I walked out on my deck this morning and discovered some critter had excavated this 3-gallon pot of Physostegia. Squirrels sometimes dig in my pots, but they don't turn large ones on their side and remove the entire contents. Any ideas what might have perpetrated this attack, and why?
I have had a few small holes dug in pots but never that bad.
Good grief! I'm thinking raccoon, but I don't know why he would... maybe a skunk if there were grubs or yummy bugs in the pot?
Since we don't have armadillos, LOL. I agree with Jill, skunks can be aggressive diggers if they're after grubs. Ric
If you ignore their fluffy fur, skunks are lightweight, petite animals that would not seem to have enough oomph to turn a large, well-watered (heavy) pot on it's side. Also, we have never detected the odor of a skunk on the property. The deck is outside our front door and 5 steps above ground level. Our cat spends much of its life on the deck, hanging out or complaining to come in. Never has he had a close encounter with a skunk. Why would a raccoon go to such effort, and why this particular pot? This pot was one of about 20, and most removed from either set of steps. I know we have an opossum that occasionally ventures onto the deck, but I'm unaware of this kind of action by opossums. Anyone know?
Then go back to the coon response. The shredded roots look just like the piles of waste the coon would leave on stream side if it were eating a fish. A coon is very organized. They may leave a mess but there will almost always be a neat pile of like food parts stashed somewhere close to where the eating took place.
I do not think any pot would contain enough grubs or other goodies opossums like to attract one. Your attacker was a vegi eater. Why would a raccoon do this..........It was hungry. It liked that plant. Most removed.......sure why not the one it determined was the safest hit without discovery in the act.
Doc - thank you for your observations.
Trapping is what I did to earn spare money. When in my teens and early twenties forty hours a week stream side trapping is what I did. That was after school work and helping with better homes and gardens. Gas was thirty five cents a gallon. Lawn work paid nothing. Selling a hundred Grit papers a week earned three or four dollars. Muskrats sold for three dollars and sixty five cents and a good coon was worth a dollar. We caught fifty or sixty muskrats and fifteen or so coons in season. That was good pocket money and we learned a lot about the animals we observed. To boot slow cooked bar-b-qued coon was as good as any pork done likewise. Welsh Rabbit (muskrat) was served in the finer big city eateries. The going rate to the trapper was forty cents for a frozen carcass. There was no such thing as meat inspectors. the bones and cleaned innards were composted.
I've only seen a raccoon here once (young one, went into my rabbit trap), but the big ol groundhogs come up onto our deck fairly often, right up to the patio door! I'm not sure why I thought coon or skunk rather than groundhog, maybe just that I've never had one dig into a pot like that (pull plants or munch, yes, just not dig down).
Hmmm. A groundhog has been seen in the yard on rare occarions, but never anywhere near the house.
Groundhogs do not move out of their dens at night.
Guess we're left with racoons, or elves, pixies.......Thanks
Good point Doc, although I know our groundhogs often are up & about much earlier in the morning than I am. LOL
Whoever the culprit (and currently I'm leaning toward "pixie"), here's hoping it was a one-time thing!
And if you want some more physostegia, I'll see what pops up in that corner of the garden this spring... I often end up with quite a few spares, LOL.
I saw my first groundhog this week. I know where this den is so it is about time to smoke the den before the kids get it named cutie pie or something.
LOL doc. I've gone a little softer on groundhogs since the day the momma turned away from my flower bed and let me see the baby snuggled up next to her.
I have to go now and look up Physostegia. edit- Oh False dragonhead, I knew it sounded familiar. I have a lot of the regular old purple. Can't imagine what anyone would want from a pot of that. Unless an EXTREMELY determined squirrel after the inevitable one peanut I seem to find in every pot of mine. (Who i s giving them so many darn peanuts here??)
This message was edited Mar 28, 2011 8:27 AM
I think the squirrels were still in their den when the damage was done. I have seen a groundhog already this year, and the cat is usually out and on patrol by 5 a.m. Physostegia is also called obedient plant, I believe. It was certainly a surprise to look out and see the pot trashed. Normally it is deer or vole damage that we see.
Doc's comment reminded me of checking the current pelt prices in Fur, Fish & Game.
Wonder if a deer could have made off with a big mouthful (entire clump) after scratching the surface and tipping over pot...
Since Physostegia is part of mint family maybe it was dragged off for a spring tonic feast at the ground hog den?
Maybe two critters...the tipper over and the take advantage!
Do ground hogs take food to their burrows for later eating or eating by mate or young?
Had the plant broken dormancy yet? What are the seedlings I see in photo?
I'm sorry, but I had to laugh when I saw the photo and "Who did this" caption. I just this minute came in from picking up one of my pots that was dumped over in a similar fashion. I know who the culprit was on my end, but doubt that you have a similar problem. The juvenille delinquent that turned my pot over is named Sophia and she is in big trouble (photo attached). I special ordered a specific Zinnia seed this year for the four pots on my patio. Including shipping, they were ridiculously expensive for only 24 seeds, and now 6 of those seeds are dumped out in the lawn somewhere. Looks like I'll have three pots with Zinnias and a fourth pot with something else this summer. :(
My grandma was an artist, and she said to always use odd numbers... she would approve of having 3 pots of special zinnias rather than 2 or 4, so maybe Miss Sophie did you a favor! (How could that sweet face be in big trouble?)
Maybe it's time for pulled pork bar-b-que. :)
Yikes! Don't juvenile delinquents normally just get detention??? I'm not so sure about the "sweet face", but it is difficult to stay mad when she looks up with a muddy snout and her tail wagging happily. I do believe that she goes out of her way to get into trouble, though.
Now I'm curious about what kind of zinnia caught your fancy enough to make you special order 24 seeds...
Sophie pic made me smile too. I bet you'll be collecting those zinnia seeds this fall.
When I was in my single days I was in a rented house with a roomies cat. Roomie cat got into my indoor seed starting....big mess!
Doc, you get a slap on the wrist for that comment. LOL
Jill, I got with the 3, 6, 9, theory too, but maybe they were gong on the front steps, 2 on each side.
wmf, If Sophia didn't get them first something else would have, outside plants alway run the risk of "vandalism" Just trying to help you feel better.
Sallyg, Kitties+ soft dirt,= "let's potty" LOL
There's a place for symmetry, and a place for artful asymmetry...and I have mastered neither !! lol
Thanks, Ladyg, you are absolutely right. Before I even ordered the seeds, I was wondering if I would be able to keep the deer out of them.
Sallyg, I hope you are right and I'm able to salvage a handful of seeds this fall...I've never seen the "Coral Pink" in person, but I love the photos.
Critter, I have four pots for the four corners of the square patio. I think I'll wait until the other seeds sprout and then relocate some into "Sophia's" pot. Then I can fill the gaps with a trailing ivy or something - this may work out yet. No worries about Sophia...all was forgiven when she flopped over and presented her little round belly to me for a rub.
Aha, that's still odd numbers, *1* pot in each corner. Yah, I was just trying to make you feel more kindly toward Sophia, not that I had any doubt she could melt your heart again in short order.
Jill, is it too early to plant zinnia seeds outside? I was thinking of trying to start them inside in 4 in. nursery pots or peat pots that I could sit in office window or husband's bedroom window where they would get light and morning and afternoon sun until it gets warm enough to direct sow. I don't have any more room outside to hide any more milk jugs.
As I recall, I usually direct-sow zinnia seeds about the time I plant tomatoes, or even not until memorial day when I plant out peppers... they'll take off once the soil warms up and give you a pretty good season of bloom even if you don't start them inside. I've never started them inside, but seems like they are sturdy enough plants that they could deal with windowsill light. Try a few each way?
As usual--I have been impatient with my seed starting....
My Tomatoes are now repotted and about 10" tall. I am keeping them outside
during the day in this nice weather....
I re-potted my Zinnia seedlings about the same time as my Tomatoes...
They are really growing well--and they too have been outside in the shade for the last
few days....I just can't help it....:o)
Here are my Zinnia seedlings back inside for the night. Supposed to be 40-some degrees....
There are also 3 pots of AV's I grew from a leaf in this picture....
Today--from about 9:30AM until 4:30PM I have been poutside re-potting all my
seedlings in individual pots....For me--and for my Manager, Donn.
Did all my later crop of Tomatoes--all my Basil (4 kinds)--my Angelonias--
my Daturas--Echinaceas--etc...
Tomorrow--I simply MUST mow my lawn for the first time. The grass is in different stages of huge!
From regular early season size--to 12" for all the areas I seeded last year....LUSH!!!!
Basil went directly into my 10" pots. No sense transplanting them in smaller pots and then in the
big pots two weeks later....
I covered all the pots up with a cloth so the squirrels won't chew them down. They are so
hungry right now.....One came within an arm's reach of me as I walked out the basement door.
Of course--I had some peanuts in my hand....She almost came close enough to take them out of my hand!
I saw 2 full-sized rabbits this morning too. First time! Seems everything is waking up.....
More work for me!!!!!
All last week was a lost cause--as I had 4 people staying here the whole week...
I worked hard to get my home ready--cooked and cleaned ans shopped for more food.
Today--is the first day I can reclaim my house--just for me!
Of course--I did 3 loads of laundry (all the bedding and towels) and a load of dishes...
Tomorrow--I hope to put all the beds back together and then--CHILLL.....and continue with my
gardening jobs....
Gita
