipping my bean seedlings?
Asked by Quiet Orbit
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Put a temporary wire fence around the beans, with the bottom pinned snugly to the soil so they cannot slip underneath. Chicken wire and a few stakes can be removed later, and you can make a small enclosure just for the seedlings.
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Cover the plants themselves while they are small. A simple frame with fine mesh or a rigid wire cover can keep rabbits from reaching the leaves, as long as the edges are secured and the cover has room for the beans to grow. Check for gaps at ground level too. A tall fence is no help if they can squeeze through or dig under it.
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Repellent sprays may help as an extra layer, but results vary, so I would not trust one to protect the first tender leaves by itself. Follow the label and reapply as directed. Planting something else nearby for them to eat is also unpredictable. A physical barrier is the dependable starting point.
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