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Plants for Difficult Places

Do Rabbits Eat Potato Plants?

18 years ago

Hi,

I have a new garden area dedicated to potatoes. The fence around it should keep deer out, but it's not yet rabbit, hare, or woodchuck proof.

Anybody know how eagerly rabbits and woodchucks will attack the green growing parts of the potato plant? Aren't they in the nightshade family and does that make them resistant to rabbit damage? Or am I just hoping for the impossible?

I can't seem to find this addressed on the internet; only about insect damage to potatoes. I do remember my neighbor years ago had deer eating his potato plants...but then deer seem to eat most ANYTHING! But do rabbits & woodchucks?

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Comments (2)

radiantrose
18 years ago
Hi,
Yes, rabbits will eat potato leaves, especially young rabbits. They learn what to eat by nibbling everything. I lost a good crop of potatoes until I got a dog and let him loose in the garden. I was also shocked when all of my apricot foxgloves were eaten, stripped right down to the stems. More so if there is a large population and they are hungry. They will eat almost anything. If you google rabbit proof plants, they will list all of the garden flower types that they don't like. Maybe you could companion plant or spray a rabbit repellent on the leaves.
balsam_girl
Original Author
18 years ago
Radiantrose

Thanks for the info!

I'll add chickenwire (rabbitwire) around the base of the base of the garden fence. Right now it has a gap under the bottom where rabbits can slip under.
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