A. Serpentaria and rabbits

16 years ago

So, last autumn I got a few Virginia Snakeroot from Rod. (His service and helpfulness is really great.) Seemed like they were taking forever to appear, but they finally did about a week and a half ago.

Ever since the roots were planted the area has been covered with a hardware cloth tent so the squirrels wouldn't dig up the plants. Once the plants started growing a bit, I put a few bricks under the "tent" to raise it up a bit.

Just as they started to get a some height on them, wouldn't you just know it, the resident baby rabbit went through the small opening in the tent and chewed off every bit of leaf from the four plants that came through the winter.

I know they'll grow back, but I was excited that, after waiting what seemed to be a very long time, they had finally appeared. Probably should put up a rabbit fence around that area.

zee

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Comments (6)

susanlynne48
16 years ago
Zee, that's too bad, darn it! But, I kind of understand. I planted an absolute ton of angelica seeds in early spring this year, and something ate every darned one of the tiny seedlings to the nub so that they are gone, baby, gone, baby, gone, gone, gone!

I'm sure your A. serpentaria will come back from the roots, though. Put some of that good ole chicken manure around them, and I bet you'll see new growth in no time at all.

BTW, did you get a lot of the roots when you purchased them? I ordered two and actually got three, but one of them was small, so I'm assuming that Rod, in his generosity, threw in another small one for me. Mine are looking great, but I have a question. Does A. serpentaria eventually spread out a bit?

Susan
MissSherry
16 years ago
I got some freebies from Rod, too, Susan.
I'm growing mine in containers until the roots get really big (until they fill up their container) before I plant them out to save them from armadilloes. Zee. So far rabbits haven't eaten them, but I know that can happen - believe me, they'll grow back! PVS cats have eaten mine to the ground numerous times, and they always come back quickly.
MissSherry
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susanlynne48
16 years ago
I don't have rabbits or armadillos, and I sure am glad. I guess that is one advantage of an urban garden. I live very close to downtown OKC, and possums are my only mammals in the yard. They love grubs and slugs, so I am glad to have them.

My A. serpentaria is fairly good sized from the roots I planted in the fall. It seems to love it where I put it (under some rose of sharon shrubs, next to my neighbors garage. It gets additional shade from nearby plants like hostas, alocasias, acanthus mollis, Solomon's Seal, astilbes, and big hackberries, etc. The hackberries create a fairly dense shade canopy for me.

Susan
janetg57
16 years ago
I got 2 A. serpentaria from Rod last year. They never really did anything and looked so pathetic, I was sure they were not going to make it. Last week, I was pulling weeds and found not 2, but 4 A. serpentaria plants! I guess they were using so much energy establishing and expanding roots they didn't have time for leaves.

Janet
susanlynne48
16 years ago
Hoorah, Janet, I know you were pleasantly surprised. I was afraid I would not find mine this spring either, so when I planted them last fall, I put a stake next to each one, so I'd remember what I planted there.

Susan
janetg57
16 years ago
Susan, I put a stake next to them and Hubby came along and pulled it out, so I had to look really hard and it seemed very late before any of my plants came up this year. Winter is usually so mild here, that almost nothing gets completely dormant. This past winter, almost everything got killed to the ground.

Janet

A. Serpentaria and rabbits

Comments (6)

susanlynne48

MissSherry

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