Gardeners urged to hang CDs in garden in December

Gardeners are being urged to hang CDs in their gardens over the winter to help defend against intruders.

experts of a certain age will remember CDs: the shiny metal objects we used to use to store music before Spotify came along, although this tip will also work with DVDs.

Now are giving their tatty old albums from the glovebox a second lease of life thanks to a genius method which will stop birds from pilfering your winter planting.

December might be cold, icy, frosty and generally a bit miserable but canny gardeners getting ahead for next spring have already started planting.

Cabbage, lettuce, onions, spring onions and other bulbs can be planted in December and will get ahead of spring sewn crops, giving you the chance to replace bulbs with another batch in the early spring and get fresh onions, lettuce and cabbage virtually all year round.

The problem, though, is that hungry birds are on the prowl at this time of year. Several native UK species like blackbirds, magpies and robins don’t fly south for the winter, instead staying put over the cold winter months.

That means the birds are often left hard up for food, pecking through gardens to take whatever they can get, and birds can even dig up or pull at fresh bulbs as well as eating freshly planted seeds.

The reason gardeners are putting CDs up in their gardens is to protect fruit and veg from predators like birds.

It’s often been said that birds are attracted to shiny things, indeed magpies go out of their way to collect them.

But they will not approach an area with CDs as the reflecting light startles them. A breeze in the wind catches them and they randomly reflect in different directions, which scares birds away.

Gardening page Food For Trees & Africa said: “Did you know that by hanging old CDs around your food garden, you’ll startle birds with the reflecting light and keep them away from your vegetables and herbs. It’s a trick we’ve put into action at the Food & Trees for Africa food garden. 

“Start by hanging the discs loosely so that the slightest breeze makes them spin and catch the sun’s rays. Every now and then, change their location around your beds to prevent the birds from getting accustomed to them.”

The CDs will instantly kick start birds’ flight response and they will rush to get away from them.

Just make sure to change the location of the discs every now and again to stop birds getting used to where it’s coming from.

Of course, it’s generally considered good practice to try to feed hungry birds over the winter. Instead, offer them fresh nuts, sliced fruits and seeds, raisins and sultanas on a dedicated bird table or feeder, away from what you’re trying to grow,