If You Have A Rabbit Problem In Your Yard, A Popular Flower May Be The Culprit

As cute and cuddly as rabbits may be, the last place you want them is your garden, as they will happily eat its vegetables and flowers. They also eat year-round, so no season is off limits to their munchies. Rabbits go after many different green plants in the spring and summer, including the new vegetation on your flowers and vegetable plants. In the fall and winter, they usually go after the woody plants by gnawing around their base, which frequently destroys the plants. One of the most popular rabbit meals is the common garden petunia (Petunia x hybrida). Since rabbits typically like plants with soft leaves and flowers, the petunia fits the bill with their delicate blooms, making it a favorite of these furry eating machines.

If rabbits are a problem in your garden, try rabbit-resistant plants like mint and garlic which are supposed to discourage rabbits from eating them. As much as we'd like to say otherwise, the unpopular truth is that rabbits will munch on just about anything they can get access to if they're hungry enough, whether it is reported to be rabbit-resistant or not. Some gardeners may just decide to leave petunias out of the picture altogether, but if they happen to be one of your favorite flowers, you can still have them around. That's right — you can still enjoy these lovely blooms without having to find them ravaged by rabbits overnight, the favored feeding time of most wild rabbits, so long as you protect your plants the right way.

One of the common remedies used to keep rabbits away from petunias and other flowers and plants in your garden is cayenne pepper. This remedy is reported to be the secret to humanely banishing rabbits from your garden due to the dislike rabbits have for the hot taste of the pepper and the smell. You just need to sprinkle a generous amount of cayenne (or even red pepper flakes) around your petunias, though you will need to reapply it every few days and whenever it rains. Keep the areas around your garden cleaned up, as well. Rabbits love places where they can hide and quickly retreat to if they feel threatened. Removing their cover by trimming the bushes, keeping the grass mowed, and getting rid of yard debris near your petunias will make the area less appealing since they will have nowhere to hide.

If your petunias are planted in the garden, you can try fencing the garden off, but there are things to consider before installing a fence around your garden. Many people dislike this option since it makes access to the garden more cumbersome and can potentially cause problems for your plants. The most effective way to protect your petunias is to simply keep them out of reach of the rabbits. When you plant your petunias in hanging baskets, window boxes, and in pots, you can keep them up and out of reach of the rabbits completely, preventing them from being able to feast upon your pretty plants or flowers. Rabbits may be able to hop, but they don't typically climb, so your petunias will be safe in the window boxes, baskets, and tall containers placed on the patio or deck.