Possum-Proof Your Garden: Protecting Your Plants from Australia's Midnight Raiders

Every Australian gardener knows the heartbreak: you check your thriving veggie patch in the morning only to find it’s been decimated overnight. Possums! While these native marsupials are protected and important for our ecosystem, they can wreak havoc on gardens. Here’s how to protect your plants while respecting wildlife.

Understanding Possum Behavior

Before we defend against them, let’s understand them:

• Nocturnal - Active from dusk to dawn
• Territorial - Regular routes and feeding spots
• Excellent climbers - Can scale almost anything
• Omnivores - Eat flowers, fruits, vegetables, new shoots
• Protected species - It’s illegal to harm or relocate them

What Possums Love to Eat

Their Favorites:

• Roses (especially new shoots)
• Fruit trees (citrus, stone fruit)
• Vegetable seedlings
• Passionfruit vines
• Camellias
• Native flowers

They Usually Avoid:

• Plants with strong scents (lavender, rosemary)
• Spiky or furry leaves
• Very aromatic herbs
• Poisonous plants (obviously don’t plant these!)

Physical Barriers: Your Best Defense

1. Complete Enclosure (Most Effective)

Build a fully enclosed frame:

• Use 2m high posts
• Cover with bird netting or chicken wire
• Critical: Bend top 30cm outward at 45° angle (floppy top)
• Secure bottom to ground (they can squeeze under)
• Include a door for access

Cost: $200-500 depending on size Effectiveness: 95% if properly built

2. Individual Plant Protection

For precious plants:

• Wire waste paper baskets inverted over seedlings
• Clear plastic bottles with bottoms cut off
• Mini cloches from garden centers
• Hardware cloth cylinders around tree trunks

3. Electric Fencing

• Single strand at 10cm and 20cm heights
• Solar-powered units available
• Very effective but requires maintenance
• Check local regulations

Deterrent Strategies

Motion-Activated Devices

Sprinklers:

• Scarecrow motion-activated sprinkler
• Solar-powered options available
• Coverage area: 10m radius
• Effectiveness: High initially, may decrease over time

Lights:

• Solar motion-sensor lights
• Predator eyes (LED lights that look like eyes)
• Disco balls (reflect moonlight)
• String of party lights (constant light deters feeding)

Scent Deterrents

Commercial Products:

• Poss-Off (Australian-made)
• D-Ter Animal Repellent
• Blood and bone (reapply after rain)

DIY Solutions:

• Garlic spray (blend garlic with water)
• Lapsang Souchong tea bags (smoky scent)
• Quassia chips spray (bitter bark)
• Mothballs in stockings (use sparingly, toxic)

Plant Selection Strategy

Grow What They Don’t Like

Herbs (Generally Safe):

• Lavender
• Rosemary
• Sage
• Oregano
• Thyme
• Society garlic

Vegetables (Less Appealing):

• Chillies
• Onions
• Garlic
• Potatoes (leaves toxic)
• Tomatoes (leaves only - they’ll eat fruit)

Ornamentals (Usually Avoided):

• Grevilleas (most species)
• Callistemon (bottlebrush)
• Westringia
• Lomandra
• Most plants with grey/silver foliage

Sacrificial Planting

Plant a “possum garden” away from main beds:

• Fast-growing natives they prefer
• Acacia species
• Some eucalyptus varieties
• Let them feast there instead

Garden Design Solutions

Strategic Placement

• Keep vegetable gardens away from fences (possum highways)
• Position gardens in open areas away from trees
• Remove overhanging branches that provide access
• Trim climbing plants away from food gardens

Vertical Gardening Modifications

• Use smooth metal or PVC poles (harder to climb)
• Install collar guards on posts (60cm wide metal sheets)
• Grow climbing plants inside protective frames

Timing and Harvesting

Work With Their Schedule

• Harvest fruit slightly underripe
• Pick tomatoes as soon as they start turning
• Cover ripening fruit with exclusion bags
• Net individual fruit clusters rather than whole tree

Night Gardening

• Install good lighting to garden at dusk
• Pick produce in evening before possums arrive
• Check and repair barriers at sunset

Living With Possums

Possum Houses

Provide alternative accommodation:

• Install possum boxes in trees
• Away from your food garden
• May reduce garden raids if they nest nearby
• Contact wildlife groups for proper boxes

Water Sources

• Provide water bowls away from garden
• May reduce damage to succulent plants
• Especially important during drought

Emergency Solutions

When Possums Are Already Feeding

Tonight’s Quick Fixes:

• Throw old sheets/curtains over vulnerable plants
• Sprinkle cayenne pepper (wash before eating!)
• Play talk radio near garden (temporary deterrent)
• String aluminum pie plates (noise and movement)

This Week’s Solutions:

• Order proper netting
• Build temporary frames with bamboo and bird netting
• Apply multiple deterrents simultaneously

Troubleshooting Common Issues

“They’re getting through my netting!”

• Check for holes (they can squeeze through 10cm gaps)
• Ensure netting is taut
• Secure edges with tent pegs or timber battens

“Nothing seems to work!”

• You might have ringtail AND brushtail possums
• Try complete exclusion
• Combine multiple methods
• Consider growing less palatable plants

“They’re eating my natives!”

• New growth is always vulnerable
• Protect until established
• May indicate food shortage in area

Success Stories from Aussie Gardeners

Sarah from Melbourne: “Floppy-top fencing saved my veggie patch. The 45-degree angle really works!”

Bob from Sydney: “Motion sensor sprinkler + lights + rotating smelly things = success. Haven’t lost a tomato in months.”

Jenny from Brisbane: “I gave up fighting and built a fully enclosed garden room. Best investment ever.”

Conclusion

Living with possums is part of Australian gardening. While they can be frustrating, remember they were here first and play important ecological roles. The key is finding solutions that protect your garden while respecting wildlife.

Start with physical barriers for guaranteed protection of precious plants, add deterrents for larger areas, and consider modifying what and where you grow. With persistence and the right combination of strategies, you can have both a thriving garden and happy local wildlife.

Remember: a garden that’s 80% successful with possums around is better than no garden at all!