Foxes have annihilated my garden

gilla.walmsley

So to add to what I thought was a bad gardening day yesterday (where I realised I had inadvertently poisoned half of the seedlings I have spent hours and hours growing this year by accidentally using concentrated plant food) I woke up this morning to discover that my entire garden has been destroyed by the neighbourhood foxes. Every pot on my patio has been dug up and pretty much every plant in the flower beds too. The only things left are a couple of the bigger, more established plants like the geums. I spent hundreds of pounds this spring and hours and hours of planting and it's all literally destroyed - flowers strewn everywhere, roots all over the place. It looks like a war zone - not too embarrassed to admit I walked up to it and burst into tears . I've replanted the bigger plants back in their holes in the flower beds (all the seedlings / pots are a total write off) but they've mostly already started to turn brown and the roots have all been torn apart etc so I don't have high hopes. I'd like to know if anyone has had much success with fox deterrents? There seem to be very mixed reviews online and I don't want to waste more money on something that doesn't work... not that there is much left to deter from anymore! 

Hard to really get the scale of how bad it looks from photos, but a small example included below
where I 

raisingirl

have you used blood fish and bone in your pots or when planting your plants? The water scarecrow discussed on all the 'how to keep cats out of my garden' threads is an option for foxes too, if your garden is reasonably small or if you know where they get in so you can protect a smallish area. They are less inclined to climb and jump than cats, so a stout fence and a gate with an automatic closer may be enough of a deterrent for them to go somewhere else if you aren't actively attracting them in (with chickens in the garden, or using BF&B).

Heartfelt sympathy to you. It's desperately disappointing when this sort of thing happens. Plants are resilient though. Quite a few of those will survive if you re-pot quickly and give them a drink. It may slow them up but if you can stop it happening again, it may not be a disaster. 

gilla.walmsley

Thanks very much - it feels a bit ridiculous to be this upset over a garden but when you've lovingly spent hours and hours (and many pounds) on it, it is a bit soul destroying! I'm a big animal lover so I can't even bring myself to really hate the foxes!

The compost is what has attracted them because I used it to fill in all the new flower bed plants and obviously in the pots, and that is what they've gone for. It was just standard miracle gro compost. Either they just enjoyed digging in it (it was two foxes, i caught the tail end of their destruction!) or they were after critters. 

I'll have a look at the thread you recommend, thank you - it is a small garden. Sadly these foxes are amazingly good jumpers - they happily jump up onto my 5ft back fence and sit on top of it for a while like a cat does.

Good to know that some plants may not be a total write off - I'll give them a drink and hope for the best.

Thanks again

LG_

I have no real solutions but I feel your pain - here the foxes are in league with the squirrels and between them they have trashed so much it's heartbreaking. Not all in one go though - this year is better than last. I suspect it's about to get worse as there are 3 cubs - very cute but so destructive.

'Get off my garden' has had some effect in the past but I can't over the whole garden in it, it looks yucky and I'm not sure about the contents.

Replant what you can, protect what you can and good luck.

Jason-3

Foxes are better jumpers than cats!! I'e had trouble with them for a couple of years. Digging everthing up and even leaving boned of rabbits in ine border!!

The only thing that works for me is making a pint of chilli, cumin,cayenne pepper and water solution and sprinkling it all around the garden twice a week. Be generous with the spices and attempt to avoid plant foilage.

I do feel your pain though I was totally gutted the first few times it happened. Their realy should be more research done to establish methods/products to deter foxes

Fire

I'm sorry for your loss. I think many of your lovely plants should survive with tlc.

I sprinkle chilli powder about the place - the strongest I can find. You can buy it in bulk for peanuts from food wholesalers on Ebay. It has some effect on slugs, snails, cats and foxes. No good in the rain though.

Purplerain

I am so sorry for you. Just as all your hard work and care is about to burst into flower too. I know they can jump a six ft fence, maybe more and the only advice I have read is if you use bone meal, bury it deep as that attracts them.

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Sandra100

I can't offer any concrete solutions (we don't seem to get them here),
but to say how sorry I am.   I would have been in tears too.
Hope you manage to save lots of your plants.

gilla.walmsley

Thanks so much for everyone's kind words! I must have looked like a sight standing crying in my garden this morning like the world had just ended!! It is rather difficult to see something you've created destroyed like that. I'm encouraged by the comments that the plants may yet survive. I've replanted now so fingers crossed - also have some fox repellent arriving today so will give that a shot. Happy to try anything as long as it doesn't harm any other critters (or them for a matter of fact). And yes Jason - I couldn't believe how high these foxes can jump! To see them sitting on my back fence staring at me is a bizarre sight to say the least! 

Thanks all for the suggestions - ill report back if I have success with the repellent I've bought!

Jason-3

Good luck gilla. Just be peresitant as foxes are