Home gardener shares warning after making all-too-common mistake: 'This is definitely a must'

A TikTok gardener has shared an important lesson about raised-bed planters that he, unfortunately, had to learn the hard way. 

In the clip, Uncle Josh Gardens (@theplanttechie) shared how the carrots he planted in a raised planter bed suddenly disappeared, the reason why, and the incredibly simple fix that will ensure it never happens again.

"I put these raised planter beds in several years ago, and they are quite tall," he shared, gesturing to a metal planter appearing to be roughly three feet in height. "And something happened that has never happened before." 

@theplanttechie What gardening mistakes have you made? 😬🌱 I thought my tall raised beds would keep gophers, voles, and moles out… but guess what? They still found a way in and went straight for my plant roots! 😭🐀🥕 Lesson learned: 🎓Height doesn't stop burrowers! If you're setting up a raised bed, don't make my mistake—try one of these fixes: ✅ Install stainless steel wire mesh at the base before filling your bed 🛠️🛑 ✅ Use PermaTill to help deter burrowers AND improve soil structure 🌿💪 Have you had critters invade your raised beds? What other tips do you have for keeping them out? 👇 Drop them in the comments! ⬇️ #gardeningfail #raisedbeds #gardeningtips #gardenproblems #growyourown #gardenerlife #anyonecangrow ♬ original sound - Uncle Josh Gardens

In the clip, the gardening influencer showed where he had planted kale, garlic, and carrots in the raised bed. While the kale and garlic appeared to be growing well, the other side of the planter, which purportedly held the carrots, was barren except for several rows of holes in the dirt. The culprit?

"Probably a vole," the gardener explained. 

So what happened? According to Josh, when he installed the raised beds several years ago, he neglected to put a mesh screen at the bottom. This allowed burrowing animals to dig their way into his planter beds and, in this instance, help themselves to some freshly grown carrots. 

The solution, therefore, was simply to install wire mesh or some other form of barrier at the bottom of all raised planter beds to prevent voles, moles, gophers, and other critters from making a meal of your food plants.

Users flocked to the comments section to thank him for the highly practical advice. 

"Perfect timing for me as we're about to put our beds up!" commented one user. "Thanks for the tip!" 

Another said: "I'm about to build 4 beds and this is definitely a must. We have voles around here and I love carrots more than them."

How much time do you spend taking care of your houseplants, garden, or yard each week? Less than 30 minutes 🌵 Thirty minutes to an hour 🪴 One to two hours 🌱 Over two hours 🏡 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Other TikTokers were eager to agree and add their own recommendations. Another commenter suggested, "A 2 inch layer of gravel at the bottom of the bed will also do the trick, it's cheaper and is good for drainage." 

Similarly, another person added, "Put Rabbit wire at the bottom, not chicken wire, voles can get through the chicken wire." 

While growing your own food at home has many environmental and health benefits, you don't need to be an avid gardener to make your yard more environmentally conscious. For example, planting a native grass lawn or rewilding your yard can save water, time, and money, while also benefiting the local ecosystem by providing a habitat for pollinators. 

For more information, check out these helpful guides for native lawns and rewilding your yard. 

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