Squirrels and Outdoor Potted Plants - Help!

First time on this forum - I hope this is not a trivial repeat. I love potted flowers and plants on the deck in the warm season (Cape Cod) - but squirrels have a field day burying seeds and acorns there - ripping up the flowers and plants in the process. Back in N.C. a gardener once recommended that I try a certain kind of fertilizer (spread lightly on the surface of the pot's soil) which the squirrels hate and avoid. It worked back then - but I've forgotten the name of the fertilizer! Any clues - or other tips?

p.s. That same gardener had very sage advice concerning squirrels and bird feeders. He said: "I finally just decided to think of them as another kind of bird."

Sadly, that wisdom isn't working for my potted flowers and plants. :-)

A few links with suggestions. (you can also try cayenne pepper or moth balls)

http://www.gardenguides.com/97432-keep-squirrels-out-flower-pots.html

http://www.ehow.com/how_4813964_keep-squirrels-out-flower-pots.html

and a list of home remedies....

http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf48030912.tip.html#98066575

These are great! Thank you!

You are too welcome. I hope one of those works well for you.

Cayenne pepper never worked for me, I resorted to covering all my pots in chicken wire.

I just had a squirrel dig up by caladium, which was just starting to sprout! I've moved the pot to another location, and so far, it's been undisturbed.
I might some of these remedies for the chipmunks though - they are very pesty!
E

Ooh ooh! We had the same problem with them boogers (squirrels)! Behind our property there's a HUGE tree where like 4 of these cuteness-gone-wrong critters live. AND having two fruit trees in our yard, well, it's WAR every fruiting season ^_^! We tried everything to keep them away (fox urine, repellants, DOGS, super hot peppers, the works!) but nothin worked :(. Until one day (while I was waitin to ambush them with my handy-dandy garden hose set to "stun" ^_^) I noticed that they wouldn't walk on the little bit of fence area where we put a panel of those bamboo/reed rolls. They couldn't walk on it cos it couln't support their weight plus it wobbles and I guess it hurt their little toesies ^_^ to walk on it.

That gave me a "brain-fart" (an idea, if you will). So we bought 2 rolls of 10" x 10 ft ALUMINUM sheets (hey it's cheaper than bamboo) and tacked them on top of our fence where the cutenesses usually jump/walk on. It worked! The sheets were wobbly and they couldn't get a grip cos it's very thin and sharp. Oh they tried a bunch of times but gave up :). Now we are 99.9% squirrel-free (crossing fingers)! I kinda miss waitin aroun in the bushes with the hose in my hand set to stun... :(

Hope this helps! Or at the very least, humored you with my own squirrel battle ^_^. happy gardenin!

Thanks Chezca! Besides not being able to stop laughing (fond memories of using a hose too), you've given me a good idea for my bird-feeders as well. I had one of those spinner-motors for the feeders - talk about laughing while the critters spun around! - worked great at first, but ultimately the squirrels just got into the challenge of it (like those old spin-bowl rides at amusement parks) and would line up on the tree waiting their turn. I've tried plastic cones over the feeders, but a slippery cone of aluminum sounds much more effective and much less fun for them. Thanks again for the great chuckle.

Good idea Chezca....but I too like the hose on stun method of dealing with tree rats.....grin. We don't have much problem with them as we have 3 cats doing patrol....very effectively.....grin

I have had the same problem with the squirrels - don't think they are as "cute" as my daughter thinks they are! They ate all of the blossoms off my tulips last year and dug up all my bedding plants! So...found this product at the local hardware store called "Critter Ridder" - contains oil of black pepper and capsicum - the squirrels do not like it and have left everything alone that I sprayed it on. Supposedly lasts for 30 days, but I reapply if it rains. So far, so good! I also found a product at Gardner's Supply that is a grid sheet of plastic with little plastic barbs sticking up that you can cut to whatever size you want. You place them in the pots, points up, and cover with a little soil. The cats (which were using my pots for litter boxes) and the squirrels don't like to walk on them (wonder why? LOL) They are a little expensive, but can be reused. Hope some of this helps.

Judyberg, that's given me an idea. I buy those plastic rug runners - you know the clear stuff you get to protect your carpet - to teach cats to stay off of the counters. The bottoms of them are little plastic spikes to hold the runner to the carpet. I turn them upside down and they become a rug of little plastic spikes. They might work as well as the Gardener Supply stuff - and are cheaper.

You are smarter than I am! What a great idea. I hope it works as well for you as it did for me.

Ugh squirrels! They won the battle last year. I've resorted to enclosing their favorite veggies with chicken wire.

There's plenty of videos of squirrels making their way through fairly complicated obstacle courses just to get to a "squirrel proof" bird feeder so don't underestimate them. Here's one such video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKZdB2LNYWo

I read that cayenne pepper 1 TBS liquid dish soap mixed in 1 quart water and sprinkle it all over where you don't want squirrels to go?

I am a novice gardener with two large oak trees over my deck where the squirrels live. Last year when I began planting in pots the squirrels went on the attack. I had hauled in rock to put in the beds to set the pots on and it gave me an idea that worked. I put rocks on top of the soil in the pots and it keeps the squirrels away and I can just water through it. I have just put out new plants and need to buy rocks again.

I do love my squirrels though and before gardening I fed them. What a mistake because every critter in the neighborhood heard there was a smorgasbord (sp) at my house. lol

36ladybug

The stones have to be heavy enough so they can't lift them.

I thought it was mice who were digging up the tender roots of my coleus etc. They don't just stop at container plants, either - anything freshly planted. There are some good ideas in this thread!