Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) can brighten up gardens within U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 2 to 11. With their brown to purple center disk and their red, yellow, mahogany or bicolor rays, these sun-resembling blooms can grow anywhere from 1 to 15 feet tall, providing their growth isn't interrupted by rabbits. Unfortunately, sunflower seeds and leaves are a rabbit's favorite dish, and neglecting to protect your flowers can mean all your hard work trying to beautify your garden was for nothing.
Remove weeds, stone piles and other debris from your garden because these make perfect hideouts and living areas for rabbits.
Place a rubber hose in your garden near the sunflowers and move it around regularly. Rabbits might mistake the hose for a snake and will stay away from your sunflowers. Although this method is not guaranteed to work, it's worth a try before taking on other repelling methods that are more times consuming.
Apply fox urine around the perimeter of your garden. When rabbits near your garden, they'll smell the urine and stay away out of fear of the predator. Other repellents you can sprinkle around your garden or on the soil near the sunflowers include wood ashes, blood meal and cow manure.
Plant a border of marigold or catmint plants around your garden. Rabbits dislike these plants and might get discouraged to pass them to get to the sunflowers. Alternatively, plant a clover border around your garden because rabbits have an appetite for clover and might prefer it over your sunflowers.
Install a wire fence around your garden to keep nibbling bunnies at bay. Use wire mesh with 1.5-inch openings at the most so rabbits can't fit through them. Bury the fence at least 6 inches deep and ensure it's 2 to 3 feet tall above-ground. Alternatively, put a stake in the ground near the sunflowers, wrap wire netting around the flowers and staple it to the stake to form a protective cage.
Trap and relocate the rabbit if all of the previous methods seem ineffective. Purchase a commercial rabbit trap, place bait in it and position it near the rabbit's resting area. Use cabbage, carrots or sunflower seeds and leaves as bait. Check the trap daily and replenish the bait if needed. Once you trap a rabbit, release it in an acceptable area where it can't get to your garden. Make sure you don't violate local ordinances when doing so.
Things You Will Need
- Wire mesh
- Staple gun
- Fox urine
- Wood ash
- Blood meal
- Cow manure
- Marigold plants
- Catmint plants
- Clover plants
- Rubber hose
- Rabbit trap
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