Why does gardening bring out the inner Rambo in me? I am constantly fighting with the squirrels, the slugs, and the rabbits. They eat my young plants. I swear one day there is a sunflower seedling. *Poof,* it is gone. (And we aren’t talking Fairy Godmother stuff here.) Well, the infuriated got resourceful. And guess what? Trash became my new best critter defense.
Anna, seriously? Trash?
Using Ordinary Trash to Stop the Critters:
Last week I wrote about using panty hose to stop squirrels and chipmunks from hollowing out my squashes. However, you can’t use panty hose to cover young broccoli plants (which slugs love) or sunflower seedlings (which every animal loves. *Sign*)
My advice? Use the following:
1. Milk and Juice carton containers: Cut out the bottom and cut the container in half. Discard the top. Use the sections for plants like sunflower, melon, or zucchini plants.
2. Ice cream tubs: Cut out the bottom and use them for plants that are a little larger such as cauliflower, broccoli, or cabbage. They spread their leaves above the tubs sides.
3. Large Drinking Cups: Cut out the bottom and use for plants that will stand up such as collard greens, kale, and radishes.
The beauty of using these paper products are you can tear the sides when the plant gets bigger. Watch the video above to see my trash bed. It is a work of art!
Read tomorrow’s post on how to use other trash in the garden. Be sure to add your comments below of how you keep critters from eating your young plants’ leaves.
P.S. I lost a pepper yesterday. Someone ate its leaves. I have a nine foot fence around the garden but it doesn’t stop the critters who can climb. Or slither.
Join the Conversation:
- What trash do you use in the garden?
Tiffany (NatureMom) says
I am so frustrated! I have lost four pepper plants and any sunflowers that sprout. Gotta try this. Grrr!
Anna@Green Talk says
It would definitely use the cup for the sunflowers so they don’t nip the leaves. Anna
Michele Elise says
The slugs…I wake up and walk outside and dried silvery slug slime trails are EVERYWHERE!!! But the big question here is and note here I’m pretty inexperienced with gardening at present… Don’t the slugs just crawl over the sides of the cups?? Should we be treating the rims of the cups with something? (I’m thinking I could share a little of my Margarita salt with them, as I don’t drink often (not nearly enough with this many kids lolz))Also for the milk cartons, I noticed yours was folding up a bit. I think if you left a tiny triangle in each bottom corner that would prevent it from collapsing, although I don’t know if that is ever really an issue. Likely the plants leaves hold it out reasonably.
Anna@Green Talk says
Michele, I don’t do anything special with the milk cartons. I did a horrible job cutting them so that is why it may look like bent them. I also push the cups, etc into the soil to give them a little barrier from anything climbing under them. As for the slugs, I am going to put cooper tape around the bed especially the strawberries.
Love the margarita salt idea!
Gillie says
Did the copper work? It didn’t for us. Apparently pin head oatmeal is good – they eat it and then swell up so a bit gross. Not tried it yet but as soon as it stops raining I will!
Lori Popkewitz Alper says
Interesting solution Anna! I’m just waiting for everything in our garden to be eaten by critters. It happens every year. Maybe I’ll give this a try and hope for the best!
Gillie says
I’m trying to to have any rubbish but it sneaks in, mainly when the rest of the family go shopping without me! I use the plastic punnets that soft fruit come in and the cardboard juice containers to grow on my seedlings. The punnets are self explanatory, for the juice cartons lie them on one long side and cut the top side out. Bingo! They stack well in the greenhouse too. Plastic milk bottle for cloches and old cracked bowls and pans for planters. Love your blog.
Anna@Green Talk says
Gillie, love your ideas. Never thought of using the plastic punnets. Anna
Thanks for the compliment about my blog. Anna
pixlification says
what about using copper tape around the cups to deter slugs/snails???
would this not bolster the whole thing?