If you have seen Atami’s social networks, you will have noticed that other than plants, we have a second love in our lives… our pets.
Although we love them, sometimes being a plant-lover and having pets is difficult to balance. Many of our furry friends love to play with plants. They dig up the soil in pots, gardens, and vegetable patches. They also nibble and, sometimes, even eat the whole plant!
We forgive them, of course, but these actions, as well as being harmful to plants, can also be harmful to our beloved companions. This is because some common house plants are toxic for pets.
Don’t despair if, despite trying, you can’t stop the pets from destroying your plants. We might just be able to help with that, so keep reading!
Tips for keeping your pets away from plants.
The first thing you should try to do is keep animals physically separated from your plants whenever possible. If you have plants indoors, make sure they are out of reach; place them on shelves or bookcases, or try keeping your plants in a room that you can keep closed when you’re out of the house.
Other than building a fence, a good way to keep your pets out of your garden is to plant plants that repel unwanted visitors. Place plants around your garden such as:
● Rosemary
● Thyme
● Lavender
● Lemon basil
● Lemon balm
● Rose bushes
These plants, as well as repelling your animals because of their intense smell, or because of their thorns, will attract pollinating and other beneficial insects to your vegetable garden. It’s a win-win situation!
Another trick that often works well, especially if our furry friend loves digging in the soil, is to place citrus peelings (e.g., lemons, oranges, grapefruit) on top of the soil. Pets tend to dislike citrus aromas, and this will deter them away from your pots. Indoors, however, you should replace the peels when they lose their smell with new ones. If you use this method in your garden, the chopped citrus peels will eventually decompose and nourish your plants.
In addition to citrus fruits, there are many strong smells that animals, and cats in particular, don’t like. To list a few: coffee, eucalyptus, smell cloves, pepper, vinegar. So, sprinkling ground coffee, placing peppercorns and cloves, or using a mixture of vinegar with eucalyptus essential oil near your plants can be the ultimate remedy to keep animals away from your plants and pots.
Can't keep your pets away from your plants? Attract them to others!
To keep our animals away, you can attract them with something they like, like catnip. Catnip makes cats (and some dogs) crazy.
However, it can take a while for your pets to be attracted to it again once they have consumed it and the effects have worn off.
Using this plant when they bite or play with your plants can help. This way, they will stop paying attention to your plants because they will find them less attractive.
Sticky weed is a harmless plant that dogs often like. If you’ve seen your dog stop to sniff and nibble at a wild plant on a walk, this is probably it. People often don’t like this plant in their gardens. But if you let it grow in a small area, it’ll probably become your dog’s favourite. It’ll be entertained by the weed, not your beloved rose bushes or tomato plant.
Cats and dogs like to chew plants to ‘purify’ themselves. If you don’t want them to use your plants, you can plant other things they can chew on. You can plant oats, wheat, barley or bird food. This is harmless to dogs and cats. These plants grow quickly. You can have a tray of sprouts in no time that will delight your furry friend.
Conclusion: Atami to the rescue!
If your plants have suffered damage, or you notice that they are not doing as well as before they were mosaicked, don’t worry! The plant is probably a little stressed. Atami has a wide range of products that can help you improve the overall health and resistance of the plant, such as Alga-C, Silic Boost or B’cuzz Boosters Uni.
With just a few applications you’ll see their health improve, so you’ll never have to choose between your beloved plants and your furry friends. Atami for a happy coexistence!
