Re: Animals digging up bulbs

Does anyone have any suggestions for my friends problem.  All her bulbs are being dug up and eaten by some little furry animals.  Any suggestions?

I've seen this problem with tulips and crocus.  I've tried planting these bulbs with lots of red pepper flakes, and sprinkled the ground with them too.  Some say this is cruelty to squirrels.  Is your friend using bonemeal as a fertilizer?  That will attract the animals and it's not a very good bulb fertilizer anyway; check out its composition and you'll find it's virtually void of nutrition.  Modern bonemeal is so processed there's nothing much left but dust.  A 5-10-10 or higher (with a low first number) is better for bulbs.

The ultimate solution to this problem is to plant daffodils.  All parts of the plant are poisonous and the crystaline structure of the tissues is said to cut tongues.  You may find that an occasional stem is broken off and a small bite taken out of the bud, but then it is abandoned.  You may also find the miniature daffodil bulbs that are planted less deeply than standard bulbs are sometimes unearthed, even moved around, but definitely not eaten.

Bill Lee
South Western Ohio Daffodil Society (SWODS)
(hosts of the 2002 ADS Convention)
"Fun Knights and Daffodil Daze in the Queen City"
April 18-20 2002, Drawbridge Inn, Fort Mitchell, KY
www.swods.net - info, schedule, and registration!!
BE THERE
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