BlueRidgeGardener23 said: Sue, it's great to see you in the iris forum. I wish you could solve that gopher problem. I would cry if I had to give up so many irises!
Thanks Monty.
I wish I had a solution to these pocket gophers too, when I moved here in 2011, I had no idea it was this bad. The first 2 years my iris clumps grew big and it was wonderful. Then one day I heard crunching sounds, found a gopher actively chewing on a rhizome and the plant leaves slowing sinking underground. It was all downhill from there. Every spring when they are most active I set traps, I catch 8-10 on a good year but it never makes a difference. They have extensive tunnel systems and when one dies (they live average 3 years) another eventually takes it's place. I did catch one last week that had been making big mounds all over the place, biggest one I have ever caught. One down.
