Monday, September 27, 2010

It's GONE!

My headache is finally gone.  I'm on the mend, and I'm ready to get back to life, well maybe, I've now come down with some kind of coughing thing.  So I'm sleeping through this day and maybe this week.  Thank goodness for chicken soup, and freezers.  My husband is worried about Thanksgiving Dinner, can you imagine.  What a turkey.  Anyway I hope to be able to read a little this week, just to catch up to my own schedule.  I don't think I'll ever catch up with housework.  And it's almost time to plant bulbs.  How do you keep the squirrels from digging everything up?  I don't usually plant until after our Canadian Thanksgiving.  It usually get cold enough that after that the squirrels have socked away all they think they need.  But this year our Thanksgiving is early and I think I may have a problem.
One of my books had the following suggestions., #2 didn't work for me at all, because as soon as it rains, and it does quite a bit in the fall you have to keep replenishing the pepper flakes. So I think I may try the screening. 
  1. 1
    Make sure you plant your bulbs at the proper depth. Large bulbs should be planted in a hole 8 to 10 inches deep, while smaller bulbs should be planted at least 5 inches deep. The deeper the bulb, the less likely a squirrel is to find it.
  2. 2
    Spread some blood meal, cayenne powder or black pepper above your bulbs and around the planting area. Rodents don't like any of these things and will look for an easier meal rather than digging your bulbs up. Keep in mind that over time the scent of all these things diminishes, so you will need to replenish every couple of weeks.
  3. 3
    Place a thin layer of pea gravel on top of your bulbs or put a handful of gravel in the hole on top of the bulb when planting. A squirrel will find the gravel harder to dig through than soft soil, and may be discouraged enough to move on, leaving your bulb untouched.
  4. 4
    Cover your planting area with window screen held in place with some decorative rocks or long U-clips. Place a layer of about 4 inches of mulch over the screen to protect your bulbs from winter chill and make your garden more attractive by hiding the screen. In the spring when the flowers start to emerge, remove the window screen and cover your young flowers with a layer of chicken wire with holes cut to allow the flowers to grow through.
  5. 5
    Spread fox urine powder or pellets around your planting area. Fox urine has been proven to scare small rodents such as squirrels away from an area.
  6. 6
    Consider the type of bubs you're planting as well as how you arrange them. Squirrels don't seem to like the taste of narcissism or daffodils, so by planting these bulbs around the perimeter of your planting area, you may be able to protect the other (better-tasting) bulbs from the squirrels.

4 comments:

Jenny said...

I'm just glad you're finally feeling better. I couldn't believe your husband was worrying about a holiday that's eight weeks distant, but then I realized you're talking about the Canadian version! I still don't know when it is but I assume it's coming right up. The important thing is for you to take care of yourself and get completely better, dear Irene! Don't overdo it or you'll relapse and getting better a second time might take even longer. I am not a doctor and I don't play one on television, but that's my advice!

Alyce said...

I'm so glad to hear that you're feeling better. I hope the cough goes away soon though.

I'm going shopping for bulbs tomorrow, so your post was timely. I hadn't even thought about the squirrels, although we don't seem to have that much of a squirrel problem here. I say that, and now they'll probably be feasting on my bulbs. :)

giorno26 ¸¸.•*¨*•. said...

Felice che tu stia meglio !!!
Buon ritorno alla vita :)

Annie said...

Good to hear that your headache has gone Irene. Now you can get back to the book! Do hope the cough gets better really quickly for you too!

when is your Canadian Thanksgiving Irene? And why is it a movable feast? The American one isn't, is it? I hope all these questions don't give you another headache!

Glad you enjoyed my Spring Garden. The azaleas and orchids have been just heavenly. But they are beginning to fade. Especially now we have had 28 degrees (celsius ) today and tomorrow, and the first of our summer storms!

You seem to have the same problem with your bulbs and squirrels as I have with my scrub turkey. Except he scrapes up my whole yard, lawn and all. The back yard looks very sad! I have often thought of putting netting down to stop him!

Happy Birthday

Happy birthday to my wonderful son,  it's bee 33wonderful years. Hope this year proves to be the best yet.