| I watched a outside cat urinate on a 16 inch newly planted rose of sharon....I went out and put lime on the plant....would have limed the cat also but the bugger was fast. It is raining now , this was yesterday, is there something else I can do to save the plant? |
| The best thing to do with pet urine is to simply hose it off as soon as possible. Male cats sometimes mark their territory (as I assume he was doing with your new plant). To keep the cat at bay, place a cylinder of chicken wire around the plant, about 12" away so the cat can't get close to the plant. Or, you can strategically place thorny rose canes or other branches near the plant. Cat's don't like walking on them. A final suggestion is to set several stakes in the ground around your new rose of sharon and string fishing line in a criss-cross pattern between the stakes, about 6" off the ground. Cats won't step into the fishing line for fear of getting their legs caught. Eventually he'll stop marking the plant as his and you can remove the temporary barrier. From now on, if you catch him in the act, just go out and hose the area down to dilute the urine. Best wishes with your garden! |
