Trying to protect the GroCart, our mobile raised garden from various critters, including raccoons, opossums, and rodents.
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| We feed our critters with wholesome food like pomegranates |
Our home in California is the perfect place to grow things. Just ask any squirrel, rat, opossum, or raccoon in the neighborhood. We needed to protect the GroCart.
One evening we heard a crowd on the patio. When we opened the door we saw the family, raccoons, arranged across the patio. I threw my slipper at the closest one, but it just growled at me. I hopped back inside and let the raccoons have their way with the garden that evening.
We had a fountain on the patio. After the raccoon's visit, the fountain was removed, and at least we never saw them "en mass" on the patio again. However they have the jaws that could open a pomegranate.
We are familiar with animals in our gardens, such as when the monkeys raided our yard in Kathmandu. They striped a pine tree of its branches and knocked over several pots. See this post. I never did vegetable gardening in Nepal. The monkeys in my neighborhood were too daunting.
I have been learning over the last 4 years in California the tastes of the local critters and how to share (or Not!) the garden with them.
Other times it is only a small mess as when they dug between my poppy and pepper above. I consider opossums as enthusiastic, but sloppy garden partners, since the grubs are eating the roots of my vegetables.
We have a family of opossums live in a tree near the back patio.
They often go searching in the pots and bags for tasty treats.
Sometimes it is a large mess as the opossums went searching for worms and grubs in the big pot. I just sweep up the soil and put it back.
Other times it is only a small mess as when they dug between my poppy and pepper above. I consider opossums as enthusiastic, but sloppy garden partners, since the grubs are eating the roots of my vegetables.
However I do have to worry about R.O.U.S.
Rodents Of Unusual Size. Just a few days after I took this video of my Chinese Eggplants in July, they were all eaten by a very big rat or a squirrel.
I have successfully used bags to protect my fruit, such as seen with my grapes:
I'll try the bags with the pomegranates next season.
I am in the process of fortifying the GroCarts.
Six months ago I built my first "GroCart" to elevated my garden pots off the patio. This was due to a knee injury that occurred while working for the Registrar of Voters in Riverside County.
I decided to modify the GroCarts with a combination of nets and wire mesh to protect the plants.
I started with the base. I removed some of the base planks and installed wire mesh. This increases the drainage and gas exchange of the fabric bags. 
Eventually I had covered all but one of the exposed sides. 
I used fabric garden netting on the front.
I am forever tweaking the design. On the second GroCart I only put the wire screen halfway up the long sides and not on the top. I used the screen to help secure the garden netting that covered the top and the long sides. 
The next two carts will have a lower base. This will be used for taller plants such as tomatoes and tomatillos. Each will have an enclosure.
On both of my finished GroCarts, I installed three misters. These will water the pots/bags on the base, and also hanging pots.
The carts are no longer welcoming visits by any squirrel, rat, opossum, or raccoon in the neighborhood.
Here is the GroCart in action:
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