I'm trying to grow a lotus plant in an old clawfoot bath tub. It was doing fine until racoons discovered it and have been coming to eat lotus root at night. For a while it worked to put plywood over the top, and I may go back to that. Recently I put a circle of hardware cloth around the tub, like a fence. That seems to be no deterant at all. Next summer when the plant gets its big leaves I won't be able to put the board on top. Barrie

PS I have no intention of hurting the racoons, just protecting the plant.