Hardy Tropicals UK

Hi all,

I am new to this site so please be gentle with me

We have two lovely Tree Ferns in our garden (Dicksonia antarctica) the bigger of the two keeps being ravaged by the squirrels. They run all over it and as soon as the knuckles start to unfurl they bite them off and then just drop then. Last year we managed to keep them away long enough for two maybe three fronds to make it but I am so worried about the fern not making it this year. Last year we tried Cayenne Pepper and an ultrasonic device but they only had limited effects. Its such a shame because I used to love the squirrels. Doesn't help that the neighbours feed them!

Any ideas how I can get them to leave my fern alone

Thanks in advance.
Natalie

Hi Natalie, and welcome

You are not the first to conmplain about this. It seems they love breaking them off. I'm not sure what you can do , I don't have them fortunately.

An electric fence

Didn't someone on here use chicken mesh to keep them off? Maybe a little unsightly but would probably do the trick.

Are they red or Gray's? if they are gray squirrels just buy an air rifle and shoot the dam things. Its all perfectly legal as long as the pellets you shoot don't stray out of your garden

Thanks for the welcome! Air Rifle afraid I am far to much of a big girls blouse to shoot anything living (although am quite nifty at clays). Will get out at the weekend and get some chicken wire see if I can erect something suitable, will certainly be better than what I have resorted to at the moment:

Thanks and any more ideas please shout.

They can be persistent and resourceful, and also you can't put up too strong a physical barrier as Dicksonia antarctica fronds are very delicate as they unfurl and can easily get broken or distorted, so I'm not sure chicken wire would work in this case.
Depending just how determined they are, I wonder if something as simple as putting one of those big fleece bags over the crown and tying it firmly around the top of the trunk may be enough to dissuade them?
At least the fleece will not put any resistance in the way of the fronds as they unfurl.