Keep Rabbits Out Of The Garden With A Fragrant Herb They Can't Stand To Be Around

There's a reason one of the most memorable picture books revolves around a trickster rabbit who scampers into a vegetable garden and gets into trouble. Rabbits have long frustrated gardeners with their tendency to nibble on vegetable and fruit crops or uproot flowers. Pungent-smelling herbs, however, are usually not appetizing to them. Many fragrant herbs keep rabbits away because of the compounds they contain, and this is especially true for members of the mint family, such as oregano (Origanum vulgare). As long as your garden's conditions are right, oregano is a good choice to help keep rabbits away since they can't stand to be near its strong scent.

Oregano is an aromatic herb that can do its part to keep the bunnies away if your garden is in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 through 10. It's a perennial herb, so it's not necessary to re-plant it year after year, and it has the bonus of attracting pollinators like bees and butterflies. The plant can stand drought conditions and doesn't need much water. Many gardeners have success keeping rabbits away with oregano, but keep in mind that not all gardens are alike and the success of planting any herb to deter rabbits can vary. Hungry rabbits may still eat them when they're having trouble finding other food, so the way to be absolutely sure they'll stay out is to combine planting the herbs with installing a chicken wire fence.

Pick a sunny spot at the border of your garden for the rabbit-repellent oregano, since it prefers to get at least six hours of sunlight each day. It's also best to grow oregano in containers or fenced-in areas rather than directly in the ground, as it can invade your garden space otherwise. When grown next to rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus), an herb that shares oregano's preference for plenty of sun and well-drained soil, both these popular herbs will thrive and can deter rabbits. Rosemary also has an aroma the furry creatures also tend to dislike. Plant the oregano and any companion plants as soon as possible in the spring, since rabbits tend to start breeding around February and continue through the remainder of the warmer months. The baby rabbits can start munching on your garden plants when they're only two weeks old. For the best rabbit control, avoid starting the oregano from seed outside, opting to plant fully grown cuttings instead, because young leaves may not have enough of the compounds that rabbits hate.

It's a good idea to try several strategies to deter rabbits, especially in areas where the soil doesn't support oregano. If your garden area gets very wet, the herb might not thrive, so go for the most effective barrier to rabbits — a fence they can't hop over. Build it 2 feet tall using chicken wire, but make sure it doesn't have openings larger than an inch. Another option is to try making a repellant spray with strong spices and spritzing your plants with it. One homemade deterrent recipe involves mixing water and cinnamon, a spice that's already sitting in your kitchen, most likely. Keeping open space between plants will also help, since it eliminates hiding places for rabbits.