Plants gone!

[chowder]

I grow lots of plants in the GH and when I checked them this morning 2 cell packs and 1 small pot had no plants in them.I checked the tags and they were hot chilli pepper plants.
We have resident chipmunks here,and they do get into the GH,even with hubby claiming that they would not be able to get in.
The rest of the plants are fine,not even chewed.
I would never have thought I would have hot pepper plants missing.LOL

[Debbie-cat]

Funny they would go for only those plants. I like to think they went running for the nearest waterhole!

[Contrary Housewife]

The little rats. Grr!

Squirrels get into my seed pots too. They have dug in my herbs so many times now I'm not sure what is going to come up where, if anything grows at all.

[craftypam]

I grow lots of plants in the GH and when I checked them this morning 2 cell packs and 1 small pot had no plants in them.I checked the tags and they were hot chilli pepper plants.
We have resident chipmunks here,and they do get into the GH,even with hubby claiming that they would not be able to get in.
The rest of the plants are fine,not even chewed.
I would never have thought I would have hot pepper plants missing.LOL

I have a surprising critter story too. I gave my mil small rose bushes; the bunnies keep eating them to the ground. I wonder how easy those thorns go down!!!!

[chowder]

Well I am a sucker for the animals,when something is chewed or missing,my first thought is oh no,they must be hungry.
Rose bush ,yes I nursed a climber on a trellis last year and got it to the top.Then one day in the Fall we were going to town and while warming up the truck I thought whats wrong with my trellis.The rose canes were gone right down to a few inches above soil.While checking out the area we saw bunny tracks,so while in town I bought rabbit food and have been putting some out in a bowl on the deck every day since.
Boy,I will probably pay for that come Spring when the gardens are planted.LOL

[Trentt]

My small lot is the territory of an aggressive, ornery resident squirrel who challenges me routinely, as well as any other creatures that might try to forage on his turf. He keeps the rabbits away during growing season, though while he was hibernating during the winter they apparently sought refuge under the porch because the front garden is covered with their droppings.

He does occasionally register his disapproval with my gardening efforts by uprooting something and leaving a hole, but overall he does more good than harm I think.

[mauimagic]

What great garden stories!! Nature vs nurture!!

[Rhiamon]

Maybe they were making salsa!

[Trentt]

I spoke too soon! After work last night I went in back to dig up a row, add compost, and plant broccoli. As I opened the back door, a large rabbit looked up at me in surprise; and as I stepped onto the deck it took off.

So I've done some research on non-toxic and/or organic ways to repel them. It seems their sensitive noses make them averse to strong, pungent odors - onions, garlic, hot pepper, etc. I think what really keeps them out of my back yard is the dense growth of garlic mustard in the gully between my garden and the railroad tracks. That hasn't emerged yet, so that's why I see them at this time of year.

Mothballs (naphthalene) are also frequently mentioned, camphor less so. Both are organic compounds, naturally occurring in some plants ... and camphor even has culinary uses.

Other suggestions:

- solution of hot pepper powder with water & soap or water & white glue (not to be applied directly to foliage or vegetables you'll eat)
- interspersing onion or garlic plants throughout the garden
- old corn cobs soaked in vinegar for 5 minutes, scattered throughout the garden, resoaked every 2 weeks (probably not the best aesthetic solution)
- planting marigolds
- solution of 85% linseed oil, 5% detergent, 10% water (again, not directly onto edible plants)

[IndigoMom]

We have 3 cats...that seems to work for us, lol. Of course, the cats do their share of damage too - although one has definately learned NOT to jump into the zuccini chasing bugs...

[madhen]

Wow, I need to train one of my squirrels to be an attack squirrel! The ground squirrels ate literally EVERYTHING I planted last year, and they have plenty of food, because they also get into the chickens' coop and eat their way through the COB I throw out there. Unfortunately, the more you feed them, the bigger the population gets.

[Trentt]

I scattered mothballs into the gully. Now I don't care what goes or grows there (most of it is actually railroad property though in ages past I had a terraced garden there ... now wild tree saplings have taken over and it is a tiny forest), but reading the long list of warnings on the mothball box gave me pause - not for sale in California, do not inhale vapors, keep away from pets, etc. I won't put any in my actual garden, just at the perimeter.

So far, so good. Lilies, tulips, and Canterbury bells are up and no damage to them at all. Recently my radishes, kohlrabi, and turnips have sprouted and they're still there. I check every night with my fingers crossed. Maybe the mothballs work.

[max915]

I just read somewhere that if you put out citrus peel that keeps the rabbits away...I am going to try because last year they chewed up all my green plants....We also have a deer problem here they like to chew on just about anything...