RABBITS!!! HELP!!!!

Bill33

I do love to see the long eared little critters, but wish they'd leave my plants alone! 

Any tips on what to plant that they tend not to devour? 

I'm trying to avoid too much chicken wire but it would seem to be the only option ????

Thanks

Bill (aka Elmer Fudd)

Fairygirl

There's not much they won't have a go at, especially nice, tender, new growth on perennials coming through in spring 

Daffs and snowdrops are a good start. Shrubs like Potentilla, Berberis, most of the conifers and junipers are trouble free. Rhododendrons and azaleas were fine too. I found vincas quite resistant, although the youngsters will have a go at most things. Jaggy things don't necessarily work - they devour holly for instance.  You can use tree guards if you want to grow climbers - it stops them reaching the lower growth. I found it effective on clematis, and honeysuckle. Once the plants are mature enough, they can withstand the onslaught better.

There are more, but I can't remember at the moment. Some years they're worse than others too. 

Redwing

Best to get a cat.

Dovefromabove

We had a large family of tame rabbits living loose in our garden throughout one summer - as far as I remember the things they left alone included foxgloves, paeonies, mahonia, lily of the valley, London Pride (Saxifraga urbum) and Bearded Iris. 

Hope that helps 

Loana

Bill33 that must be incredibly heartbreaking, your plants disappearing overnight....we have 4 dogs so no rabbits, sounds like wire netting fence is the way forward  

Fairygirl

You have to bury it really thoroughly - they just tunnel under it otherwise. That's a job and a half if you have a large plot  

lindseytaylor01

I have lots of rabbits in my garden and have ended up putting 4 canes and a circle of chicken wire round my young shrubs. It protects them in winter when the rabbits are most likely to eat them.  I find they leave them alone in summer.  I have just resigned myself to the fact that I'll just have to keep protecting them until they're mature enough to withstand the onslaught!

raisingirl

oriental poppies and most of the strongly aromatic herbs seem fairly resistant.

If you're going with permanent fencing the best approach is to have about 4 inches laid flat just under the surface and then 3 or 4 feet vertically - an 'L' shape. The flat bit stops them burrowing under. And you also need martial law enforced to ensure no one ever leaves a gate open. Machine gun posts and razor wire are not strictly necessary but may be helpful. 

Zoomer44

Do you know were they are getting into your garden?

We have problems with rabbits on the allotment, along with squirrels and mice. Rabbits and squirrels get quite brave in the summer and can be seen running along the track, we also get cats who seem to keep the vermin down.

Don't know if this works but if they are burrowing under a fence, they like to have an escape route and you often find two holes, block them up and if there are easier pickings they'll go else where.

Bill33

Thanks everyone, for your replies. It sounds as though we're doing pretty much what we can and we'll certainly have a try with some of the plant suggestions.

We've got quite a complicated one acre (ish) plot, not least because of a shared drive which is impossible to block, so we tend to fence off areas. It would also be financially impossible to fence of the whole site which is predominantly Hawthorn, ramblers and laurel. Sounds like we're building bunny paradise! ?

The soil where we are in Suffolk is very sandy which of course the little blighters love. 

No, we'll soldier on. We live in their neck of the woods no to be fair, they can't go to Sainsbury's (other supermarkets are available) so..... deep breath!

thanks again and enjoy the upcoming Spring 

Bill

Johnny canoe

The rabbits that visit my yard every night feast on the bird seed. As long as there is a pile of seed under the feeders they have left my plants alone. Oh, and the squirrels as well.