You can even use electric fencing, as long as you warn children of the risk of shock and keep an eye on pets until they learn to stay clear. Bone Meal as a Rabbit Repellent. Winter is a good time to be doing all of this because if you have to prune the trumpetvine, this gives it the longest time to regrow and establish itself on the new fence. Because it smells of blood, it is very effective for deterring rabbits, squirrels, deer, and other rodents from feeding on your plants. Deter Rabbits With Chili Powder or Blood Meal. Is there a weedkiller I can use that will control it without harming the lawn? They’re absolutely gorgeous. You probably won’t want to cut it much lower than maybe 4 inches. A: Blood meal seemed to work for me in my limited trials of it, plus it’s also a good source of organic nitrogen for those who prefer to go that route. Composed of dried and powdered cattle or hogs blood, blood meal is nitrogen-rich organic fertilizer that can be mixed in with compost or topsoil to give your plants a sizeable boost in vegetative growth. Diabetes mellitus was not encountered. However, you may have to do some serious pruning if it has pushed its way into the old fence. 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Substitutes that may also repel rabbits and are safe for use on plants you intend to eat are black pepper and bone meal, both of which can also be sprinkled on in the garden and then washed off before you eat. In addition to use as a fertilizer, it can have repellent effects against some garden pests, such as deer or rabbits. northspruce. Sarah Moore has been a writer, editor and blogger since 2006. Before you purchase blood meal and distribute it around your yard, check that it is in fact rabbits that are causing the damage. That’s likely to remove most of the top growth, but not to worry. Blood meal or chicken manure (and they’re fertilizers too! When is the best time to do so? Rabbits fed on blood meal had the lowest feed intake, live weight gain and feed efficiency compared to other protein sources such as fish meal, shrimp meal, hatchery by-product meal or poultry by-product meal (Fanimo et al., 2002). Rabbits are also shorter, so usually can’t reach anything above 2 feet or so; if you have damage occurring significantly higher, it is unlikely to be the work of bunnies. If rabbits, deer, or small garden pests continue to damage your plants, you can spread a little blood meal directly to the area. Are they a good tree in general? Since you will have done nothing to disturb its roots, it should take right off and start growing. Mail questions to Neil Sperry, c/o Features, San Antonio Express-News, P.O. Blood meal may not work in all situations, and you should not use it on edible plants. Substitutes that may also repel rabbits and are safe for use on plants you intend to eat are black pepper and bone meal, both of which can also be sprinkled on in the garden and then washed off before you eat. As long as you don't disturb the roots, trumpetvine should be just fine after getting pruned, pulled and placed back on a new fence. Rabbits fed on blood meal had the lowest feed intake, live weight gain and feed efficiency compared to other protein sources such as fish meal, shrimp meal, hatchery by-product meal or poultry by-product meal (Fanimo et al., 2002). Unlike deer, which rip flowers and leaves off with blunt teeth that leave jagged edges, rabbits clip cleanly at a 45-degree angle. Animals and birds are cute as buttons, but what damage they can cause to gardens! And I also switched over to growing my pansies in large decorative clay pots that I feed with a water-soluble, inorganic plant food every time that I water them. 2 Sprinkle black pepper over the application of bone meal for added protection. Getting Rid of Rabbits In Other Ways Hunt the rabbits to keep the population down. Q: There are several sycamore trees in a park in our city. Those products are labeled for use on various types of turf until it gets really warm. I hear conflicting thoughts. Rabbits are the bane of many a gardener's existence, and if you are finding you cannot grow certain edibles or ornamentals without losing them to bunnies, you may need a repellent. And perhaps to some degree it might be true. But if you wait, you’ll have to be careful not to wait too long. However, my tests were cut way short when our three dogs were attracted to its smell and started rolling in it. Come spring you can apply a broadleafed weedkiller containing 2,4-D to the new growth to kill the plants while they’re young and tender. For even more protection you can sprinkle black pepper on top of the bone meal. Without it they start shedding their large leaves as early as mid-summer. You can either sprinkle it around the garden or on the plants in dry form, or combine it with enough water to make a spray, then apply that with a spray bottle for even misting. You don’t want to risk cutting new “candles” of growth shooting up out of the middles of the clumps. As soon as you have the new fence erected attach the stems with plant ties to create an attractive spray against the wood. Here is a common question: Q: We live in the city limits, on a creek, backing to a golf course and have no dog. Train it to grow up and over the top of the fence as spring emerges. They dislike leeks, asparagus, potatoes, and onions. It's not clear what this weed is, but using a sharpened hoe now and a broadleafed weedkiller in the spring should take care of it. Blood meal, while not the most effective repellent out there, has been known to discourage rabbits, at least for a time. I’ve heard that the tannins in them will kill my plants. Blood meal as animal deterrent Do Animal Repellents Really Work? You will need to reapply it after rain, as the blood meal … A: Yes. Q: Will blood meal keep rabbits away from pansies, or is that just a myth? Q: We are replacing an old wooden fence. In addition to use as a fertilizer, it can have repellent effects against some garden pests, such as deer or rabbits. I’ve been using oak and pecan leaves in my own compost for all of my gardening life and I’ve never observed any kind of effects on the plants I’ve grown using that compost. Blood glucose was measured with a portable glucose meter in 907 rabbits, including 238 clinically healthy ones. And the one noteworthy exception in all of that is with oaks. Box 2171, San Antonio, TX 78297-2171, or email him at SAENgardenQA@ sperrygardens.com. Hypoglycaemia was seen in 16 rabbits including one with an insulinoma. As fast-growing trees go, they’re much better than types like cottonwoods, willows, mimosas, fruitless mulberries and ashes. You can also sprinkle blood meal around the perimeter of your garden. Unfortunately, that meant that they also were rolling in the pansies. The rabbits will get the chili powder on their whiskers and nose and usually stay well clear of your plants. Box 2171, San Antonio, TX 78297-2171, or email him at SAENgardenQA@ sperrygardens.com. How important is pruning paint? For a brief moment I thought it might be khakiweed, also known as matt chafflower. I’d like to trim it to even it all up. Trim the stems back to 6 or 8 feet in length. Mail questions to Neil Sperry, c/o Features Department, San Antonio Express-News, P.O. This means war. Fencing, however, works the best. Plan the perfect garden with our interactive tool →, Rutgers University If Plants Could Talk: Keeping Rabbits Away From Desirable Plants in Your Garden and Landscape, North Dakota State University: Questions On: Rabbits, University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources: Rabbits. Blood Meal vs. Rabbits. Before you purchase blood meal and distribute it around your yard, check that it is in fact rabbits that are causing the damage. A: Research that I see from reputable sources shows that trees heal their wounds more quickly when they are left unpainted. As rabbits are herbivores, they find the smell of crushed bone to be repulsive so they should leave the area alone. But if you’re grinding up your pecan leaves with the mower before you put them into the compost, they’re going to decay very rapidly and any oils will quickly dissipate.