RE: Gopher damage
- Subject: RE: Gopher damage
- From: &* <p*@comcast.net>
- Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2008 18:05:25 -0700
The problem with the wire basket is that the gophers will just chew
everything right up to it, and you will be left with the plant-in-a-pot
syndrome. I had this problem with young cherry trees when I had a small
property in the country. I just could not get the trees established,
because I couldn't get rid of the gophers. My guess is that they may find
your other trees sooner or later. I am one of those heartless people who
love my plants more than rodents, so I tried to poison mine, alas, with no
luck. The colony was too big and there were too many neighboring properties
with breeding stock! I eventually gave up on cherry trees.
I will say it is suspicious that you haven't seen evidence, though the entry
mounds may be somewhat removed from the tunnels.
Karrie Reid
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-medit-plants@ucdavis.edu [o*@ucdavis.edu]
On Behalf Of B. Garcia
Sent: Wednesday, March 12, 2008 1:41 PM
To: medit-plants
Subject: Gopher damage
A while ago I had wondered why the entire lower portion of bark had
come off of my Cordyline australis. I think I figured out what
happened. Ever since asking, it had progressively become more "loose"
and I could move it back and forth. This weekend, I decided to see
what was going on. Apparently 80% of the rootball and trunk
underground had been eaten away. We have had problems with pocket
gophers, but the other two just feet away are still solid and I hadn't
seen evidence of gophers. It definitely looks chewed rather than
rotted out. So, I cut the lower portion off and now I've got the top
left. Is there anything I can do with it rather than just throwing it
away, or should I just toss it and buy a new plant (I'll be buying a
new one anyway, but sinking it in a wire basket this time)?
Thank you,
Barry
Marina, California
