Re: Squirrels Steal My Rhizomes

From: Marte Halleck <MorJHalleck@worldnet.att.net>

HAPPYBIRDR@aol.com wrote:
> 
> From: <HAPPYBIRDR@aol.com>
> 
> I'm new to the list.  Have a mixed perennial bed with lots of TB.  Added 16
> new ones last year and 16 more last week.  However, in one section of the
> garden both years, newly planted rhizomes disappeared.  Vanished.  Without a
> trace.  I believe squirrels are responsible since that's the only critter in
> abundance in my suburban Long Island yard -- and Lord knows they're
> responsible for everything else that gets eaten or disappears.  This is
> getting expensive and frustrating.  I sprinkled black pepper on some of the
> remaining rhizomes and the next time I go to the supermarket will buy some
> cayenne.  It kept them away from my crocuses last spring.  Any other
> suggestions?  Or explanations.  This only happens in one area of the garden
> (near big maple trees so they can make a quick getaway) and with one exception
> only the irises.  Thanks
> 
> Pat
> Long Island

Welcome aboard, Pat!

When did your rz disappear -- really right after planting or was it
actually later on? Various kinds of rot can destroy bearded iris rz,
particularly during/following a wet, mild winter such as your area had
last year. No leaves appear in the spring, which is often the first clue
that something's wrong, & when you dig around you find collapsed, rotted
rz. I suppose your losses could be due to squirrels, tho I've never
known tree or ground squirrels or any rodents showing the slightest
interest in bearded rz -- I have heard that rabbits will take nips out
of the leaves but that's about all. My understanding (correct me if I'm
wrong on this, guys) is that all irises are mildly to very toxic to
mammals & that's why neither the plants nor the rz or bulbs are eaten by
same.  

I've got tons of rodents of all kinds on my Colorado mountainside & the
only thing that keeps them under reasonable control is my fierce hunting
cat, Calvin. He fell behind in his duties last week, a pocket gopher
kept tunneling thru a newly planted iris bed & I kept filling the tunnel
back in. The only thing that happened to the rhizomes is that they got
pushed out of the ground a couple of times. Calvin eventually got back
on the job & the rz are now resettled.

Some folks on the list have reported that CROWS will pluck newly planted
rz right out of the ground & fly off with them. Apparently they're doing
this out of curiousity, attracted by the disturbed soil -- they don't
eat their "finds" but the result is just as discouraging. My nemesis is
elk, & to a lesser extent deer, both of whom will pull unfamiliar or
newly located plants out of the ground only to discard them if they
don't like the taste. Neither bother bearded or beardless irises tho
they can damage the plants by walking on them to get at something
tastier -- & elk have really big feet!

Anyway, to discourage above-ground rodents sprinkle around the hot
pepper flakes that pizza places have in shaker bottles -- the multiple
ingredients are more effective than ground peppers or cayenne alone. (To
some degree, this also discourages our antlered friends from eating the
tender spring growth of many plants but nothing deters them if they're
really hungry after a hard winter.) For tunneling critters, I've found
that a few moth balls stuck in the ground (but not in contact with bulbs
or roots) help & I also interplant most of my beds with daffodils (bulbs
contain a form of strychnine) &/or alliums (bulbs taste/smell bad), both
of which cause rodents to shy away from the area.

I have yet to try it but have read that briefly soaking tempting bulbs
such as tulips in Bobbex (a foliant-feed) or Wiltpruf (an
anti-transpirant) before planting will keep underground critters from
feasting on them -- the soak makes the bulbs taste yucky, doesn't damage
them & provides (in the case of Bobbex) a bit of nutrition for the
plants. Have no idea whether one could do this with iris rz to good
effect but it might be worth investigating. 

Just a week ago, I sprayed Bobbex on my lilacs & many of the perennials
that have been regularly "pruned" in the past by elk & deer -- it seems
to be working! Elk, especially, have been stomping thru my property as
much as usual for late August but have eaten very little. Since there's
national forest that's full of native browse adjacent to our place I
don't feel at all bad about using something that keeps them from eating
the "exotics" in my garden beds. Bobbex is more expensive than some of
the other comm'l products but it has a major advantage -- it doesn't
wash off so doesn't have to be renewed after every rain. So far, I'm
psyched & plan to try the bulb-soak technique on some hybrid tulips &
Chinodoxa this fall, too.

Hope this is some help.

Marte in the mtns	Zone 4/Sunset 1  Colorado

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