There are several mole and gopher repellents on the market. The active ingredient is castor oil, which gophers apparently hate. I guess I would treat the area where you are going to plant several weeks before planting, just to make sure the gophers move out first, then circle the plants with the castor oil treatment every couple of weeks to keep them away during the growing season.

Does the castor oil treatment work? Well, the gophers that are all over my yard have so far stayed out of my vegetable gardens, which I spray with one of these several times a summer. I also plant lots of garlic (which gophers may or may not like, depending on who you talk to) and dafodils (which they are reputed to hate).

As the saying goes, can't hoit!

Catherine