Terry - I agree with you .... great parent! You've got some lovely seedlings!

Glen - Oh no! I am so sorry to hear that.

Polymerous, I have wire over them now. But the cockatoos are quite smart and look for ways in. They hit at first light (or when I am having a nap).

They usually sever the seedlings where the roots meet the crown. They are amazingly systematic and move from one to the next tossing them.

The largest plants can survive if they haven't also been shredded. But it is such a loss of energy and growing time for the plants that it will be a long time before they flower.

I am wondering if the brown mulch makes the singularly green seedlings standout for the birds.

SIGH!

So sorry to hear that, Glen.

I wish that I could offer you a better solution. I know how devastating it can be to lose plants, and seedlings at that -! That's much worse.

Terry - beautiful seedlings! That first one is my favorite, but the second, fourth, and fifth pictures are nearly just as beautiful. Very nice seedlings!

Glen, I'm sorry to hear about your seedlings. Here, is a rabbit that is destroying my seedlings. They weren't sending up scapes, but now I'm wondering if they even will next year thanks to the damage the bunny inflicted. We don't have a long enough season here for daylilies to flower the first year (unless planted inside early enough, I suppose), so they remain somewhat young and presumably tender most of our short growing season here. I'm concerned about how well the seedlings will bounce back after the rabbit decided to make a midnight meal out of my daylily seedling bed. I may post a picture later today if I have time and think of it.

Gleni said:I am wondering if the brown mulch makes the singularly green seedlings standout for the birds.

I think you're right. They might even notice the mulched area first, as it stands out from its surroundings. I wonder if pepper sprays might discourage them.

Birds seem to key in on disturbed areas, and they've probably learned by experience that it means food is available. Often, after the road crews do weed abatement, the mowed areas are full of birds foraging.

I've also felt that they observe me watering and tending to an area and are attracted to it for that reason. After all, there must be something very enticing in that spot, since the human seems to be drawn to it over and over.

I have to cage my flats of seedlings, otherwise birds will uproot and toss them. There seem to be few, if any missing though—it's as if they're just investigating. If I find the damage before the plants dry out, I can usually salvage them, and I might end up having to make up some "either-or" tags.

The crows and smaller birds are bad enough, if the turkeys (which are fast becoming a giant, rural version of the pigeon) ever make a pass through, I can't imagine what kind of havoc they'd wreak.

I have 10 seedlings that I started back in March/April. They are in a large pot and are all about 6-8 inches tall.

This was a random 1st time experiment with my daughter and I, so we randomly saved a few pods off of known mother plants, but along the way once they were planted got mixed up.

They are a mix of "El Desperado" X unknown and the formerly known as "Lady Elizabeth" X unknown.

I guess I am now at a loss at what I should do from here for the upcoming winter.

I am in 5B zone.

I could put them in my raised veggie garden, or I could move them to a window box sized pot and move them onto our semi-enclosed sun porch. They would be more protected from the elements of wind, snow, ice, etc, and it might be about 10-20 degrees warmer there on sunny days.

I could also put them in a clean pot and bring them into the house too.

Or??????

I still have some seedlings in pots and I am going to go ahead and put them in the ground.

I am down to 40 left to plant in the ground. My poor back. I think golf might be easier than I thought.

Here at my house, seedlings planted in the ground grow leaps and bounds better than those in pots even though the ones in pots get better care.
I have bunches yet to plant in the garden, but too hot and too dry to risk it even if they don't grow.

Deryll said: Here at my house, seedlings planted in the ground grow leaps and bounds better than those in pots even though the ones in pots get better care.
I have bunches yet to plant in the garden, but too hot and too dry to risk it even if they don't grow.

There's something about "real dirt" that really stimulates growth. If a container plant manages to get even a single root into the earth, it will bulk up much faster than the others potted up alongside it.

Something about "real dirt" must be something like "real water" (rain)! Amazing what it can do versus all my watering!