Perfecting protection from possums

 

Most gardeners lament the loss of our garden centre. The local garage has stepped in by providing gardening essentials and then there is the Saturday market – not only a wide variety of plants but very knowledgable stall holders ready to offer all sorts of advice. Sometimes I spend my entire market budget on plants. I head into the market for bread, eggs, cheese, vegetables and come out with seedlings, shrubs and trees, and wondering what I will cook that night.

“Do you know that possums don’t like strong smelling plants?” asked Cess as I lingered over the roses as I do on a weekly basis.

“Like what?” I asked. “What evidence do you have for that?”

It appears the evidence is largely anecdotal. Cess knows someone who planted a lavender near a lemon tree that was being ravaged. The possums promptly left the lemon alone and moved on to a nearby orange tree. Cess says he has known of this strategy for years and has the plants that possums avoid in stock. Some of the larger nurseries are recommending this approach as well. At the moment the possums are eating my lemons, lemonades and grape-fruit.

Although she did not wish to be quoted (against company policy) a nurserywoman agreed today. She said that she had read about the plants possums evade in one of the farming papers. Her recommendation was to use oily aromatic plants like rosemary, lavender and some of the pungent smelling geraniums. I am sure there are others. I have Googled the problem and come up with suggestions of moth balls and ammonia with varying results.

I thought it worth-while to conduct my own experiment. A border of lavender and rosemary are a far more attractive option than dead gorse. Off to see Rowie who just happened to have a tray of small rosemary plants and some English lavender which is very scented. I have dragged the gorse away from one set of roses and planted a small rosemary hedge. In Mitre 10 today I found some prostrate rosemary, Rosemarinus of-ficinalis ‘Mozart’ a semi prostrate rosemary with a bright blue flower ideal for growing over walls. It is a new variety and has many favourable reports. I plan to plant this on the other side of the roses so that it grows down the wall. It may be totally in vain but worth a try. I will report.

Cat and dog hairs were also recommended. Next time Barney has his hair clipped we will keep it! In the meantime he is at last proving he will be a major deterrent. Last week he caught a possum three nights in a row. Box thinks he has begun to make a circuit of the garden during the night. I hope so.

Blood and bone is cit-ed as another means of prevention and I might try this around the citrus trees. Better Homes and Gardens provide a ‘Poss Off ‘protection recipe which is a spray made from chilli, garlic and citronella which they advise spraying on to the plants in the early evening. Given how much the possums like the citrus trees I feel quite sceptical about it. Maybe the garlic and chilli will work. In the meantime I will see what happens with the rosemary and lavender and I have planted cuttings of a strong lemon geranium ready for spring.