Ducks can be valuable allies in the garden, providing numerous benefits without breaking the bank. Not only do they help improve soil quality, devour pesky slugs and snails, and keep weeds at bay, but they also partially sustain themselves, reducing the financial burden of duck care.
What’s more, gardening with ducks is an enjoyable and calming experience, allowing you to spend a leisurely afternoon surrounded by the soothing sounds of their quacks and the satisfaction of watching them forage and play. However, it’s essential to ensure that your garden design accommodates these feathered friends, avoiding any potential damage to your prized seedlings or crops.
With some simple adjustments and thoughtful planning, you can create a duck-friendly haven that benefits both your garden and your ducks.
What is a Duck-Friendly Garden?
To envision a truly duck-friendly garden, it’s essential to understand what constitutes one versus what doesn’t. A duck-friendly garden is not just about creating a visually pleasing outdoor space; rather, it’s about designing an environment that meets the unique needs of our feathered friends.
Kid Friendly Comparison
When I think of ‘duck-friendly’ gardens, I’m reminded of hotels and restaurants touting themselves as ‘kid-friendly.’ On the surface, these claims seem straightforward – they simply mean children are allowed on premises. But scratch beneath the surface, and you’ll find that kid-friendly often translates to well-behaved kids being tolerated, not necessarily catered to.
Similarly, a duck-friendly garden might provide some basic amenities for our feathered friends, like water features or bug-filled plantings. However, it’s unlikely to be a fully immersive experience designed specifically with ducks in mind. Rather, it’s a gesture of goodwill towards these charming creatures, acknowledging their presence rather than actively courting them.
Duck Amusement Park
When I refer to a duck-friendly garden, I’m not envisioning an all-out water park or theme park for our feathered friends. While that might be an intriguing concept – think Permaculture landscapes, food forests, or perennial edible landscapes with ponds, fruit-bearing trees, and leafy snacks galore – it’s not what I mean by ‘duck-friendly.’ Instead, a duck-friendly garden is one where ducks are welcome to visit, as long as they’re well-behaved and under the watchful eye of their human keepers.
It’s about creating a harmonious coexistence between nature’s curious creatures and our own green spaces.
An Example of a Duck Friendly Garden
As I gaze upon my yellow house with its vibrant blue roof, I’m reminded of the thriving duck haven in our backyard. With your interest piqued by the concept of duck-friendly gardens on MorningChores, I’m confident you’re eager to cultivate a space where not only ducks can thrive but also where you can grow an array of tantalizing vegetables. You might also envision rows of fragrant herbs, aromatic spices, and maybe even fruit trees and perennial edibles like horseradish, rhubarb, or asparagus.
Of course, no garden would be complete without a splash of colorful flowers – some edible, like nasturtiums, sunflowers, or hollyhocks, and others simply meant for cutting and enjoying, such as dahlias, peonies, or zinnias. If you’re looking to bring this vision to life, let’s explore the ways to make it a reality.
#1 Choose the Right Duck Breeds
To create a welcoming haven for our feathered friends, it’s essential to begin by selecting the ideal species. When choosing ducks for your garden, consider those breeds that are naturally inclined towards aquatic environments and have a gentle temperament. These characteristics will ensure a harmonious coexistence with other wildlife and make them more likely to thrive in their new surroundings.
Not So Ideal Ducks
When it comes to domesticated breeds, most can thrive in a duck-friendly garden. However, I’d caution new duck keepers against keeping two specific breeds until they gain more experience with these feathered friends. Muscovy ducks, for instance, are notorious flyers that will find ways to breach even low-lying barriers if not properly contained. This means you’ll need to invest extra effort into protecting your plants from their determined foraging habits.
Similarly, Mallard ducks have a strong affinity for flight and are expert foragers, making them less than ideal choices for garden-keeping purposes. While they may enjoy snacking on the same plants you’d like to harvest for yourself, it’s not an arrangement that will work out well in the long run.
Better Garden Ducks
When considering which breeds of ducks to keep in your garden, it’s essential to think about their characteristics and how they’ll interact with your plants. While some breeds may be more challenging to manage, others can be ideal companions. For example, runner ducks are a great choice due to their lightweight nature, upright posture, and ease of herding. They take up less space in pathways and are generally easy to work with.
On the other hand, heavier breeds like Pekins, Rouen, Ancona, Cayuga, and White Crested ducks can be excellent options as well. These ducks tend to stick to obvious paths rather than trying to climb over obstacles, making it simpler to protect plants by creating barriers they won’t want to cross. Plus, many of these breeds are stunningly beautiful, easy to socialize, and make great companions in the garden.
If you’re looking for a breed that can navigate obstacles with ease, lighter weight ducks like Khaki Campbells, Welsh Harlequins, and Swedish duck breeds might be the way to go. While they may require a bit more effort to protect plants, their sweet and adorable nature makes them well worth the extra work.
#2 Plan for Access
To create a welcoming environment for ducks in your garden, it’s essential to establish a system for when and how they’ll have access to it. Unlike an amusement park designed specifically for ducks, where they can roam freely at all times, a duck-friendly garden requires more control over their comings and goings. One approach is to incorporate a duck run within or adjacent to your fenced garden, making it easy to let them in through an open gate and guide them into the designated area.
This setup also allows for efficient herding back into the run when you need to restrict their access to the rest of the garden. If your ducks’ living quarters are farther away from your garden, you can use a bucket of food as a lure to entice them to visit. However, getting them to leave the garden and return to their quarters might prove more challenging.
Well-Timed Visits
As an alternative to actively herding ducks, consider structuring your visits to the duck garden around late afternoon or early evening hours. At this time, ducks are more likely to begin returning to their coop as the light fades, allowing you to observe them without exerting much effort in herding them.
Build a Dunnel?
To take your backyard setup to the next level, consider constructing a ducknel – essentially a tunnel designed specifically for ducks, similar to a chicken run. This feature can seamlessly connect your garden to the designated area for your feathered friends. However, it’s crucial to establish a strategy for safely removing your ducks from the garden before they inadvertently cause harm to your plants.
By doing so, you’ll ensure that your ducks never outstay their welcome and respect the boundaries of your garden.
#3 Protect Plants
To create a welcoming environment for your garden ducks, consider shielding certain plants that require it. The level of protection needed will vary depending on the plant’s type and its life stage. To help guide you, here are some suggestions:
Transplants and Seedlings
When introducing new seedlings or recently transplanted plants to your garden, it’s crucial to safeguard them from unwanted duck visitors. Young plants require time to establish themselves, and any disruption can hinder their growth. To achieve this, consider implementing temporary measures such as row covers, cloches, or even a short-term plastic or electric fence around the affected area.
These barriers will help prevent trampling and root system disturbance, allowing your young plants to thrive.
Plants Ducks Love
When it comes to certain plants, ducks can be a nuisance from seedling to maturity. For instance, mature mustard plants can withstand some nibbling on their leaves without compromising their growth. In contrast, young bok choy plants require protection until harvest as they are particularly prized by ducks. Not only will they munch on the leaf tips, but it’s also important to safeguard against damage that could impact your presentation.
Another example is young potato leaves, which ducks find irresistible. While the potato plant may recover from defoliation, it can delay tuber production and prolong harvest time as it focuses energy on regrowing new leaves.
Long-Term Duck Protection
When it comes to long-term plant protection, you may need to think beyond row covers and cloches to more permanent solutions. Here are some effective methods to keep ducks out of your garden. One approach is to use containers with plants that are too delicate for duck grazing. Elevate these containers on blocks or stacked rocks to make them inaccessible to the ducks. Another method is to install a protective border around beds, essentially creating mini-fences that ducks can’t easily climb over.
The height of the border should be at least bill height when your duck is standing upright, typically around 10-12 inches. You don’t want the border to cast shade on the plants growing in the bed, so keep it reasonable. This method works because ducks tend to avoid stepping over narrow objects. They’ll easily climb over a wide log or big rock but will go out of their way to avoid climbing over a flat board standing on its side.
By using borders that act as mini-fences, you encourage them to move on to easier accessible areas. Another option is to use raised beds that are at least 30 inches tall to prevent ducks from climbing in. For most duck breeds, 2.5-3-foot tall beds usually deter them from getting your plants. You can also install a short fence to limit where ducks go, ideally around 2-3 feet high and easy enough for you to step over without opening gates.
A more creative approach is to use mini-hedges to block off areas of your garden. These hedges can be permanent features made from evergreen plants or quick-growing plants used to mask and dissuade ducks from tastier treats behind. It may take some experimentation to find out what works as a duck hedge, but my experience suggests that certain types of basil, lemon balm, and broadleaf plantain are effective deterrents.
While green onions and rosemary didn’t work for me – the ducks ate the onion tops and loved lounging around in the rosemary – you may have better luck with other plants.
#4 Plan to Share
Instead of worrying about safeguarding a large collection of plants from curious ducks, consider cultivating species that are less susceptible to damage. This approach allows for a more relaxed and enjoyable gardening experience.
Comfrey
In my garden, I have a special relationship with comfrey, using it as a green manure that thrives and provides an abundance of foliage. While I appreciate its growth, I don’t mind sharing some of the leaves with my feathered friends – the ducks – who seem to relish them just as much as I do.
Prolific Producers
In addition to their affinity for mint and horseradish leaves, ducks also indulge in various other plant delights. Jerusalem artichoke tops, true artichoke, and cardoon leaves are all fair game for these feathered friends. As the sweet potato vines start to sprawl across my garden pathways come late summer, it’s a joy to behold the ducks happily feasting on the fresh leaf tips that venture into their vicinity.
While they do enjoy snacking on these plants, their abundance means that the ducks’ consumption doesn’t compromise their health or impact my harvests in any significant way.
Fruit
In harmony with nature, I allow my ducks to forage freely under the grapevines, where they relish the leaves that sprout from the trunk or trailing growth. This arrangement also serves as a convenient means of pruning, as I’ll be removing those very same shoots anyway. Moreover, I share some of my blackberries with these feathered friends, providing them with a sweet treat that grows closer to the ground.
In doing so, I’m able to harvest the fruit higher up on the plant, without expending excessive effort on protection. By granting ducks access to edible options you’re willing to share, you’ll find yourself needing to exert less energy in safeguarding your prized plants.
#5 Go Vertical
In addition to providing physical barriers, there are numerous plants that can be grown at a height where ducks cannot access their edible parts. Examples of such plants include vertically cultivated squash and cucumbers, which offer a tasty yet out-of-reach treat for our feathered friends. Similarly, taller crops like corn, amaranth, sunflowers, or sorghum tend to be safe choices, as they grow beyond the reach of curious ducks.
Beans and Peas
When selecting plant varieties, consider opting for pole types over bush types if you’re dealing with pesky wildlife like ducks. Take beans and peas as an example – they come in both bush and pole varieties. The bush type will require extra protection from ducks, whereas the pole type can be trained to grow up poles that are out of reach for these feathered visitors.
Tomatoes
When it comes to tomatoes, there’s more to consider than just the fruit itself. The plant type also plays a crucial role, as bush and vining varieties present different opportunities for management. For instance, selecting a vining variety can help reduce duck access by providing a means to train them upwards. However, it’s essential to remember that even with this approach, some level of protection is still necessary until the plants are well-established.
Using Ducks in the Garden
As we’ve explored the simple yet effective methods for making your garden duck-friendly, it’s time to discuss how these feathered friends can become valuable assets to your gardening endeavors. Not only will they provide entertainment and companionship, but they’ll also contribute to a healthier and more sustainable garden ecosystem.
Slug Removal
For an effective slug removal strategy, I highly recommend utilizing ducks in your garden. Since slugs tend to seek refuge during daylight hours, a simple yet effective approach is to place a board near the plants they’re targeting at night. This creates a perfect hunting ground for the unwanted pests. Once you’ve set up the trap, introduce the ducks around mid-morning and let them indulge in their favorite snack – a veritable buffet of slugs hiding underneath the board.
Bed Prep
When it’s time to turn over my beds, I always make sure to incorporate my ducks into the process. Before bringing them in, though, I take a moment to remove any remaining crop residues and spread them out as mulch on the soil. A good soaking with water follows, allowing the mulch to settle and start decomposing. After 24-48 hours, I bring over my feathered friends and lift up those same crop residues.
It’s amazing what kind of hidden gems can be found beneath – worms, slugs, pillbugs, and more are always present. The ducks indulge in these slow-moving treats, effectively cleaning the bed of unwanted pests. As they dine, the soil becomes muddy from the added moisture, and my ducks take to it like a natural aquatic playground. As they forage and play, they also leave behind valuable manure and do some light tilling, making the process all the more efficient.
Of course, there’s one important consideration to keep in mind: fresh manure can contain pathogens, so I wouldn’t recommend using this method for beds dedicated to growing lettuce or other leafy greens. Instead, it’s perfect for long-season crops like winter squash or sesame, as well as staked peppers and okra where the edible portions won’t come into contact with the soil.
Trench Composting
In addition to the conventional composting methods, I’m a big fan of trench composting. When it’s time to dig a new trench, I invite my trusty duck friends to join me in the process. They seem to enjoy snacking on grubs and wireworms that are exposed during excavation, while also contributing their own nutrient-rich manure to the mix. As we work together, I add kitchen scraps and other compostable materials to the trench, creating a rich and diverse blend of organic matter.
Weed Reduction
While ducks are not ideal weeders on their own, they can still be a valuable asset in your garden with some assistance. In fact, I’ve found that they have a particular fondness for certain unwanted plants like henbit, dead nettle, chickweed, bittercress, dandelion, and clover. They’ll also devour various types of grass and other common weeds. To make the most of their weeding abilities, simply scatter some food in areas where you want to control the weeds.
As they forage for their snack, they’ll naturally consume many of the unwanted plants along with it. For even more effective weeding, try loosening the soil with a hand rake or hoe before letting the ducks get to work.
Seed Reduction
While they’re not the only birds that enjoy snacking on seeds, ducks are also known to indulge in this tasty treat. If I happen to let a seed-laden area get out of hand, I can count on my feathered friends to help with some natural weeding. It’s particularly amusing to watch them go after certain types of seeds, such as those from the allium family (think chives, onions, and leeks) or annual grasses.
Directed Dining
In addition to reusing plant waste as compost, I also utilize my spent plants to suppress weeds in my garden paths. I heap up these materials on weedy patches, allowing them to smother the unwanted vegetation over time. When I’m ready to turn this organic matter into nutrient-rich compost, I direct it towards the designated pile. In the interim, I invite my ducks to dine on the insects and weeds that have taken up residence in the piles.
Not only do they enjoy a tasty snack, but their droppings also enrich the pile, further breaking down the materials for future composting.
Final Advice for a Duck-Friendly Garden
As I gaze at the 13 adorable ducklings currently thriving in one of my vegetable gardens, it’s easy to understand why every garden can benefit from these feathered friends. At this age, they do minimal damage, but as they grow, a simple solution like a short fence will be necessary to protect my crops. In fact, I firmly believe that with the right approach, any garden can become duck-friendly and enjoy the unique benefits they bring.
However, it’s essential to acknowledge one crucial consideration: your garden’s capacity. Just as hotels and restaurants have occupancy limits, so too should you consider the size of your garden when deciding how many ducks to invite in. Remember, a garden’s primary purpose is to nurture plants, not host a duck party. Right-size your duck population and their visitation frequency according to the size and health of your garden, and you’ll be rewarded with a harmonious coexistence.
