How to Protect Your Garden from Rabbit Damage: Tips for Safeguarding Your Crops

Few things are more disheartening than heading out to the veg patch, only to find your carefully tended seedlings chewed to stumps. Rabbits might look cute hopping about, but in the garden, they’re relentless, sneaky, and surprisingly destructive. Here’s how we protect our garden from rabbit damage using tried-and-tested methods to keep crops safe and flourishing.

Fencing: The Gold Standard for Rabbit Defence

We’ll be honest, when it comes to rabbit-proofing, fencing is king. You can use roughly 2cm wire mesh or galvanized chicken wire about 90cm (3ft) high and bury the bottom 15-20cm into the ground, bent outward like an L to stop digging.Top tip: Make sure the fence is tightly secured and has no gaps. Rabbits are expert squeezers and diggers.

Raised Beds and Containers for the Win

If fencing an entire plot isn’t feasible, raised beds and containers offer a great workaround. We’ve found rabbits are far less likely to bother with crops in tall troughs, barrels, or even grow bags on stands.

Bonus: This method also deters slugs, snails, and a few other unwanted munchers!

Protect Young Plants Early

Seedlings are like salad bars to rabbits, especially leafy greens, beans, and beetroot tops. Cover young plants with cloches, tunnels, or mesh netting right from the start, only uncovering once they’re big enough to handle a bit of nibbling (if at all).

Early protection = fewer tears and more lettuce.

Create an Unwelcoming Environment

Rabbits love cover. Long grass, brambly edges, and woodpiles give them a safe place to loiter before dinner. Make your garden less appealing by keeping paths clear, mowing regularly, and removing hiding spots near beds.

We also avoid planting rabbit favourites like lettuce or pea shoots near edges, they’ll be the first to go.

Use Scent-Based Repellents

We’ve had some success using natural rabbit repellents like garlic spray, strong-smelling herbs (e.g., rosemary, mint). Rabbits rely heavily on scent to assess danger, if your garden smells like a predator lives there, they’re more likely to back off.

These methods need regular reapplication, especially after rain, but they’re a good line of defence.

Try Companion Planting

Some plants naturally deter rabbits. We tuck in onions, garlic, and strongly scented herbs like sage or thyme among vulnerable crops. They don’t guarantee protection, but they can help mask the scent of tastier options.

This trick works best when combined with other barriers.

Keep Watch and Act Early

Rabbits are creatures of habit. Once they find a food source, they’ll return night after night. We check for signs regularly, chewed stems, droppings, or neat, round entry holes and act at the first nibble.

Delaying can mean the difference between a full harvest and a bare patch.

Rabbits are persistent, but we’re even more so. With smart fencing, proactive planting, and a few deterrents in our toolbelt, we can protect our gardens from rabbit damage and enjoy the fruits (and veg) of our labour.