Bunny found my garden

[21hens-incharge]

Well mama bunny found my garden.
In particular my lettuce.

It will have to wait until Saturday for protection but I want thoughts before I go nutty fencing things in.

I don't have anything against bunny so intend no harm.

The plan is to fence in my beds with chicken wire in frames. That will mean making removable panels for all my beds. I cannot add tops since I have huge tomato cages and a cattle panel trellis.

So do I go 2' tall? Will 1' work? This is a normal cotton tail bunny. She isn't huge by any means. The beds are 11" tall being made from 2x6 lumber stacked 2 high.

She also hit my ripe strawberries.

Of course I will post pics as things progress but that will be Saturday.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Rabbits can climb fencing if they really want in. 2-3 feet for jumping. I guess it depends how delicious your lettuce is.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Apparently quite tasty.
My Nevada lettuce is a nub now.

It took 20 years gardening here to finally end up with a naughty bunny.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Not sure how long your lettuce lasts in your area. I'd try the smaller fencing and see how it goes. My lettuce will start to get bitter soon as it's heating up here.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Not sure how long your lettuce lasts in your area. I'd try the smaller fencing and see how it goes. My lettuce will start to get bitter soon as it's heating up here.

We have set a few heat records here.
Normally lettuce in shade goes until after July 4th.

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

Our garden is started. But we have to put 6ft fencing up yearly.
We have a mama bunny with a baby bunny.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Our garden is started. But we have to put 6ft fencing up yearly.
We have a mama bunny with a baby bunny.

I really don't want to go 6'.

So far she has only hit the lettuce and strawberries. Bold as brass she is too. I was 4' away and she hopped up for lunch yesterday.

Side note she doesn't care for the red lettuce.

 

[Ilovemychicks08]

We never fence our strawberries and for some reason the rabbits have left them alone this year

 

[CatInTheHenHouse]

I can’t answer the question of height because when I had a rabbit eat my tarragon down to the ground a few years ago I started covering it with a chicken wire cloche instead, and that worked well. That is an individual plant though. I think row cloches exist, but I’m not sure if they would work with your setup.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I am not sure I can manage individual cloches. It's not a bad idea for next year if I plan my plantings accordingly.

Since lettuce season is nearing an end here I may work out protecting the cabbage and let bunny have the lettuce.