Joan Swenson: How to stop felines from making a beeline to your garden
| Monday, Aug 04 2008 02:11 PM
Last Updated Friday, Mar 27 2009 06:10 PM
CAT SOLUTIONS
A reader asked last week for some solutions to her cat-in-the-flower-bed problems and I heard from several folks with ideas that didn’t involve hurting the animals.
From Joan Blackburn:I fought it for a long time but think maybe I’ve found the answer: pine cones! I’ve been collecting pine cones for a long time; every time I see some I pick them up.
They are in my flower beds and the neighborhood cats don’t like them — they can’t walk on them so for the most part my problem with that is solved and the kitties are safe around them, too. Also, if you have to move them, they are so lightweight and not a problem. I also found that chicken wire placed in appropriate places helps, too.
From Caroline Reid:Honestly, I think (and I am crossing my fingers as I say this) that I have discouraged cats sufficiently that they don’t hang around my place anymore. It costs a bit of money but for the annoyance of digging through cat poop while gardening, it is worth it to me. Buy Critter Ridder at Lowe’s and put it in the flower beds faithfully for about six to eight weeks. I am sure I have spent well over $100 on the stuff but those dang cats don’t use my flower beds for litter boxes anymore. It’s about $16 for a can/tube that lasts about 10 days if you use it sparingly, depending on how many places you have that cats like.
(Critter Ridder is pepper-based and has an unpleasant taste and odor that is supposed to discourage a number of mammals including raccoons, dogs and cats from bothering the spots where it is applied. It shouldn’t be used on food crops. Liquid or granular formulas are available.)
From Bonne Christensen:I find an easy way to keep cats out of flower beds or rock gardens, etc., is to put the cuttings or trimming from your rose bushes in the flower beds, etc. Use the stems with the thorns on them. I cut them in pieces about 2 to 4 inches long and just drop them in the there. The cats don’t like the thorns and won’t go in there anymore. The pieces dry and blend in with the other mulch.
Another thing I have used is that plastic stuff that looks like wire mesh that you can buy in rolls at Home Depot, etc. Its purpose is to put over fruit trees to keep the birds from eating the fruit. But it works good in flower beds, too. I just cut a piece of it to fit the area and place it over it or in the bed and then I put rocks around to hold it down.
MASTER GARDEN CLASSES
John Karlik’s popular Master Gardener I and IV classes begin later this month at the University of California Cooperative Extension office.
I can’t say enough good things about Karlik’s classes. Horticulture adviser Karlik has a broad range of knowledge and while the materials covered are academic in nature, he presents them in a way that is easy to understand and practical in application. I’ll never forget the demonstrations about soil science, which reminds me every time we plant something new to make sure the plant’s root ball is watered because water travels poorly through native soils into the planting soil used to grow nursery plants. Karlik stresses conservation of time, money and resources in the classes. And the folks who attend the classes are friendly and generous in sharing their own ideas and experiences in the garden.
Master Gardener I will be offered from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays beginning Aug. 26. The class runs 16 weeks. Topics will include soil science, plant design, landscape design principles, and pest management with an emphasis on integrated pest management.
Sessions on vegetable crops, deciduous fruits and citrus will be part of the course.
Master Gardener IV meets from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursdays beginning Aug. 28. It is also a 16-week class. Topics from previous MG classes will be expanded upon as will landscape design and subjects relating to the environment.
Both classes will meet at the UC office, 1031 S. Mount Vernon Ave. Registration for each class is $70. Call the extension office at 868-6200 to reserve a spot in the class or contact Karlik at jfkarlik@ucdavis.edu.Registration will be handled the first night of each class.
