What pest or rodent will chew on or even remove Magnolia flower buds?
tlbean2004
7 years ago
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davidrt28 (zone 7)
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoRelated Discussions
Should I even try planting tulips in deer/rodent infested yard?
Comments (12)Maybe AlÂs squirrels have enough nuts to eat and thatÂs why they donÂt bother his tulips. The first year I planted them I soaked them in red pepper dip and they did not dig them up. They bloomed well but I had to keep going out the spray the blooms. The second year they dug up and ate or nipped almost all of the bulbs, despite the red pepper dip (not just tulips, plenty of other bulbs, puschkinia, every last crocus out of hundreds). ItÂs like they suddenly discovered I had tulips/bulbs and were now watching me. The third year I planted little alliums in every hole with the tulips, plus sprayed the bulbs in the hole with Tabasco spray. They dug them up, tossed the alliums aside, and ate the tulips. The fourth year I ordered tulips on sale late. I kept stalling for a spot of better weather to plant them, and it never came. It was mid December and freezing cold before I planted them. There didnÂt seem to be any squirrels around, maybe because it was so cold, they were all tunneled in somewhere. I did a lousy job of planting because I just wanted to get inside. I camouflaged the holes with dead leaves. None of those were dug up. Last year I was planting crocus, anemones, and species tulips in mid November. I saw the squirrels watching me and knew I was in trouble. I planted some one day and the next morning saw the digging and knew they were gone. The next ones I planted in clusters (even though that was not the arrangement I wanted for them) and put a big 1 foot landscaping stone over each cluster. The next morning I could see from the digging around each stone how hard they had tried, also how far they would tunnel under each before giving up. I planted all the rest of the bulbs that way. But the next spring only the tulips came up. I think the crocus and anemones rotted under the stones, I should have removed them once it got really cold like January; or after the squirrels had time to forget. I have not bought any tulips this year, though I did buy one package of crocus. IÂm going to try something that has been suggested here. I bought a roll of green hardware cloth, mesh maybe one half inch. I will cover each cluster with this, edges bent down to lock it into the soil. IÂm going to see if this works, and how much trouble it is, before I try more of the things they find tastiest. I bought things I know they donÂt eat, lots of daffodils and alliums. I still have to go out from the first tulip buds and spray with repellent. I don't have deer but the rabbits eat the flowers too. So I would try either one: plant so late that they arenÂt around, or cage/cover your bulbs with wire. DonÂt spend a lot until you know which will work for the level of determination found in the squirrels in your yard....See MoreSweetbay Magnolia question
Comments (19)I grow both varieties(Southern large tree growing evergreen M. virginiana var. australis and Northern small tree growing mostly deciduous M. virginiana var. virginiana) and cultivars of both varieties, as well as some intermediate between the 2 described varieties, of Sweetbay Magnolia here in Eastern Kansas. I've never had any die-back or problems with any of them, except one. The one exception is a wild grown seedling from far South Florida, which some people think is distinct and should be a third named variety and which also seems to be almost a sub-tropical tree. So that's another story. I've seen Sweetbay Magnolia planted in open exposed windy sites here in Kansas and yes they do get some of their early leaves beat up a bit. But usually it's not really noticeable at a distance. The evergreen ones can have their leaves beat up and ragged looking in late winter and early spring before new leaves emerge. So, I'm of the opinion that there's something wrong with the soil in which yours are planted. Near a driveway there's no telling what buried debris around. Limestone gravel, large chunks of concrete, other construction debris, trash, etc. Using soil acidifiers(Aluminum Sulfate, Sulfur, etc.), hollytone, ironite, etc. all could help if it's an alkalinity problem. But you can add too much of some of these things at once, so space out any additional treatments. Also, making sure the trees are well mulched and/or adding compost before mulching could both help out as well. snasxs, I suspect there's something else wrong with your Sweetbay Magnolia too. I'd be shocked if any Sweetbay had any winter die-back in zone 8, especially if you have hot summers. If you were in a cool summer zone 8 area, then it'd be possible, but still not likely. Even the far South Florida origin ones would only have winter problems in a hot summer zone 8 in cold years....See MoreHuge holes in buds and flowers, spray BT?
Comments (24)Hi Mary, Jeri, and Susan, Mary, I hope you win the war. I had my gardeners spray BT very early on a foggy morning. I have also been going out at night with a flashlight and squishing them. It is a tedious task and I am pretty sure my neighbors think I am a lunatic. My damage is horrible, I sincerely hope you have flowers for the wedding. Susan, you don't have to worry. The bees are some of my best friends! I completely stopped spraying because of them, and all the other toxic reasons. I have never noticed grasshoppers until this year. I found out from Hoovb that they are Katydids. Although mine don't say "Katy did". Mine are kind of purring in a cricket sounding way. I cut one in half while it was singing and it stuck with me for two days. That beautiful song and then silence. Damned if you do Damned if you don't. I am up on Campanil Hill, I wonder if we have the same thing? Mine are big and green. I have noticed some smaller ones. I caught one gobbling a rose bud. It was stuffing itself with Yves Piaget. My husband took care of that one. Hi Jeri! Eileen...See MoreChick-a-dees stripping my Star Magnolia
Comments (14)An 'overpopulation' wouldn't be there long. They would move on to adequate food. When it's gone at your house, they will find another garden. I agree you are overreacting. Just enjoy them, thank them for removing whatever bug might cause you trouble later, they aren't hurting anything. If you're lucky, maybe a pair or two will stick around and nest there. When I've had chickadees nesting in my yard, I'm amazing at how many times during the day they will go to the nest with chicks, carrying caterpillar/worm/larval type things....and likely each one of those components of the multiple daily meals would be otherwise feasting on leaves of my plants....See MoreNHBabs z4b-5a NH
7 years agoSmivies (Ontario - 5b)
7 years agokentrees12
7 years agodavidrt28 (zone 7)
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoEmbothrium
7 years agoMarie Tulin
7 years agokrnuttle
7 years ago
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