Pet Friendly Indoor Gardening

You can have pets and still grow an indoor garden.

As a cat owner I have struggled with this issue for years. We love our pets and they love to eat or dig in our plants. Start by selecting plants that are safe for your pets. Consult the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals website for a list of pet safe and toxic plants. This will ease your worry and help you create a safe indoor garden.

Next adjust your gardening style to keep your plants safe from curious pets. Mulch the soil in large planters with chunky woodchips or better yet stones. I find the mulch keeps pets from digging in the soil and using this as a litter box.

Try growing plants in hanging baskets and be sure to keep those tempting long-dangling stems trimmed. Or place plants on shelves or wall brackets out of the reach of pets.

Homemade or commercial repellents may provide relief. Make sure they are safe for you, your pets and the plants. You may need to treat just the container or area around the plant to avoid damage.

A bit more information: In some cases you may need to enlist scare tactics. Squirt bottles, noisemakers, and commercial devices like the Mini scarecrow, a motion sensitive noise and air blaster, can help deter pets from eating your plants.