As both newbie and veteran gardeners know, there’s almost nothing more annoying than losing carefully tended plants to animal activity. From deer mowing down a row of lush hostas to bunnies making brunch out of your broccoli, wildlife can really do a number on your landscape. Of course, for many folks who love to work the dirt, the biggest question, the one that can drive you absolutely nuts (get it?) is “Why do squirrels keep digging in my flowerpots?”
Seriously, what gives? It’s bad enough when squirrels go after bird feeders, but at least that makes some sense. What are the (admittedly cute) little buggers looking for in our container gardens? Is it simple curiosity? Are they just tiny vandals? Or is there some kind of weird rodent psychology at work?
To answer these and other important questions around squirrels and flowerpots, we checked in with two pros: Peter Lowe, garden program manager of The Dawes Arboretum in Newark, Ohio, and Christina Stembel, founder and CEO of Farmgirl Flowers. Ahead, they’ll break down the reasons squirrels keep invading your flowerpots, and the best ways to keep them out.
What Are Squirrels Looking for in Your Flowerpots?
So, just what are squirrels (and chipmunks, too, they’re another culprit) up to when they go prospecting in your garden containers? According to Christina, they’re drawn to the loamy, loose soil, which is typically much softer than ground soil and so easier to move around.
“They may be burying nuts and seeds for later, looking for something they buried before, or just investigating freshly disturbed soil,” Christina says. “I swear they just watch you plant something and then wait until you walk away to go see what you put in there.”
Or, they may be on the trail of yummy-smelling plant roots. “Squirrels are very in tune with fragrance,” Peter explains. “Various plant roots have scents that humans can’t perceive, but squirrels can. They might think it’s a fantastic snack for them, which causes them to get curious and dig in the ground to find the smell.”
As almost anyone who grows flowers can sadly attest, tulip, crocus, and gladiola bulbs are especially tasty to squirrels and their chipmunk brethren. When a pot or even an entire patch of these spring bloomers fail to arrive with warming temperatures, it can signal that the local rodent population has made a feast out of them.
“Seeds are another big one,” Christina adds, “and have caused me to have to replant my raised beds over and over again this summer. Both squirrels and chipmunks will dig up and eat my newly planted seeds, and they may nibble the seedlings once they emerge, too. We battle this continuously at our Farm Quarters—I kept thinking my cosmo seeds just didn’t germinate, only to realize the chipmunks had dug them up before they ever had a chance.”
How to Stop Squirrels from Digging in Your Flowerpots
While squirrels can be as tenacious and clever a critter as you’ll find anywhere, there are ways you can guard your precious pots from their incursions. And none of the remedies suggested by our experts takes a lot of time or money to make happen! While none are foolproof, these are the tried-and-true, no-harm methods Peter and Christina recommend:
1. Create a physical barrier
Peter calls creating a barrier between potted plants and garden rodents one of the most effective ways of putting a stop to their digging. This can be in the form of bird netting, or shade or insect cloth draped over pots as a visual barrier. You can also line the top of your pots with small, sharp rocks, pinecones, or even prickly holly leaves. If you don’t feel like going the DIY route, you could purchase wildlife protective cages from a home improvement store (some are even nicely decorative).
According to Peter, another effective method is placing chicken wire over your planting. “Once the squirrels start digging and realize there’s a barrier just below the surface, they’ll stop digging,” he says. “You can also create your own wire cage using chicken wire or other types of wire and molding it to the shape of the plants and your planter.”
2. Grow plants squirrels don’t like (as much)
As noted earlier, squirrels seem to love tulips, crocuses, and glads. Instead of growing a smorgasbord of their favorites, Christina advocates planting less appealing options (to squirrels, anyway), like daffodils, alliums, and chives. Peter also suggests marigolds, nasturtiums, rosemary, and lavender, which he says squirrels avoid because of their strong fragrance.
However, don’t expect anything to be completely squirrel-proof. “Sometimes they’ll still dig around a plant they have zero interest in eating just because the soil looks inviting,” Christina says. “They kind of seem like playful puppies to me that just enjoy frolicking in the dirt while wreaking havoc on you!”
3. Use a motion-activated sprinkler or something to scare them off
For protecting planters that are grouped together, Christina says she’s had luck deploying motion-activated sprinklers against squirrels. “It gives them a quick surprise without hurting them,” she says of the technique, adding, “It’s much better for small animals than deer, I've found, unfortunately.”
You can also try scaring squirrels away by scattering dog hair around your containers, or hanging noisy things like wind chimes, or items that sparkle in sunlight, such as pinwheels, around your pots. You could even pop for a fake owl or some coyote urine to fool local squirrels into thinking there are predators nearby.
Of course, if you’ve placed your pretty pots under a bird feeder, all bets are off. The sprinkler trick probably won’t even work, so your best move is to shift the feeder away from your planters. “You don’t necessarily have to get rid of every squirrel or chipmunk—you just want to make your flowerpots the least interesting part of the yard,” Christina says.
Will Coffee Grounds and Other Strong Smells Keep Squirrels Away?
But many old-school gardeners swear by a different method of defeating those dastardly squirrels and chipmunks: spritzing the flowerpot soil and even the plants or bulbs with a strong-smelling substance. Some folks like to sprinkle coffee grounds in containers, since the grounds not only drive away rodents, they also supply vital nutrients plants need, including nitrogen and potassium.
Others recommend citrus, mothballs, grated soap, cinnamon, cloves, garlic, or eucalyptus. Or, go for the hot stuff. “Using capsaicin, the active ingredient of cayenne peppers, is effective in deterring squirrels from the garden,” Peter says. “Additionally, using mint and vinegar sprays has been shown to deter squirrels.”
Christina says her mom is a fan of a homemade spray she makes with hot pepper and peppermint oil. “I haven’t found them super effective, but I don’t tell her that!” she notes. “You can make a simple repellent by blending one hot pepper, like a habanero, and four or five garlic cloves with about a quart of water. Let it sit, strain it really well, and spray it around the top of the soil and the outside rim of the pot.”
If you decide to go this route, Christina says you should make sure to wear gloves when applying, don’t use it on a windy day, and test it on a small area before spraying it directly on a plant. This isn’t a one-and-done solution, so don’t forget to reapply the mixture after watering your pots or if it rains.
“But my biggest advice is to use more than one method,” Christina adds. “Smells and sprays may help for a while, but squirrels and chipmunks are incredibly persistent. A physical barrier combined with one or two other deterrents is usually your best bet.”
Or, you can take a slightly more relaxed attitude toward your garden’s furry visitors. “When you begin gardening, be selective and choose plants that aren’t highly attractive to squirrels, but can also survive a bit of munching,” Peter says. “And understand that wildlife will be in this garden. That is harmony with your garden. … When in harmony, the plants are healthier and happier, and you’re a more successful gardener.”
