To my knowledge, they would not be a problem in the sense that you are concerned with. However, you might have a problem with digging and/or cutting the bulbs everytime you turn the soil for replanting.

I'm rethinking this - I just realized the bulbs are toxic to people, so putting them in a veggie garden isn't the best idea!

I interplanted daffodils and veggies this year, with no ill effects. They're only toxic if you eat them, not if you plant next to them.

{{gwi:13772}}

A deterrent to what?

ny gardener, that is a pretty little plot with your lettuce and bulbs.

rosecat, my concern would actually be for the daffodils. They like to bake dry through the summer, and a vegetable patch is--we hope--going to get deep waterings through the summer. The dafs will do all right at first, but may decline after of a couple of years.

hepatica

NY gardener: your plot is so pretty! I love interplanting flowers w/ my veggies, too, but mine isn't nearly as pretty as yours! Did you plant yours to deter gophers or other pests?

I might just plant the daffs at the edges, or in rows; this will also ensure I won't slice into them when digging.

I have daffodils around my apple trees and they don't keep the gophers away. They avoid the daffodils and snack on the more tasty tree roots.

Zeuspaul

The following video is for a trap I haven't seen before, but it looks so easy I want to try.
I did a google search on key words "gopher traps" and got quite a few hits, including several videos.

My neighbor swears by gopher spurge. I didn't have such good luck, but do a google search on "gopher spurge" and you'll see quite a few interesting hits.

Here is a link that might be useful: Video of cinch trap

rosecats, thanks! I just planted them to add some color to the spring garden. I have a fence around the whole garden that keeps out critters. I wouldn't want to rely on bulbs as deterrents. But they're worth a try. You could try interplanting, or maybe a dense couple of rows as a border. I expect the gophers might ignore the bulbs and eat your veggies.

Another thing worth trying is strong-smelling flowers or herbs like marigolds, artemisia, and rue.

I bought my cinch traps from The Goper Guy. Their digging tool is invaluable no matter what traps you use.

The cinch traps require less digging than other traps. However they rust easily which effects the sensitivity of the trigger.

I find myself going back to the Victor black box trap. I used to dig a lot and set them in the main run. Now I set them similar to the cinch trap in the linked video.

The cinch trap doesn't always kill quickly. The black box has a powerful spring and seems to kill instantly.

Zeuspaul

Here is a link that might be useful: The Gopher Guy

Or attract some barn owls.

We have several inhabited owl boxes in the neighborhood. Occasionaly I'll leave a gopher alone if it isn't near something I care about. Owls have never taken care of them for me. Perhaps they go for easier prey.

Also no luck with gopher spurge.

Traps work.

Zeuspaul

Zeuspaul wrote:

"Traps work."

I agree. A simple and cheap little spring trap purchased at the hardware store will do the job providing you put it in the hole correctly. I've tried other means in the past including a gizmo that hooked to the exhaust pipe on my truck and it all came back to using a trap.

Greg
Southern Nevada

We've got some traps, but I'm squeamish about using them! I think I don't want to be a good trapper, because that entails handling the end result.... I've planted some of the herbs gophers don't like & I've also put down coffee grounds, both of which seem to help deter them. Also, I'm giving some plants (favorite ones of the gophers) herb teas & strewing rosemary, sage & lavender about the garden. I'll have to try rue, also. Again, it SEEMS to be helping; hard to say.

I guess I'll just end up making some gopher-proof raised beds in the fall, unless my funky methods end up working.