Peter from Hastings writes, “Sorry to say Bill but the only effective way to stop birds from scattering anything around your garden is to put it under bird netting. That said, I have been having reasonable success with a 50 to 75 mm layer of straw. It was to stop evaporation in summer and keep the soil warmer during winter, thereby extending the growing season without a green house. Join the Mitre10 Garden Club and buy good quality bird netting during their special offers. It lasts for years because it’s UV resistant. Scrounge a part roll of fencing wire and make pegs to hold it down and hoops to keep it clear of your plants. Frost cloth can be placed over the netting at night, making a temporary green house. I’ve thought about placing stuffed toys that look like cats around the garden but they will have to be moved regularly. Make a scarecrow… old tracksuit stuffed with straw, a Guy Fawkes mask and an old beanie. Could even scrounge an old automatic hawk-kite from an orchardist and modify it to work without any wind. Be inventive.”
All coffee outlets are keen to get rid of their used grounds, which when scattered over the garden put off the birds for 2-3 weeks, then repeat. Best times to find it at B.P is late evening or 10 am to 11am or ask the shop roughly when they put the coffee grounds out or some will keep it for you, but you must not let them down.
To keep birds and even cats off the garden, pick up bags of used coffee grounds where ever cups of coffee are sold e.g. B.P.Petrol and sprinkle over the area you want to protect. Repeat when they start to scratch again , in say 2-3 weeks.
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Peter from Hastings writes, “Sorry to say Bill but the only effective way to stop birds from scattering anything around your garden is to put it under bird netting. That said, I have been having reasonable success with a 50 to 75 mm layer of straw. It was to stop evaporation in summer and keep the soil warmer during winter, thereby extending the growing season without a green house. Join the Mitre10 Garden Club and buy good quality bird netting during their special offers. It lasts for years because it’s UV resistant. Scrounge a part roll of fencing wire and make pegs to hold it down and hoops to keep it clear of your plants. Frost cloth can be placed over the netting at night, making a temporary green house. I’ve thought about placing stuffed toys that look like cats around the garden but they will have to be moved regularly. Make a scarecrow… old tracksuit stuffed with straw, a Guy Fawkes mask and an old beanie. Could even scrounge an old automatic hawk-kite from an orchardist and modify it to work without any wind. Be inventive.”
All coffee outlets are keen to get rid of their used grounds, which when scattered over the garden put off the birds for 2-3 weeks, then repeat. Best times to find it at B.P is late evening or 10 am to 11am or ask the shop roughly when they put the coffee grounds out or some will keep it for you, but you must not let them down.
To keep birds and even cats off the garden, pick up bags of used coffee grounds where ever cups of coffee are sold e.g. B.P.Petrol and sprinkle over the area you want to protect. Repeat when they start to scratch again , in say 2-3 weeks.
Use coffee grounds from BP service stations. Lasts 2-3 weeks then get more to reapply.