Groundhog least favorites?

Greetings neighbors! I am in serious need of your experiences with this resident critter. I realize I must share since I don't want to kill it. We caught possums when we tried to get the groundhog. I gave up on trapping. I am not consistent putting down repellents. My attempts at covering plants with bird netting or chicken wire have not worked well at all. What plants do you grow that are not eaten? I have a few left; marigolds, dahlias, foxglove and agastache. My squash, cukes, cilantro, coneflowers, black eyed susans and sunflowers are all eaten down to the dirt. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

I too have problems with groundhogs, and trapped a couple of them with a Have-A-Hart trap. The ones caught were mostly babies. The older ones don't seem to be falling for it.

In my garden, they have not bothered foxglove, agastache, vironica, and butterfly weeds. Groundhogs don't seem to eat lilies, although deer normally take the flower buds before they get a chance to bloom.

I have not had trouble with my shade garden. Groundhogs have not touched brunnera, ferms, columbines and bleeding hearts. Deer do eat coral bells and hosta especially the variegated varieties.

This message was edited Jun 11, 2012 10:27 AM

They can't resist cantaloupe, I've even had adults calm down and enjoy the treat while being transported away. I don't waste any good melon, just the rinds are enough. I have relocated many, just set the trap next to their path to the garden. Ric

Ornamental oreganos, and some other herbs, may be good choices and too spicy for the groundhog. Ornamental pepper plants too. I have never had liriope get eaten.Maybe look to the more poisonous things, like Datura (angels trumpet).

Thanks to those who have responded. Trapping and removing is not an option. We seem to be able to catch everything but the groundhogs. It would be really nice if those of us who have to deal with this animal had a list of things they will leave in the garden. It frustrates me that the very ones I want are also apparently the groundhogs' favorites as well. I suppose I will continue to put out stuff in hopes of having it around long enough to bloom. Of course, the deer have done their part in my flower beds as well. I thought I had covered my lilies with bird netting so as to be able to see the bloom this year and I was wrong. For three years they have eaten the flower bud before it ever opened. I haven't given up yet. Thanks again. If anyone does have other plants they do not eat, please share.

We have a new GH this year a young one he hasn't done much damage yet on the good plants. He has mostly been eating the violet leaves around the rock but he will soon start moving out into the yard farther. Looks like he tasted the Bird of Paradise I have planted there but hasn't done much damage to it yet. We will be setting the trap with canalope very soon. Hope he is the only one.

Good luck. I have been reading everything I can find on groundhogs and such. Guess I will get some more foxgloves. The one I bought is thriving in the pot and hasn't been touched. "Knock on wood".

Well, you could do 'worse' than having a patch of foxgloves.

Wyldeflwr, You really need to try cantaloupe for bait. We've had 100% success with that, where nothing else worked. Ric

Oh boy! I see 2 in the upper yard now munching on the clover, and on just climbed the bird feeder trying to get the seed. I had no idea they could climb that well. LOL

This message was edited Jun 12, 2012 3:40 PM

The culprits, soon to be relocated unless someone wants pets, LOL Ric

What are the purple plants in the lower left hand side of the picture? Apparently they don't eat that and it's really a pretty color.

Sally, I love the foxgloves! The bees do too. I have been trying to grow more for the beneficials. I even got some Queen Anne's Lace but the ground hog eats it as well. I had to cover the little plants with a wire cage. I am hoping it will survive and grow and perhaps some will be left to bloom next year.

Lavender.

White yarrow would be similar to Queen Annes Lace and I don't think they have eaten my yarrow.

Don't know what I do wrong, but I have never been able to get lavender to grow for me. I would accept suggestions willingly on how to get it to thrive.

I got two plants that had been reduced marked as yarrow. It is smaller that what I remember yarrow as being and the flowers were fading but I think they were cream or light yellow. I trimmed it back but it has not rebloomed. Do you know if they do? So far, it has been left alone by the groundhog. I used to have the white kind but hubby thought it was a weed and mowed it so many times it finally gave up. I thought it would be around a long time the way it had spread.

Wyldeflwr: I've never been able to grow lavender successfully either, but I always assumed it was because (1) my soil isn't sufficiently free-draining (I should use one of tapla's mixes and leave it in a pot), and (2) it is too humid here.

I killed a lavendar but that was before DG..I think Jill has a whole row of it along her driveway!

She does.
Well one of these little guys is really brazen I was sitting in the living room this morning with the sliding door open (just the screen) and I looked out and not 3 ft from the open door was the GH getting really to munch on some of the plants sitting on the patio. I would have gotten a picture but I wanted to scare him off before he ate any thing. I did find that he polished off the OSP in one of the pots not visible from where I was sitting. Even with Ric walking to the door he never moved till Ric opened the door and then he just moved off a bit didn't really run for the hills till Ric chased him.

What does Alfie think? Is he waiting for them to sprout wings before getting interested?

LOL, Yes he might be. LOL He was sleeping at the time. He does seem interested in the Bunnies and Squirrels but he doesn't really get excited like he does over the birds and other things that fly. Really had to laugh the other day he was getting very excited the other day down by the lower gate and I couldn't figure out why then I saw a Crow lift off that had been sitting on the electric pole.

Alfie really kicked up a fuss yesterday, one of the new Frontier airliners went over his airspace on it's way to Hbg international. LOL I couldn't make out what animal was on the tail but maybe he could. Ric

that Alfie!!! ROFL

Well one of the GH's is living under the patio and this pretty Perennial Lobelia is right next to the area where he is moving in and out so apparently he isn't interested in eat it. It's Lobelia Queen Victoria.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/38352/

How nice!

Tell you one thing- I have read that the weeds lambsquarter is something they really DO like to eat. I have a nice plant of it by my compost. Yesterday I noticed that a lot of leaves had been carefully nibbled off, leaving the little leaf stems. I see no damage to any other plant in my garden at all (so far only I know). THis is a boxed in corner that I really doubt a deer could get too- besides not seeing any deer damage to my daylilies, ever. DS says he's been seeing the groundhog on the lawn in that back area.

Also read that you should make water available because they may be seeking the moisture in the leaves.

Love the lobelia! Will try to see if someone around me has it for sale.
. I looked at several on the places listed as having it for sale and most of them were "out of stock". I have tried growing this previously but it didn't come back for me. I do have the blue and usually is isn't eaten but recently, I found several with the tips bitten off. Don't know if it was the ground hog or deer. An aster in the same area was munched and that did look like the groundhog had gotten it as all the leaves were munched down to the stems, what was left of the stems. How much water do you give it? In the picture the ground looks dry and everything I read about it said it needs moisture, even would do well in a bog.

I have a small goldfish pond in the yard and a cat bowl that usually has water in it, so the GH does get ample moisture. The little bugger was right at my front steps smelling out the coneflowers I had tried to save. I put them in a trug and covered them with netting and set them on the front steps. They are trying to come back, but now I am uncertain as to where to try to plant them.


This message was edited Jun 18, 2012 6:33 PM

GH haven't touched my Peonies either. There are two of them growing in an area where they went thru and cleaned out the violet leaves. Looks like they tasted my White Bird of Paradise but must not of liked it.

I haven't had trouble with critters eating my peonies either, although the clumps are getting big and can use some eating ;-)

Holly, how come my groundhogs do not make themsevles useful like yours! There is more clover than grass in some areas. LOL!

LOL Donner, Well they did do a real job on the Marigolds and OSP not to mention they ate all the herbs in RIc's kitchen pots. I wouldn't mind them if they would just stick to the lawn.

I think I heard a groundhog running away yesterday. Something ran from the brushy corner, into the neighboring strip of pine trees, and sounded too heavy for squirrel.
Still, nothing else eaten here. Except cat ate bunny. . Between two cats and a german shepard, the crittters are not as comfortable as they might be. I like to think, it puts the Fear of Dog in them.

Holly, I would need some herbs to flavor clover if I ate them. Smart groundhogs! LOL!

Sally, I wish I had a german shepard to patrol my garden. A friend of mine told me that her dog would just tell deer "Come eat here. The veggies are better in this patch."

LOL, I've read of dogs that EAT tomatos!

A vegetarian dog?

We had an old Red Bones Coon Hound that was very polite about stealing tomatoes, she'd only take one at a time from the garden, she'd pick a very ripe one and carry it to the porch and eat it, leaving no mess. One of the most memorable things about her was the young kittens thought she was a mattress, and would be sleeping all over and around her. I wish I still had that picture, alas, I'm pretty sure that was lost during Agnes. She had been a gift to me for caring for and exercising the neighboring gents pack of coon hounds when he was away. Funny how these old memories float to the top once and awhile. Ric

awww...

A young rabbit very recklessly entered Alfie's yard, as soon as Alfie caught it's scent the game was afoot. Silly rabbit was fortunate he could fit where Alfie could not leaving only a squeal, a bit of fur, and the stuff of puppy dreams in it's wake. Alf was so fast, I think he would have caught the rabbit if they were in the open pasture. I'll bet Mr.Rabbit remembers those scent markers of Alfie's for awhile. LOL Ric