Fox control.

CardinalJ

We recently moved into our house. The garden has been left for a few months and the flower beds are weed city.

I read about using wet cardboard to cover/kill the weeds and then putting bark/mulch over it. Weeds die under the cardboard/mulch and then next year we can do something with the beds.

Ive done a section of the garden, but a fox keeps trying to dig up the mulch and drags out small bits of cardboard.

Any suggestions for discouraging him? I installed a spot light that has a motion sensor but the fox isnt bothered.

Lumen

Urinate on it.

Harry Palmr

Got any brambles/briers that you can cut and lay over the mulch?

fiacha

Lumen wrote: »

Urinate on it.

on the fox or the mulch ? maybe both..

RiderOnTheStorm

+1 for urine.

I had chickens for years and would urinate on fence posts around the coop (a few times a year). I did see a fox in the next field a few times, but he never came over to us. We were either lucky, or the wee-wee works! Worth a try OP. (its also liberating to go in your garden!!)

RiderOnTheStorm

PS .... if you dont like the idea of marking your territory in the traditional way, you can save it in a bottle and sprinkle it around later.

PPS urban myth says male urine is best

Graces7

With the cardboard idea; yes. Add manure then straw and you can still grow this year. I am disabled and cannot dig etc but have great success with potatoes on cardboard with straw/hay piled atop. Mine are "in" now..

Pretzill

Graces7 wrote: »

With the cardboard idea; yes. Add manure then straw and you can still grow this year. I am disabled and cannot dig etc but have great success with potatoes on cardboard with straw/hay piled atop. Mine are "in" now..

That sounds like a tempting idea Grace. I was looking for ingenious ways to plant this year as my back isn't able for bending too long. We have started spuds in bags and also in old buckets with the bottom cut out.

Graces7

Pretzill wrote: »

That sounds like a tempting idea Grace. I was looking for ingenious ways to plant this year as my back isn't able for bending too long. We have started spuds in bags and also in old buckets with the bottom cut out.

Go for it! I tried it last year half heartedly . One day my neighbour called round and just for interest I said, I think I will see what these have grown and pulled one stalk. Do not know who got the greatest surprise, him or me, when the stalk came out dripping with good sized spuds.

also it leaves the earth ready to use for other plants as it all mulches down. This was a badly overgrown garden and this year I am growing broad beans and peas where the potatoes were last year..

google no dig potatoes as there are several variations.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Pretzill wrote: »

That sounds like a tempting idea Grace. I was looking for ingenious ways to plant this year as my back isn't able for bending too long. We have started spuds in bags and also in old buckets with the bottom cut out.

There are a few ways to grow potatoes without digging but they all result in a poor yield and are prone to pests and disease.
The biggest problem is that just putting seed potatoes in manure and covering them is that they do not get anything like the correct nutrients for proper growth.
A couple of methods are detailed here:

https://www.enjoy-your-garden.com/growing-potatoes.html

Graces7

Pretzill wrote: »

That sounds like a tempting idea Grace. I was looking for ingenious ways to plant this year as my back isn't able for bending too long. We have started spuds in bags and also in old buckets with the bottom cut out.

Actually i grew them last year just atop cardboard with straw covering as I was too new here to acquire manure.

They were plentiful and large and unblemished so this year I have omitted manure again. Laid atop cardboard with hay atop as I had spare hay.

Years ago when I had a polytunnel I had one corner set aside with dry grass atop the earth and had potatoes growing there all year round.

very versatile are potatoes

evolving_doors

Lumen wrote: »

Urinate on it.

Must be male for testosterone... so Bare Grills says anyway.

evolving_doors

Hair from barbers also... put it in tights.

Lumen

evolving_doors wrote: »

Must be male for testosterone... so Bare Grills says anyway.

I've actually read that urine is ineffective, regardless of gender. But better on the garden than down the toilet.

I have chickens and terriers, representing both carrot and stick, and the carrot is more powerful.

Almost nothing will keep a starving fox at bay except an impenetrable, unclimbable physical barrier or electric netting.

delboythedub

Go to your Barbers shop and put some hair in nylon stocking and hang it in your garden. Job done

Day Lewin

Foxes like to eat earthworms, so the cardboard matting is probably gathering a juicy collection underneath.

Also, at this time of year they are feeding growing cubs, so all foxes you see are actively collecting food.

Foxes are not "harmful" (as long as you're not a chicken) though they can make a mess, by digging holes etc; but this activity will have died down by July/August.

It's actually very difficult to discourage a fox, they are excellent climbers, resourceful and smart: but at least you'll know how not to attract them next year!