Deter Chipmunks From Your Garden With An Aromatic Bulb

There is no denying the fact that chipmunks are cute. You just can't help but smile if you spot one with cheeks stuffed with food. But what if the food is your precious plants that you worked so hard to grow? Obviously, this is not something you would want, especially if you are a beginner gardener who is all but unaware of the unexpected downsides to growing tomatoes in your garden. These furry critters especially love munching on tomatoes, strawberries, and tulip bulbs. So, what can you do to deter chipmunks? 

Luckily, there are many ways to keep chipmunks out of your garden, but probably the easiest of them is to plant aromatic bulbs such as alliums. You can think of alliums as the pretty cousins of onions, and they are both edible and ornamental. Examples of alliums include garlic, onion, leeks, and chives. So, you can pick the ones you want to eat or, better yet, choose the ones that will look good alongside what's already growing in your garden.

Before you jump into planting aromatic bulbs to chase chipmunks away, you might also want to understand how exactly they work. First off, alliums have quite a punchy smell. This sharp aroma, along with the bold flavor of alliums, comes from organosulfur compounds that these plants naturally create and store in their tissues. If you are wondering whether they will work, just think about this: allium-based compounds are so effective that they are even used in commercial animal repellents that work by blending allium scents with harmless irritants to deter critters.

In intact alliums, these aromatic sulfur compounds mostly stay stable and odorless. But the moment the plant's tissues are damaged, say when a chipmunk takes a bite, an enzyme called alliinase jumps in and converts the stable sulfur compounds into volatile sulfur chemicals. It is nature's built-in defense, an evolutionary adaptation that helps the allium fend off herbivores. Nevertheless, for chipmunks and other rodents with super-sharp noses, this sudden release of pungent chemicals is quite overwhelming, which will keep them at bay.

There are two ways you can incorporate aromatic alliums in your garden to deter chipmunks. First, interplant them with vulnerable plants. Mixing them with sweet-smelling plants, for example carrots, can help mask the sweet smell and reduce the damage. However, if that does not work for you, you can also create a dense border of alliums around your flower and vegetable beds. This might keep the chipmunks from entering your garden in the first place. However, keep in mind that if you use only a single type of aromatic deterrent, critters such as chipmunks will habituate, and it won't be as effective after a while. 

Also, a deterrent is just a deterrent. Plants that can help you keep chipmunks out of your garden will only do so much and won't completely stop the critters from coming to your garden. So, if you want a permanent fix, you will need to turn to more reliable methods, such as trapping, removal, or exclusion with aromatic bulbs in a supportive role.