Have squirrels ruined my potager plans?

in Fruit & veg
I’m planning on converting an area of the garden into a small potager patch, and was particularly thinking of making a feature out of small fruit trees. Having just returned from holiday though, my one espalier apple tree that was brimming with fruit has been stripped bare, save a single solitary unripe apple. I suspect squirrels, there’s a big population in the garden. Are my potager plans ruined, or are there any particular fruit that squirrels are less keen on? I won’t entertain dispatching the squirrels.
0
Posts
There are other things you may be able to try out at rather less cost if the tree rats eat them - soft fruit like raspberries, maybe, or leafy greens like chard.