Everybody loves fresh vegetables from a home garden. And unfortunately for many gardeners, that "everybody" often includes wild animals.
Luckily, one gardener is sharing the ingenious method they came up with to keep their produce safe from Peter Rabbit and his ilk — and it doesn't involve the use of any chemicals or anything that could harm you, the animals, or your garden.
The scoop
Planty Maggie (@planty_maggie) shared this tip with her 13,000 TikTok followers, and it couldn't be simpler.
She simply takes a mesh bag and ties it around a couple of tomatoes that are still growing on the vine. The bag can expand as the vegetables continue to grow, but it prevents any hungry animals from getting in.
Even better, the materials required don't involve any additional purchases and instead feature some clever upcycling.
"It's a bag that onions came in from the grocery store," Maggie explained to a commenter who asked where the "red stuff" came from. "I always save them!"
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@planty_maggie 🖕🐿 you can't eat my 🍅 #gardenhacksontictok #veggiegarden #gardenhack #gardentok #gardenhacks ♬ original sound - Nia Sue-Amarah
How it's helping
Some of the products marketed as squirrel and rodent repellents contain chemicals that you wouldn't really want on your vegetables. Others, which claim to use all-natural ingredients, work by repelling animals with bad smells, such as ammonia. Unfortunately, most humans don't enjoy those smells either.
But by upcycling the onion bag from the grocery store, you aren't doing anything to your vegetables that makes them less attractive to eat or smell. And it's a whole lot easier than building whole barriers to keep animals out.
This is just one of many gardening hacks that you can find on TikTok, many of which make use of simple household items to help your plants and vegetables thrive.
What everyone's saying
Several of Planty Maggie's followers were appreciative of her advice, with one even offering some advice of their own.
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"Keep water around and they won't touch your garden," they wrote. "Trust me, it works."
"Yes, I've heard this," Maggie replied. "They take the tomato, have one bite, and drop it because they are thirsty."
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