Unfortunately, oregano is unlikely to deter rabbits from gardens. Many rabbit owners say rabbits like oregano and other herbs, so it is more likely to be regarded as an invitation to a gourmet meal. As Mr. McGregor found out with Peter Rabbit (in the famous book of that name by Beatrix Potter), it's hard to deter rabbits altogether. In the wild, they eat lots of grass and green plants and that is what they will eat in your garden, too. There are a few types of plants which rabbits avoid, including prickly, toxic and strong-smelling plants. Using these in the right way may discourage rabbit trespassers. Does this Spark an idea?
Prickly and Toxic
Prickly plants are not popular with rabbits. One way to make use of this fact is to keep cuttings from roses, raspberries, brambles and hawthorns and use them as a barrier, especially at any gaps in hedges used as paths by rabbits. These cuttings get even more prickly when dried out, so they last well. Rabbits tend to avoid toxic plants and roots, including daffodils and daylilies (which also can be poisonous to cats), although they enjoy other bulbs, such as tulips.
Rabbits Don't Eat Garlic
Even though rabbits originated in Europe, they are not into garlicky cuisine. No onions, either; flowering alliums are avoided by rabbits, too. If you interplant garlic and onions in the vegetable garden it will put bunnies off eating your carrots. Other strong-smelling plants unpopular with rabbits are lavender, artemesia and marigold. Rabbits are sometimes said to dislike mint but will eat most culinary herbs, including mint, especially when hungry.
Lettuce Gardening
The theory of "lettuce gardening" is to distract rabbits with their favorite plants and so divert their attention. Lettuce is popular. Clover is even better -- rabbits love clover. A clover cover crop will work fine. With this strategy, you put these rabbit favorites nearest to their garden entry, then surround them with a prickly hedge or strip of disliked plants to discourage the rabbits from going further. Grow your favorite plants and vegetable garden in the center and hope the rabbits don't make it that far. If the rabbit garden is big enough, this idea can work, but beware of planting just a few rabbit favorites. They may take them as starters and an invitation to come in for the main course.
Non-Plant Deterrents
Other deterrents include fences (although rabbits are great diggers and can get underneath a fence quite easily); also tree-guards, motion detectors and automatic water-sprays. Rabbits will run away from the smell of predators (e.g. the smell of ferrets) so predator-scented pellets and sprays are available. They also dislike vinegar, chili powder, bloodmeal and bonemeal. Keeping a dog will discourage rabbits, too.
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