New and Unread Tree-Mails
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By sandnsea2 | When you plant bulbs, the squirrels love to dig them up. To prevent this, I sprinkle Super Phosphate liberally wherever I have planted bulbs and no varmints will dig there. They must not like the smell. It really works! Plus the super phosphate is a good fertilizer for the bulbs.
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Name: Vicki North Carolina              vic Sep 23, 2011 7:02 PM CST |
Lots of my bulbs are eaten by various critters. I need to try this. Thank you!  ALL THINGS PLANTS ~ Garden Art ~ Purslane & Portulaca ~ CUBITS ~ Trust in the Lord ~ Heart Strength ~ Find JOY at http://joyfultimestoday.com/ |
Name: Janice Cape Cod, MA, USA (Zone 7a)           sandnsea2 Sep 23, 2011 7:07 PM CST |
| Unfortunately Vic, it will not work for voles, who approach the bulbs underground. It just seems to work for the above ground scavengers. There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle - Albert Einstein. |
Name: Rick Corey Everett WA 98204 (Zone 8a) Sunset Zone 5. Koppen Csb. Eco 2f            RickCorey Sep 23, 2011 7:31 PM CST |
| Thanks! I saw many gnawed bulbs until I turned those beds into Stalag Hyacinth with chicken wire, bricks and hot pizza pepper flakes. And the hot peppers don;t last past the first rain or two (day or two). I'll find out if super phosphate deters neighborhood cats from confusing my raised beds with litter boxes. I understand them not wanting to use picks and mattocks to break up the local clay, after all they have no thumbs, but KEEP OUTA my beds! I bought a "Super-Soaker" with which to make my point more persuasively, but all that accomplished was to make them slightly less languid as they saunter away ... and convince my neighbors that I'm loony and/or dangerous. Just because it ISN'T complicated doesn't mean I can't MAKE it complicated! Weather Links ~ Sunset Zones ~ Degree Days ~~ National Gardening Association Kitazawa Seeds ~ Tainong Seeds ~~ ATP Member Map ~~ My Blogs ~~ Coop Extension Finder Seriously Hot Peppers ~~ Seed Library Resources ~~ Piggy Swap Chat #11 |
Name: Susie Phoenix AZ (Zone 9a) Southwest Gardening~ moderator/ATP.       Aguane Sep 23, 2011 7:41 PM CST |
| I wonder if super phosphate in the attic would prevent roof rats? Wonder if bags hanging from citrus trees would prevent them from being attracted to citrus. We in Phoenix Metro are an island with a smattering of roof rats in some neighborhoods that have citrus. “Don't give up too quickly"... unknown, I heard it somewhere. ~ All Things Plants, SOUTHWEST GARDENING ~Cubits.org ENERGY & POWER |
Name: Lynn Dallas, OR (Zone 8b)   valleylynn Sep 23, 2011 8:36 PM CST |
| Thank you for the great tip about super phoshate. For the underground critters I plant Euphorbia. It keeps all bulb eating critters away. |
Name: Vicki North Carolina vic Sep 24, 2011 3:02 AM CST |
| So between super phosphate and Euphorbia, I should be able to do well with bulbs! Thank You! ALL THINGS PLANTS ~ Garden Art ~ Purslane & Portulaca ~ CUBITS ~ Trust in the Lord ~ Heart Strength ~ Find JOY at http://joyfultimestoday.com/ |
Name: Jo Ann Gentle Pittsford NY (Zone 6a)       ge1836 Sep 24, 2011 4:08 AM CST |
| I vote for Cayenne Pepper from the bigbox stores. I am trying a vole deterrent method of planting Daffodills around the lilies. |
Name: Mary My little patch of paradise (Zone 7b) Gardening dilettante, that's me!          fiwit Sep 24, 2011 4:17 AM CST |
| Never heard of super phosphate - will I find it at my local big box store? Northwest Georgia Daylily Society I'm going to retire and live off of my savings. Not sure what I'll do that second week. My yard marches to the beat of a bohemian drummer... |
Name: Janice Cape Cod, MA, USA (Zone 7a) sandnsea2 Sep 24, 2011 6:27 AM CST |
| Yes, Mary, they should have it. I buy it in 25 lb. bags from the local Farm store. There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle - Albert Einstein. |
Name: Carey Austin, TX (Zone 8b)     careyana Sep 24, 2011 12:13 PM CST |
| Definitely need to try this - the tree rats have been really bad this year with the drought. |
Name: Linda Medina Co., TX (Zone 8a)     LindaTX8 Sep 24, 2011 2:33 PM CST |
| I've heard too much about adverse effects of superphosphates...I'm staying away from them. I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority. E. B.White Integrity can never be taken. It can only be given, and I wasn't going to give it up to these people. Gary Mowad |
Name: Janice Cape Cod, MA, USA (Zone 7a) sandnsea2 Sep 24, 2011 3:22 PM CST |
| I certainly understand your concerns, Linda. Espoma puts out one that they say is non-toxic and environmentally friendly. http://www.espoma.com/p_consum... There are two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle - Albert Einstein. |
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