Fighting the bunny force

THE GARDEN FANATIC

“Eh, what’s up Doc?”

-- BUGS BUNNY

“A corn-fed hog enjoys a better life than a creative writer...To

be a rabbit is better still.”

-- HENRY MILLER

The soft light of the beginning day revealed the subtle details of

the newly-planted landscape -- stately trees, well manicured lawn and

beds filled with pastel-colored flowers.

My satisfaction level dropped noticeably, however, when I noted

several piles of round, dark-colored pellets on the lawn and a number

of bellflowers neatly nipped off a few inches above the fresh mulch.

The perpetrator, partially hidden by the corner of a hedge, stared at

me with luminous, brown eyes. What’s up, crossed my mind, from the

yesteryears of cartoon television.

The siting of homes adjacent and within the coastal sage scrub,

coupled with abandoned Easter bunnies, has contributed to rabbits

stopping by to dine in our gardens. Rabbits can become a challenge

for gardeners, as they have a penchant for many flowers, vegetables,

shrubs and lawns. Years with high rabbit population usually mean

fewer flowers in host gardens.

During courtship, rabbits sit and stare lovingly, chase one

another and leap wildly (I experience the same behavior frequently

with Catharine). Rabbits are most prolific, particularly when food is

plentiful. Little bunnies arrive 28 days after mating. Mom then mates

again, shortly after giving birth. This creates the potential for a

population explosion in temperate climes like Laguna.

How can rabbits be kept out of your garden? Fencing is the best

and obvious solution ... be it wooden, masonry or metal. Control

methods that may cause rabbits harm are misguided, cruel, and

repugnant. Contact the local Animal Shelter or the University of

California Cooperative Extension for options in live trapping and

release in Newport Beach (I meant to say an appropriate, wild

habitat).

Other than fencing, most rabbit repellents are iffy but are worth

a try. Please consider the Plant Man’s 10 possible solutions:

1)Blood meal has long been thought an effective repellent, as well

as being a mild organic fertilizer for the garden. It must be applied

frequently for optimal results.

2) There is some evidence, that glass bottles stuck in the ground

(neck down) will act as a barrier in scaring rabbits away.

3) The same may be true with Whirly-gig type windmills.

4) Soybeans are often planted to keep rabbits away from other

crops and

5) Mothballs have been thought to repel more than moths, however,

I have witnessed soybean plants nibbled down to six inches and

denuded gardens that were covered with mothballs.

6) Some gardeners swear that liberally applying dusting sulfur

keeps the rabbits at bay.

7) Those into Mexican cuisine, recommend sprinkling plants with

red pepper.

8) Others say that a spray of three ounces of Epsom salts in 1

gallon of water will do the trick.

9) After cleaning your house, try spraying a solution of one

teaspoon of Lysol in 1 gallon of water.

10) Finally it has been suggested that a solution of 1 ounce of

tartar emetic and 3 ounces of sugar in one gallon of water can’t

miss.

Personally, I can tolerate a little rabbit damage. It saves time

on pruning and besides, it’s a creative challenge to plant flowers

that rabbits will resist. Perhaps the best option is the one

practiced by Catharine, provide tasty, high fiber meals at their dawn

and dusk feeding times, so Bugs, Roger and Thumper are not inclined

to eat the garden. See you next time.

* STEVE KAWARATANI is the owner of Landscapes by Laguna Nursery,

1540 S. Coast Highway in Laguna Beach. He is married to local artist,

Catharine Cooper, and has three cats. He can be reached at (949)

497-2438, or e-mail to landscapes@ln.coxatwork.com.