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It's been a problem all spring.

I have my sprouts that I want to plant in the garden, but living in Canada, it's better to sprout them inside to then plant them outside when it stops having freezing temperatures at night.

But my cats have a big interest in those little sprouts. And they are not gentle about it.

So is there any way to keep them away from the sprouts?

Lorel C.
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Fredy31
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    If they don't go outside, and you haven't got any already, get them some cat grass - its like a little pot of grass you grow indoors. They need to eat grass periodically, and that might be why they're interested in the sprouts. – Bamboo May 22 '18 at 19:27
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    I've got my seed packet right here for my kitties: Avena sativa Cat Grass Oats. – stormy May 22 '18 at 19:59
  • There are cleverer answers already, but cats routinely chew on some plants (though not others). We just put the attractive plants where the cats can't get to them. If the cats wanted to chew on an indoor bush, that would be problematic, but sprouts can easily be put up on a shelf. – Mars May 22 '18 at 22:50

3 Answers3

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Yes, and they look like this:

Seedling tray with cover

It has the added benefits of retaining moisture/raising humidity and raising soil and air temps.. Remove the lid once or twice a day to get fresh air.

They can be found online and in local nurseries, etc. I searched for "plant tray with cover".

Tim Nevins
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You could always winter sow, if they're indoor cats.

Or, you could use a small greenhouse. I use a Strong Camel greenhouse (unheated) in southwestern Idaho for seed-starting in containers to be transplanted into the garden in May or so (yes, you can use them when it's still freezing, but you'll probably not want it to get colder than 27° F. unless you're doing more cold-hardy stuff like onions, sorrel, Morelle Dr Balbis, etc.)

I set it up in the middle of March to early April or so, but for cold-hardy stuff, I could put it out earlier.

In colder temperatures, the plants may need more phosphorus.

Brōtsyorfuzthrāx
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There are training aids that deter animals, by scent, that may further protect the seedlings. Bonide's Go Away is the one I see most often and you could sprinkle it in a small perimeter around your plant tray.

It smells strongly of cinnamon and may make you sneeze/cough if you inhale any of the dust while sprinkling the product indoors, however.

Beeface
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