HELP! Something chewed through main stem. Plant dying!
cjgw
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
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daninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agocjgw thanked daninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)Related Discussions
Help something is chewing my father´s corn off at the ground
Comments (11)I would suspect rats. They have a habit of chewing seedling, especiall corn, melons, sunflowers, peas, beans. This happened to me last year. I was suspecting rabbits. So I make a rebbit trap. But what I catching were rats. I let them loose in the beginning; I was saying to myself "I don't want to catch rats but rabbits" haha. I kep sprinkling my garden with rabbit repelents, salt/pepper but something didn't give a damn and kept on chewing off my seedlings.This was not definitly a squirrel habit. Squirrel dig up the seeds(corn, peanut..) but do not eat or chew greens. After some internet search, I found out that it was the rat not the rabbit. From then on I went after the rats. Rabbits generally eat the top of the plants, if they can reach it. But rats chew off stems. leaving the top behind. I know this, because I almost eradicated the rats last yar and this year I have some rabbits eating the top of carrots. With the peas on trelis, since they cannot reach the tops, they eat those laying on the ground and the lower part of the rest. So I think, If your father lives in a rural area, with wooded area nearby, then it is most likly that rats are the culprits. Best thing is to get a Mouser cat that can go after rats. It has to be a big cat, rats are much bigger than mouse. The other options are placing all kinds of traps and baits. But be aware of the birds and cats not to eat the poison baits and get caught in the traps. For further information, google rats in the garden. I am sure you will find a lot of information. Good luck!...See MoreDo you think rabbits will chew through this?
Comments (14)knuttle, No problems with anything else. My lab, the neighbors outdoor cat and woodchucks seem to keep other animals at bay. There is one side in particular that they congregate which is on the left side. I think they live under the spruces in my neighbors yard over there. Ken, This would just be a temporary winter fence so I'm open to other ideas. I do see rabbits munching in the lawn during the growing season but they seem to stay outside my yard because of the dog. Poaky, Good idea for smaller individual plants. I've used hardware cloth in the past and just hate using it. It stores terribly too. I just have too many plants to protect at this point. This view is about a year old. I'd estimate 500 to 600 plants? For perspective the American Lindens lining the drive on the left are about 60' tall and 40' wide. I might skip the mesh for now until I put together a final cost. But the mesh is pretty cheap at Menards. If I can save three $50 plants I might win out in the end. Might try the sprays too. I've heard if you mix up the brands in a given year it helps with the results. For example Liquid fence one month, then Plantskydd the next month....See Moresomething's eating my hosta stems
Comments (9)What do you intend to do with the Diotimaceous Earth? Are you using it for slug barriers? Be very careful not to breath it in. DE can be put in little circles around plants to discourage slugs, but its effectiveness is questionable and it needs to be reapplied after every rain. If you are trying to prevent slugs get some iron phosphate bait (Sluggo) and use ammonia (15%) and water spray on the slugs and where they hide. But before you do anything don't you think it's a good idea to know what is causing your problem? You could be spending a lot of time and money on slug control, meanwhile the bunnies are having a feast. Or vice versa. Here's how to post a picture (or you could paste the file into the "image file to upload" box just above your user name). Steve Here is a link that might be useful: How to post a picture using Photobucket...See MoreHelp!! Succulent going purple, Panda plant stem thinning
Comments (10)This is long post, so I apologise in advance :) After cutting top parts off, you could leave all lower trunks with roots potted, and they may grow. It likely depends on how healthy plant is. Here are some 'leftover' stems after tops were decapitated, and they are growing new plantlets and/or branches - they are all different plants:Another possibility is that they may grow from the roots, right at the soil level; here are couple of examples - hope you can see them as they are quite tiny:Top parts that were cut off - cuttings, would be best to let callus = heal just for few hours, unpotted. After that, stick them into well draining mix and let grow. These should be kept out of strong sunlight until they start growing, and then slowly - every few days - moved into best light you have. 8cm pot isn't too small, I would put 2 - 4 cuttings in it, depending on size. You may want to consider another approach: try to get existing plants to be healthier. They may be quite weak from being in very low light. Let them grow for a while, but in better light - I would use those great windows you seem to have. After they get much sturdier, you could behead them as suggested. Cuttings that don't have any roots shouldn't be watered until they start growing roots. You'll be able to tell when you very lightly tug the cutting and feel some resistance - that means roots already started growing into potting mix. Or when new growth starts appearing. Leftover stems with roots can be watered regularly. I would improve the mix for potting them. If nothing else, get a bag of coarse perlite and mix it 50:50 with soil. I would not follow advice you were given - ..." only water with a syringe, only a few drops will do"... Succulents need to be watered thoroughly when all the potting mix in the pot is almost completely dry. That could be few days or longer. It all depends on the mix and the temperatures. That is why you need to improve drainage of the mix and use pots with drainage holes. Plastic pots are just fine (I have about 200 succulents in plastic pots), but if you prefer terracotta, use them. If you have water-retaining mix, plastic or terracotta pots will not make too much of difference. Your Kalanchoe tomentosa needs more light too. They will grow woody and longer stems as they get older. Rosettes should be quite tight and leaves will get rich color in good sun:Pls. ask any questions you may have :)...See More- cjgw thanked daninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
- cjgw thanked daninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
- cjgw thanked daninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
cjgw
5 years agodaninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
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5 years agodaninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agocjgw thanked daninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)gorbelly
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5 years ago- cjgw thanked daninthedirt (USDA 9a, HZ9, CentTX, Sunset z30, Cfa)
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