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Natural ways to prevent gophers

Most of the methods used to get rid of gophers can be ignored if you can just prevent them in the first place. There are many ways to do this but all of the require work and diligence.

Gophers only need two things from your property and plants, food and shelter. Generally, it is simple for them to get both because of the work you put into growing their food and giving them perfect shelter.

Building gopher proof growing areas:

1) One of the best ways I have seen to prevent gophers naturally was with a concrete block raised garden with a chicken wire top. It was constructed of concrete blocks laid down about 2 feet under the surrounding earth. Sort of a concrete floor. This supplies excellent drainage and strength. Then more blocks were laid in to make the sides that came up about 3 feet above ground. The entire bed was filled with compost and earth. A top made of PVC pipe and covered with chicken wire kept all the critters out. Many people believe if you lay wire in the bottom of the bed, you can keep out gophers. This is false as they will also travel above grounds searching for food.

The top structure is essentially a cage and can be lowered or raised depending on the crop being grown. It can also be covered with plastic sheet during the colder weather to act as a greenhouse for seedlings. This is a lot of work to build but will last forever and can be added to as time permits.

2) Another method is to use an 8 foot grave liner. That's right, a grave liner. They are generally made of plastic and are 8 feet long and 4 feet wide. Most are 4 feet deep and make perfect growing containers and are impervious to gophers. They cannot climb the sides. Just remember to make drain holes.

3) Another similar way is to use 30 gallon plastic garbage containers. Just stack them together so they support each other when filled with soil. I grow potatoes in them. Just fill 1/2 with soil, start the potatoes and when they start to grow add soil periodically until you reach the top and the potatoes stem will make it to the top. When they are ready, just tip over the container and you will have many potatoes spill out. Almost any crop, including corn,  can be grown this way and it's surprising how much production you can get.

4) Old bathtubs are another great container and have the drain hole already done in the form of a drain. Gophers and other pests cannot climb the sides either.

5) Old wine barrels are good too. They can be used as is or cut in half either horizontally or vertically. I can grow an entire years supply of garlic in one half barrel. Grow onions and herbs too. Gophers can't climb them either because of their shape.

If you can't employ these ideas, buy GopherOut.