Page 52 - Sonoma County Gazette May 2020

Ways to Keep Cats & Dogs Away From Your Garden
By Archie Adams
Gardening might be very dear to you. It is, therefore, horrifying to imagine
your hard work getting destroyed. Sadly this happens way too often when cats and dogs gain access to your garden. The good news, though, is that there are effective ways of keeping these intruders at bay.
Use peels to get some scent: What goes for the cat goes for the dog! Both dogs and cats hate the smell of pepper, citrus oil, cayenne, and mothballs. Peels of grapefruits, oranges, limes, and lemons tossed into your garden work wonders. Ants don’t like them either. Next time you are sitting in your garden, grab and orange to enjoy while you survey your day’s accomplishments..
Dogs also have some smells that they particularly don’t like. Place chili, citronella, pepper, vinegar, and garlic on strategic places in your garden. As you might notice, all these plants produce a strong smell, which is a good deterrent since dogs have a sensitive sense of smell.
Use a sprinkler: A motion-detector on your sprinkler is a perfect deterrent for cats and dogs. They will get an unpleasant experience when they get a gush of water when the sprinklers activate as a result of their motion. The experience will discourage the intruders from making a return trip to your garden! Moreover, apart from the cold water, the noise the sprinkler makes also frightens the animals.
Use an artificial fence: One of the most effective ways of protecting your garden, especially from dogs, is erecting a fence. Unlike cats, dogs can’t climb over a fence, so make the fence high enough so they don’t JUMP over it! If you build a very short fence, the dogs, especially the larger ones, will effortlessly leap over and land in your precious garden!
Use a live fence: If you do not want to use wood or another artificial material to construct a fence, then you can use a live fence. The best way to keep cats out of the garden is to use plants that have thorns. The pricking is enough to keep any intruder at bay. Also, make sure that the plants are close together such that the garden pets do not find a hole to get in.
Cats like to dig for different reasons from dogs! Loose, soft soil quickly becomes a great place to use instead of a litter box. Groundcover in otherwise bare spots is the easiest solution. It also keeps weeds from becoming established and reduces evaporation from hot sun. When you put down a heavy layer of compost mulch for summer, get fast-growing, low-lying ground cover started. The faster spreading the better. If it has a strong scent, even better. Low thyme not only creates a textured surface, you can pick leaves for cooking! There are many groundcovers that grow well in sun or shade. Ask your local nursery for help choosing what works best for your site.
Thru -May 31. Thur-Mon, 9-4. Forest sanctuary
open for strolling to help stay sane while staying safe. 8 acres with miles of trails and serene settings in a magical forest. Face masks required, social distancing protocols need be observed. Donations appreciated. Hidden Forest Nursery, 3970 Azalea Lane, Sebastopol INFO: 707-823-6832 - http://www.sonomahort.com/
52 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 5/20