How to Keep Squirrels Out of Potted Plants: 6 Ways

Squirrels may look sweet and harmless, but these curious critters can cause some major destruction in your garden. Beyond carelessly knocking over plants and pots, squirrels enjoy digging up bulbs and burying nuts and seeds, which can hinder plant growth.

It's important to keep squirrels out of potted plants to prevent them from destroying your flowers, vegetables, and herbs. Here's how to keep squirrels out of potted plants, including methods like coffee and mint and barriers like rocks and chicken wire.

Sprinkle Coffee Grounds in Your Soil

The taste and smell of coffee is pleasing for many, but squirrels disagree. Coffee grounds are a natural repellent for squirrels, and they're easy to mix in with your soil. Instead of discarding your leftover coffee grounds, sprinkle them around the surface soil in your potted plant. You can use your fingers to gently rake the grounds in.

Not only will this simple trick keep squirrels out of your potted plants, but leftover coffee grounds are also a good fertilizer for plants. They provide a source of essential nutrients like nitrogen and potassium to promote healthy plant growth.

Tip

Another dual fertilizer and squirrel repellent you can consider is bone meal or blood meal. However, these additions can be toxic to pets, so consider avoiding this method if you have a dog or cat.

Make a DIY Essential Oil Repellent

There are several essential oils you can use to naturally deter squirrels, including mint, cloves, and lemongrass.

Create your own DIY repellent by adding several drops (we recommend 15 or so) to a spray bottle with equal parts vinegar and water, plus a teaspoon or so of dish soap. Not only will this help keep squirrels out of your potted plants, but it can also serve as a natural weed killer and insecticide for pests like caterpillars.

Make a DIY Spice Repellent

If you don't have essential oils on hand, another effective method for keeping squirrels out of potted plants is to use spices like cayenne pepper. You can create this DIY repellent by boiling cayenne peppers or other hot peppers in water, leaving it to cool, then straining and pouring it into a spray bottle. If you do choose this option, be careful to protect your skin, eyes, and mouth as you use the spray, since the solution could cause a burning sensation.

Tip

You might also consider adding mint, garlic, cinnamon, and even vinegar to your DIY squirrel repellent, since all of these scents will help keep squirrels out of your potted plants.

Create a Barrier to Keep Squirrels Out

One of the primary reasons squirrels dig in flower pots is because they want to store excess foods like seeds, acorns, and nuts. With this said, another simple way to ward off squirrels is to make the soil in your potted plants more difficult for them to access.

You can do this by laying chicken wire or netting across the surface of your soil, or add a layer of stones or thick mulch. If you do opt for the stone method, make sure they don't weigh down the soil too much and pay close attention to the temperature of the rocks, as the sun can heat them quickly and inadvertently impact the soil temperature as well.

Incorporate Flowers That Squirrels Dislike

Another way to both enhance your garden's aesthetic and deter squirrels is by adding flowers that squirrels avoid. Vibrant flowers like nasturtiums and marigolds emit a scent that squirrels dislike, making them a natural repellent, as well as an attractive addition to your garden.

Consider adding these flowers to a set of smaller pots that you can arrange near your current assortment of potted plants. If you have a vegetable garden, marigolds and nasturtiums are also fantastic companion plants, because they repel pests like cabbage worms as well as attract beneficial insects.

Keep the Squirrels Away With Shiny Decor

A final, albeit odd, means of keeping squirrels out of your potted plants is to distract and keep them away with sparkly additions to your yard or garden. The moving shadows and lights can signal to a squirrel that a predator is nearby. You can use pinwheels and spinners on stakes or hang shiny objects like CDs or mirrors from a string to create this dazzling effect.

Tip

Squirrels are very intelligent creatures, so this method may only work for a time. Consider pairing this idea with another one of the solutions mentioned above.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do coffee grounds keep squirrels away?

Squirrels do not like the smell of coffee grounds, so it is a natural method for keeping them out of potted plants. Coffee grounds also provide essential nutrients like nitrogen and potassium for your plants.

What smell keeps squirrels away from plants?

Squirrels dislike a variety of aromas, many of which are pleasing to humans. These include, but are not limited to, coffee, peppermint, peppers (like cayenne), cinnamon, cloves, garlic, and vinegar.

What is the best homemade squirrel repellent?

There are a variety of ingredients you can use to create a natural, homemade squirrel repellent, but the most potent, and arguably the most effective, solution includes some sort of spice from hot peppers like cayenne.

Read Next: 7 Simple Ways to Keep Squirrels Out of Your Garden

Read the original article on The Spruce.