As I posted earlier, in my first post on this topic, petroleum jelly is one effective solution.
The sound-emitter at $250 is way beyond our gardeners who are pensioners and public housing tenants. Half the plots have been neglected/ignored for many, many months. These renters are never seen at all.
Also such a device could get stolen, as have other things in the garden. Yesterday, someone hooked the padlock on the metal part of the handle of the gate, couldn't remove it, so left the garden completely unsecured. On reporting it, I was told some of the lady's vegetables had disappeared, but problem was solved. Recently the archway over the garden began to fall down, due to age. It took me a lot of phone calls to local councillors for weeks in order to get it removed, as it was a serious safety problem for those accessing the garden and for the children in the playground in front of the garden. Resolved when I hit on the right person.
Children sometimes jump our fence - they are from the public housing estate. Bits of the hose disappear. The water tank attached to the public housing, coming into our garden, has been inoperative for many months, yet full of water. The compost bin is often used for a dustbin so not of any use at all now. Few people go on to the problem to put out the bins. I try to do this myself. And all this for a few zucchinis?
Oh, and did I tell you that my plot is partly in heavy shade due to an enormous tree. I have cut off several branches but the wood in that tree is just so hard!!! The next branch needing removed will fall across my garden, and likely to break my plants. This lack of sun is probably why some zucchinis haven't grown at all and the tomato plant has failed altogether. It doesn't help that the next plot decided to grow very tall runner beans and now shading the bit of sunshine I do get. The site is so poorly managed that plots covered with weeds are left without care for months, if not up to years, and thus we all get their weeds into our plots. This is despite the 'rules', but the administrator is a part-time volunteer. Not sure why I continue with it really. It has cost me far, far more than I have ever got back in vegies.
So, sound-emitter for possums in the public community garden, I don't think so.
Interesting piece of research though Kincella. Thanks for your suggestions and concern. I took this as an opportunity to vent though.
