In general, rabbits eat herbaceous plants in spring and summer and damage woody plants in fall and winter. Generally, the larger the population of rabbits, the larger the variety of plants they will browse. (Chicago Botanic Garden)

I am having problems with rabbits in my garden and would like some advice on how to prevent or minimize damage to my plants.

As with any garden pest problem, it is important to correctly identify the issue before implementing any control efforts. Rabbits are easy to spot in the garden (look for them early in the morning); damage caused by rabbits appears in the form of neatly clipped stems on tender shoots and small, chiseled gnaw marks on woody plants. Rabbits typically damage bark in the winter — if there’s a lot of snow, damage may be visible high up on the plant. In general, rabbits eat herbaceous plants in spring and summer and damage woody plants in fall and winter. Generally, the larger the population of rabbits, the larger the variety of plants they will browse.

Cottontail rabbits generally live less than two full years in the wild and can often raise two to three litters per year, up to as many as five or six. The young leave the nest in two to three weeks. Rabbits generally spend their entire lives in an area of 10 acres or less, so if there is a suitable habitat in the vicinity of your garden, you are likely to encounter rabbits. Rabbits like open, grassy areas with cover such as that provided by groupings of shrubs, ground covers, grasses or brush piles typical in the home landscaping. During periods of cold weather, rabbits use natural cavities and other animals’ burrows for their dens.

The best way to prevent rabbit damage is to exclude them from your garden using fencing. Use a 2-foot tall chicken wire fence with the bottom buried 2 to 3 inches deep. The wire should have holes that measure 1 inch or smaller. To protect trees over winter, use ¼-inch wire hardware cloth, spaced 1 to 2 inches from the trunk. Another option is to spray repellents that make the plants unpalatable to rabbits. You will need to reapply repellents after rain and whenever plants exhibit new growth. Rabbits are difficult to trap live so you will need to take extra care not to leave your scent on the traps — besides, remember that your bait will be competing with all the other tasty plants in your garden. Most dogs will chase rabbits out of the yard — my dachshunds give chase as soon as they see one in my yard, so they serve as good rabbit deterrents.

The following plants are some suggestions for color in your garden considering your rabbit challenge: annuals like geraniums, ageratum and wax begonia; perennials such as hardy geraniums, Epimedium, bee balm, peony, Russian sage and perennial salvia; bulbs like daffodils and ornamental onions; and vegetables including tomatoes, potatoes, squash and peppers.

Tim Johnson is director of horticulture for the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe.

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