If you are a DIY gardener looking for tips on how to improve your garden, then the question above is one you must ask. You may be quick to ask why.
The key reason is that growing a garden and planting your herbs, flowers, and vegetables is a labor of love. Usually, it involves a lot of hard work and patience, but when all of your efforts finally yield the desired result, these interesting creatures become your garden’s august visitors.
Squirrels, being around any vicinity with trees, flowers, and leaves, leave many gardeners frustrated after seeing their plants eaten up. This has made gardeners research a way to put a stop to squirrels using their precious plants as the day’s meal.
Do Squirrels Like Geraniums?
Geraniums are one of the most popular plants grown in beds but they can also be grown in pots if the weather conditions are not favorable.
Geranium plants can be both annual and perennial, so you should check the plant’s type before planting it in your garden.
They are also popular for their eye-catching flowers, which come in various colors, like pink, red, white, and purple. Although geraniums are relatively easy to grow and usually require little maintenance, they are likely to be damaged by pests and other animals.
Most rodents, including squirrels, rats and rabbits, love to eat vegetables, leaves, and flowers; therefore, protecting your geraniums from them should become a concern of yours as a gardener.
If there is something eating or attacking your plants, you ought to be interested in knowing what kind of animals are attracted to them and how to tackle it. The kind of animal we are referring to in this article is the squirrel.
Do Squirrels Like Geraniums or Not?
Based on research about geranium plants and squirrels, it has been observed that squirrels do not like geranium. However, a few gardeners have complained that their geraniums are being eaten by squirrels.
Before we go into that, let’s see why squirrels do not eat geranium.
Why squirrels do not eat geranium
1. Geraniums have special phytochemicals
Geraniums are proven to produce a mixture of plant chemicals consisting of alcohols,ketones, terpenes, esters and phenols. These phytochemicals serve as the plant’s defense against squirrels, bugs, other pests and rodents eating them.
2. Geraniums have poisonous and bitter leaves
All parts of the plant are poisonous to some animals, including the stems, flowers, leaves, and roots. The harmful chemicals are more concentrated in the leaves than in other parts of the plant.
The leaves also contain bitter compounds like tannins, saponins and others.
These chemical combinations in geranium make the plant taste bad in the mouths of animals that try to eat it. It also irritates their skin and gastrointestinal tracts.
3. Geraniums have pungent smell
Geranium flowers have a distinct smell that repels squirrels, insects and other rodents. Therefore, it is an inedible food for them.
4. Squirrels can’t digest geraniums
Squirrels love to eat nuts, vegetables, flowers and different leaves that taste good. But the geraniums, however, are not their type of plants because they are almost indigestible. Geraniums create gas and irritation in their system and can make them sick so they avoid it.
How can you keep squirrels from eating Germanium?
Back to the complaint some gardeners made about squirrels eating their geranium despite the notion that they don’t eat the plant.
It is normal for squirrels to not eat geraniums; if they are hungry, they would rather look for an alternative food source. But if they don’t find any suitable food or flowers to eat, they might eat the leaves and flowers of the geraniums to a small extent.
Although this is a very rare case, it can happen in some instances. The best bet is that the squirrel may develop certain health issues, like food poisoning, after eating a forbidden food.
So, even though the geranium is a pest-resistant plant, remember that squirrels are very persistent, but there are still stubborn ones willing to give it a try. You too should try the following to keep squirrels away from your garden:.
1. Take the container indoors
This is your best bet and a method used by many gardeners. So if your geraniums are in pots or containers, take them indoors and bring them out to the sunlight every morning.
You can also leave them outside but place them where they can be monitored. If they are grown on beds, you can follow the other methods listed below.
You can totally grow them indoors too but you must ensure they have enough sunlight.
2. Sprinkle white vinegar
Measure some vinegar into a bottle and add some water. Shake the bottle very well and sprinkle the liquid on the plants and around the garden to repel squirrels and other rodents.
White vinegar has a pungent smell and contains chemicals that are repulsive to insects, pests and rodents without causing damage to your plants.
3. Make a cage around the plant
This is a better method, especially if your geraniums are planted on a bed.
For the cage, you will need to create a cylindrical cage with wires around and over the garden to prevent squirrels from climbing over and damaging your plants.
4. Cover the top soil with gravel
Squirrels are known to dig plants out from the roots but when the top soil is covered with gravel, it can deter squirrels because the stones would prevent them from getting to the roots.
Avoid using too much or too large gravel because it can affect the roots of your plants.
5. Plant thorns among your plants
This action can repel squirrels and other rodents from your garden. You can plant different thorny plants like roses, bougainvillea or honey locust around your other plants. The thorns will help to chase them away.
However, be careful so these thorny plants do not destroy other plants
6. Use Irish spring soap
Irish spring soap is known for its powerful scent that keeps not only squirrels but other animals away from your plants. Take a bar of Irish spring soap and grate it into pieces, then sprinkle it around your plants. The smell can last for several days.
A good side of Irish spring soap is that it can’t hurt your plants but would do a good job keeping pests, rodents and other animals away.
Conclusion
We have come to the conclusion that squirrels do not like geraniums due to the above-listed reasons and more. Not only are the leaves and flowers harmful to the squirrel’s health (which can cause food poisoning and damage to the stomach), but their pungent smell also affects the squirrels.
Therefore, the answer to the question is no; squirrels do not like geraniums.
