Re: Fertilizing AND animals underground
- Subject: Re: [SG] Fertilizing AND animals underground
- From: M* L* <m*@earthlink.net>
- Date: Wed, 15 Sep 2004 11:36:18 -0600
And I
found out that the reason my irises were disappearing was that the
fertilizer was too strong for perennials. I did try a foliar feeding a time
or so, but not as regularly. .
Ginny Prins, on the Gardens list, advises against using manure on irises
and liliums, but instead to use alfalfa meal or pellets.
I like Marge's "lean and mean" approach, but am not sure if the soil has now
improved, or if I should go on feeding forever. Also - we have some sort of
ground dweller who does pull plants out whole. In the spring I planted a
large tomato, very full and about 18" high. It was gone the next morning
with no trace of a hole or any leaves. It must have been pulled down into
the fluffy dirt. I once saw an iris pulled down while I was watching. The
animal leaves large mounds on top of the ground, and when we can find the
tunnel underneath it is about 1-1/2 inches in diameter. I have had no luck
in identifying it from descriptions in books. We have put those
intermittent beepers in the ground, but they dont seem to bother the
creatures much. Any suggestions about this, or about fertilizing, would be
helpful.
Anelle
Sounds like a gopher. We had them when we lived in Riverside, CA,
too. Best way to get them is with a trap, those that stab I understand are
better than those that spring like an upside down mousetrap. If you have
pets, you may prefer the latter. Make sure they can't dig into the trap
area. Poisoned grain is sold for these, but pets could also be poisoned.
Margaret L
Gardening in Intermountain West and Handicapped gardening
http://www.margaretlauterbach.com
