Natural Remedy to Keep Rabbits From Eating Sunflowers

Rabbits are the bane of many a gardener because they eat flowers, bark and vegetables wherever they can find them. Rabbits are garden pests, but they also serve as companion animals in many households, so it is undesirable to kill them. Natural remedies are effective in keeping rabbits away from the sunflowers and other garden plants you wish to save, and they won't harm the rabbits.

Sunflower, Helianthus, is only one of many plants that rabbits find attractive. The rabbits will eat every part of sunflowers, including the seeds and flowers. Make a natural pesticide with 2 tablespoons each of cayenne pepper and garlic powder. Add 2 to 3 drops of liquid detergent, which helps the mixture stick to sunflower foliage, and mix it all together with 2 1/2 cups of warm water. Let the mixture stand for one day outdoors and spray it directly onto sunflower leaves to keep rabbits away.

Rabbits are sensitive to certain scents, and gardeners can use that to their advantage. Spring hot pepper or chili power in a circle around sunflower beds to keep the pests away. Blood meal, vinegar and human hair also emit an odor that rabbits dislike. All of these natural repellents must be re-applied after plants have been watered or heavy rains have occurred. You may also use visual repellents to keep rabbits out of the garden. An inflatable snake that looks like a predator may be effective in driving the pests away.

The most effective way to keep rabbits away from sunflowers, and out of the garden, is to build a fence. The gaps in chicken wire are too small for rabbits to pass through. Bury the fence 1 foot into the ground to prevent rabbits from digging into the ground and burrowing up into the sunflower bed.

Rabbits prefer clover and plantain above sunflowers and garden vegetables. If you plant a small patch of clover and/or plantain a distance away from garden areas, the rabbits will be drawn to this natural rabbit garden. The pests will draw nourishment from their natural food sources, and they'll leave your plants alone.