How To Keep Animals Away From Tomato Plants

Tomato Institute Protection: How To Protect Tomato Plants From Animals

By: Darcy Larum, Landscape Designer

While birds, hornworms and other insects are common pests of tomato plants, animals can likewise be a trouble sometimes likewise. Our gardens can be total of nigh ripened fruits and vegetables ane twenty-four hours, then eaten downward to bare stalks the next day. Continue reading to learn about animals that target tomato plants and lycopersicon esculentum plant protection.

Tomato plant Plant Protection

If your tomato plants are being eaten and you have ruled out birds or insects every bit the culprits, animals could be the problem. Most gardeners are used to battling rabbits, squirrels or deer but don't think much almost protecting plants from these other beast pests:

• Woodchucks
• Gophers
• Chipmunks
• Opossum
• Raccoons
• Moles
• Voles

We also don't like to think that our ain pets and livestock (like goats) could be the trouble.

Mole or vole impairment to plants is often not detected until information technology is too late to salve the plant. These animal pests eat the roots of the plant, non annihilation above the ground. In fact, you will well-nigh likely never encounter the mole or vole considering if they do come above ground, it is usually only at nighttime and even then information technology is rare. So, if foliage and fruits of your tomato plant are existence eaten past something, it's very unlikely that it is moles or voles.

How to Protect Lycopersicon esculentum Plants from Animals

Try raised beds for keeping animal pests from eating tomatoes and other garden plants. Raised beds that are 18 inches high or higher are difficult for rabbits and other smaller animals to go into. It is also a adept idea to have 6 inches or more of the wood planks beneath the soil level so that small animals exercise non just burrow underneath the raised beds.

You tin can too lay down a barrier of heavy duty hardware cloth or wire mesh below raised beds to forestall animals from burrowing in to your garden. If you have limited space, tomatoes grow very well in large pots, which will too make them too loftier for some beast pests.

Another benefit to growing tomatoes in pots, is that yous can place these pots on balconies, patios or other well travelled areas where animals are not likely to go. Deer, raccoons and rabbits generally avoid existence as well shut to people or areas frequented past pets. You can also place your garden beds up nigh the house or in the vicinity of a motion light to scare off beast pests.

A few other means of protecting tomatoes from animals include the utilise of animal deterrent sprays, similar liquid argue or using bird netting around the plants.

Sometimes, the best thing to for keeping fauna pests from eating tomatoes is to build a fence effectually the garden. Fences are peachy options when it comes to your pets or livestock out of the garden. To proceed rabbits out, the fence needs to sit below the soil level and have gaps that are no bigger than i inch. To proceed deer out, the fence needs to be 8 feet or taller. I once read that placing human pilus in the garden volition deter deer, simply I take not tried it myself. Though, I do usually toss hair from my hairbrush outside for birds and other creatures to use for nests.

This article was last updated on 01/13/21

Source: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/tomato/protecting-tomatoes-from-animals.htm

Posted by: mercierwhitu1954.blogspot.com

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