Comments about ‘Vegetable gardening 101: Larry Sagers tells you how to grow your garden’

Thank you for putting this great article together, and making this information avaiable in one place. Very helpful!

Can anyone tell me how to keep cats and dogs out of my vegetable garden. My inconsiderate neighbors let their stinkin pets run free.

My mother-in-law uses orange peels in the soil to discourage cats from digging in her flowerbeds. We fenced a part of our yard off for the veggies (not for the dog) with a metal rod that has a hook on it and wire rabbit fencing off a roll from a hardware store. Not very expensive and the wire fencing hooks easily onto the metal pole. Otherwise, call animal control when you see loose animals running amok.

Larry,

You forgot the most important, but most time consuming, labor intensive and awful part of gardening. Weeding!! Many well intentioned souls have gone "gung ho" on their early season garden activity, but when it starts to get hot and when they can't tell whether something is a plant or weed they give up. Cultivating and hoeing as well as just getting on your "prayer bones" (knees, for the non-religious is backbreaking and often time miserable, but is crutial to a bountiful harvest. Other than that a great article.

"Can anyone tell me how to keep cats and dogs out of my vegetable garden. My inconsiderate neighbors let their stinkin pets run free."

There is a leash and "containment" law in every county in Utah. The answer is not as complicated and time consuming as you might think. Ask your local animal control officers to "borrow" a pet trap. When it springs, they'll come and pick it up and then fine the owners. It will be AMAZING at how quickly the problem is solved, one way or another.

I've lived in several localities in several states. Larry Sagers is the BEST ag. agent I have EVER seen. Not only knowledgeable but goes out of his way to be helpful. This article is just one way he tries to help the "common Joe."

Thanks Larry!

I HAVE USED CAYENNE PEPPER IN THE SOIL TO DISOURAGE CATS AND DOGS - SEEMS TO WORK! jUST SPRINKLE IT LIBERALLY ON THE SOIL.

The trap / animal control solution works well but it sure makes the irresponsible neighbors angry. You won't be making any friends that way. I know this from experience. You have every right to do it but they still act like you're infringing on their rights instead of viceversa.

What about keeping deer out of the garden?

Great article with very helpful information!

I have the same problem with dog people who have absolutely no respect for the time I spend buying a growing plants and vegetables. Some even deliberately let their dogs destroy my gardens and use my trees as their dogs fire hydrant. I got smart and now take their pictures and find out where they live and call animal control. I was nice for along time and tried to talk nicely and encourage people not to let their pets use my yard for dog and cat potty, but usually got told where to go or the finger job. So last resort I now rely on ANIMAL CONTROL.

Also, my neighbor uses Cheyenne Pepper and some special spray to ward off dogs and cats from plants that she buys from Home Depot.

Good luck with your garden. Gardening is so wonderful.

I love this article.

There is nothing like fresh veggies out of our garden every summer. We grow carrots, lettuce, kale and many different herbs. It's so much nicer than buying them at the local grocery store---Much better flavor. However, we have a dog problem as well, with rude neighbors letting their two dogs have the run of our yard even with a lease. This feller lets the length of the lease out when running by our home. I was wondering if anyone knows what the laws are about someone who deliberately lets his dogs vandalize our yard and defecate on our garden plants. Thanks for any help I can get. I'm planning on trying the Cheyenne pepper advise given.

Gardening sounds fun , but I would never eat veggies that were a dogs dumping ground. Dogs and cats have parasites that can cause harm to humans.

Weeding is a matter of starting control when the weeds start. They are not born knee high! Mulching with discarded carpet between rows saves a lot of weeding. Sawdust or organic mulch covers the soil and prevents many seed from germination. Plant veggies close together in a bed formation, instead of wide rows so they shade out small weeds. Use a gliding or "scuffle" hoe that cuts off developing weeds with a minimum of soil disturbance to turn up more seeds. Don't let any weeds go to seed. Check products at the garden store to see if some might be useful in your situation. I do not use them.

Hey Duane, Thank You, for all the gardening tips. I will put some of them to use. Have fun gardening this summer :>)

Duane,
Thanks for your response to my remarks. I was insinuating that most people give up when the weeds take over. Weed management is the one of the most important parts of gardening. I really like your idea about the old carpet strips. Only problem is what do you do with it after the garden season is done and it's nasty and gross? I live in Missouri where burning is okay, but in Utah it might be an issue. Point of reference, I lived in Utah for over 40 years and many of the points Larry made are just as applicable in Missouri as they are in Utah. One of the biggest difference is where Utah either has sandy or heavy clay, Missouri (especially the South West Ozarks) have rocks. We're talking boulders. I've worked a garden spot now for over three years and every year I harvest more rocks than vegetables. But I'm continuing to amend with compost and amazingly it produces a really great harvest. May bring in some top soil at some point but so far we've done okay.

To: Barb. We had that problem with those "stinkin cats" and my husband told me to go get some moth balls and put them around our walls and inside the yard. I did that. Walmart has a box of 100 for $4.99. It was worse it. It worked. But wait until the rain and snow is over because that desintegrates the balls too fast. I even put them on top of the block walls. Hope that helps.

To: Barb, I didn't proof what I wrote. I meant to say, it was worth it. sorry.Carol's suggestion of cayenne pepper works also and it doesn't hurt your plants.

Do you know if moth balls will hurt the plants or trees? It sounds like an excellent Idea for the sake of riding pesky pets from gardens. We also have a dog problem. My neighbors let their dogs poop in my flower gardens and have killed several trees from urine, as well as many plants within our vegetable garden.

However, I do plan to go and buy the moth balls.

Thanks,

Janet SLC

Good article.