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Rabbits, Deer and Moles:

from Michelle:

Can I find any ideas or hints on what do do about those pesky rabbits that are making a smorgasbord out of my shrubs?

from Kellie:

Need information on deer, rabbits, moles, and plant eating menaces of the garden.

Controlling Rabbits / Controlling Deer

This has to be the number one problem gardeners deal with in many areas. Controlling rabbits and deer, and minimizing their damage, is usually the best we can do.

The most effective control is fencing. To keep rabbits out, fencing must be high enough to prevent them from jumping over - 3 feet should do, maybe 4-5 feet if you have jackrabbits like we do. And the fence, not just the posts, should be buried up to 6 inches to prevent them from digging under. To keep the deer out, a top would be necessary, or the fence should be 10-12 feet high - they are amazing jumpers.  For most gardeners, this is only practical for a small garden, usually our vegetables.

Where fencing out the deer and rabbits is not practical, a combination of methods is generally most effective. Applying blood meal to the soil surface is effective, but gone with the rain, therefore expensive. Hair trimmings they seem to get used to pretty quickly.  Deer Off spray, by Havahart, can be sprayed directly on plants, and deters nibblers with a bad odor and taste (basically rotten eggs). It can be sprayed on vegetables up to 2 weeks before harvest, and the vegetables should be washed. Deer & Rabbit Repellent by Liquid Fence is a similar product, but seems a bit more effective, perhaps because it is more foul in odor then Deer Off. Either product should be sprayed quite heavily weekly at first, not only on the plants but on soil and/or objects surrounding your garden, or your yard perimeter, creating a “liquid” fence that may deter critters from approaching the garden in the first place.  Every 3-4 weeks thereafter. However, just as my snap peas begin to form, or my lilies are about to burst open I give those plants a good dose so the critter who takes a bite will associate the plant with a bad taste. Be aware that these sprays may damage the petals of blooms. The sprays can also be effective on tree and shrub trunks if applied from fall to spring.

Alas, the spray alone will not do the job. Both rabbits and deer may keep tasting, hoping the next one will taste better. One morning you will discover something took one bite of every single thing in your garden. So let’s get back to keeping them out of the garden in the first place. Along with spray, you need a predator. If you have a dog that roams the yard, that will help. But our urban and suburban critters have figured out that our dogs are not exactly vicious predators, and that they are in the house overnight. A family of deer used to stand across the street every night, in full view, waiting until our dog went out for the last time each night. When they were sure she was safely inside for the night, it was dinnertime for the deer! So I supplemented our “predator” with another predator - coyote urine. It helped with the rabbits, but didn’t do much to slow the deer down, so I solicited the advice of a trapper and hunter. He said, “you need cat urine, BIG cat urine!” Mountain Lion pee seems to be quite effective! They are a NATURAL predator of deer, and the deer know it. I apply it to felt hang tags and hang it in bushes or low in trees, about every 6-10 feet along the perimeter where the deer enter, and here and there throughout my property (they avoided that perimeter for a while, walked down the street (!) to come in on the other side of the yard!). I also dribble a little on boulders and the vegetable garden wall. Keep in mind you are trying to replicate the way a cat marks it’s territory.  Try not to open the bottle in the garage, the smell will knock you right over. And don’t invite visitors to stroll your garden right after you apply, the odor is unbelievable. You can order a variety of predator urine from legupenterprises.com or predatorpee.com.

Readers! what has worked for you?

Controlling Moles and Voles

This one is not much easier than the rabbits and deer. If you are willing to do it, the only really effective way to control moles is trapping. Easier said than done for the inexperienced, so hiring a mole expert is the way to go. And from what I understand, the good ones are GOOD, and will guarantee to come back if the moles come back (which they will). But if you prefer to spend a lot less money and try it yourself, try the Victor spear type trap or the Victor scissor (Out-o-sight) trap for deep tunnels. You’ll be experienced in no time.

Certainly you have heard that they are after the grubs in your yard, so you apply grub poison. Well, they do like grubs, but are just as happy eating earthworms so your problem has not been solved. They also really love “loose” moist soil for tunneling, but are not really bothered by tunneling through rock hard clay. They are born to tunnel after all. I have tried the soil sprays, such as Mole Stop by Spectracide. You attach the bottle/sprayer to your hose and soak down the problem area, then water it in well. The moles seem to leave, moving to another area. Given the choice, I prefer they dig in my lawn rather than the landscaping where they damage roots and bulbs. It is also possible the spray did not work, and the moles just moved on, they tend to be rather transient.

There are hundreds of “home remedy” ideas out there from chewing gum to “gassing” the tunnels. I have never really heard definitively that any of them work. What do you say Readers, do any of them really work?

Plant Identification

Hi! I was wondering if you could help ID this plant for me. I attached a picture of the flowers and of the whole plant.  We inherited it with our house and moved it from a neglected garden area. it is not blooming well... I am guessing because we have it in the wrong place!

 thanks!

missy m.

Missy,

With minimal information it is always hard to be sure, but it looks to be a weigela, probably 'Pink Princess'. It is difficult to tell with only 2 tiny blooms and it appears to be a young plant. If you inherited the plant, I would expect a weigela to be more mature and quite woody. Weigela typically bloom quite prolifically in spring to early summer, but do need full sun. With at least 6 hours sun and fertilized in early spring a Weigela should be blooming as below from late spring to early summer. Do NOT prune in spring or you lose flowering. Prune right after blooming is finished in summer to keep the plant compact and encourage spring flowering. If you don't think your plant is weigela, tell me more.

The Ordinary Gardener

I think you are 100% right! I saw there are dwarf varieties of the pink princess, maybe that it why it is so small. also, it is in full sun but close to the house so maybe it gets less sun than I think.....will move it in the fall.
 
Thanks so much for your help!
 
missy

Questions about Potted Roses

I need to know if a rose bush can be put into a planting pot. We are moving and we want to take out rose bushes and there is no place to put them. So we were wondering if they will live in a pot.

Diana

Diana,

Roses are tougher than you think, and with the proper care your roses can do quite well potted temporarily if not indefinitely. Check the transplanting instructions which still apply here, http://www.midwestgardentips.com/transplanting_roses.html. If you need to keep the roses in a container for a long period, also check watering and feeding instructions for potted roses, http://www.midwestgardentips.com/container_roses.html.

If your roses are large you will need a very large container (requirements also on the container roses page), but keep in mind a large container is heavy and difficult to transport. When you prune your roses before transplant, you can reduce the size of the plant by one-third to one-half. If absolutely necessary by two-thirds. You can also prune the roots by one-half. These things will allow you to use a smaller container for easier handling. You can also carefully remove ground soil from the roots so the pot is filled only with potting soil, much lighter weight than ground soil. Most if not all of the ground soil should be removed if container storage will be long term, as potting soil is a necessary medium for container growing.

Transplant your roses (to the container and also into their new home) on a cool cloudy morning if possible. Make sure they get a slow soak initially, water well the first 7 to 10 days, but cut to regular weekly waterings then so they don't "drown". Place your containers where they do not receive hot afternoon sun and minimize the sun exposure initially to 3 to 6 hours if possible. Your roses may spend 2 to 3 weeks recovering from transplant shock and re-establishing roots.

Chances of success are very good for transplanting roses and well worth the attempt for cherished roses. Let me know if you have any other questions, and good luck.

The Ordinary Gardener

I read with interest your article regarding over-wintering standard roses that appears on midwestgardentips.com, but have a question that I am hoping you can address.

I live in Milwaukee, WI, which is considered to be Zone 5. Last season, I purchased a few standards and planted them in the ground, then wrapped them heavily for the winter. Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, they did not come back this spring, so I have purchased 3 replacements that I intend to keep as potted plants, then store in my unheated garage this winter per your instructions for wrapping them with a combination of pipe insulation, burlap, blankets, etc.

The question I have is regarding watering during the dormant time they will spend in the garage. Normally, a plant in the ground will receive moisture in winter from snow and/or rain, however a potted plant not left in the open obviously will not. I am aware that I should water the roses well prior to storing them, but do I water periodically throughout the winter, or leave them alone? I realize there is no guarantee, but I would hate to lose these beautiful roses because I missed a crutial step....I would store them in my basement, however its heated (low 60's) and I'm not sure they would do well in that environment, hence the plan to store them with protection in the garage. If you feel they could do well in the basement in that temperature range, I can certainly consider that, too, but I believe roses need some dormancy in winter, and I know low 60's is way too warm to force a dormant period.

Appreciate any advice you can offer!

Nancy

Milwaukee, WI

Nancy,

Growing standards in the midwest is definitely a challenge. If you are able to maintain temperatures above freezing in your garage, the roses have a good chance of survival. However, I would expect that there are times that your garage dips well below freezing in Milwaukee so take extra care as outlined by storing in a corner or wall adjoining your heated house and providing some insulation.

As for watering, reduced availability of water is one of the many things that puts a plant into dormancy. So maintain your regular watering until it is time to store the rose, but do not put it into storage too soggy. Damp soil is fine. Depending on the temperature of the garage, your rose will likely be completely dormant and have no ability to draw water. An occasional sprinkle of water should do no harm as long as the soil is not wet.

As for your basement, you are correct. The rose would not go dormant. If it is necessary to store a rose at 60 degrees or warmer, it will also need food and sunlight and should be treated as a potted plant in a sunny window.

I wish I could give you a guaranteed method of storage, but every zone, region, garage, and extremes from one winter to the next are different. I will be interested to hear next spring how things work out for you. 

Good luck and happy gardening!

The Ordinary Gardener

Thank you for your reply. I had a feeling that watering was not needed if storing in the garage, but wanted to make sure. My garage is very sheltered, but temps will go below 32, so I will make sure to properly wrap and protect the trees, and let you know how they fare next year.
 
Again, thanks for both the article and your reply!
 
Happy gardening!
 
Nancy

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