Keeping Gophers Out!
Answered by: Inge Poot
Question from: Jenna Armstrong
Posted on: December 07, 2007

I have a lot of problems with gophers. They keep taking my plants, but I don’t want to use poisons, and the garden spinners don’t work. Are there any herbs I can plant that deter them?

I have heard of the "gopher plant" which is a member of the milkweed family and this one has poisonous sap. I do not know if it works on gophers. Here is the link to the listing in the Richters catalogue:

http://www.richters.com/Web_store/web_store.cgi?product=X4075

You could try the "Piss-off" plant. It repels rabbits and may do the same for gophers. A three foot (one meter) wide band of nasturtiums around the area to be protected is supposed to repel rodents. Even if this rodent is not impressed, it should look very pretty. A fence, dug into the soil for at least a foot is bound to be the most effective barrier. I am not sure how high it has to be for gophers, but three feet (one meter) ought to be enough.

Back to Growing Herbs | Q & A Index

Copyright © 1997-2024 Otto Richter and Sons Limited. All rights reserved.