Vicious herbivores and my balcony sunflowers
By The Horse
@TheHorse (203666)
Walnut Creek, California
May 24, 2016 2:46pm CST
I just checked the garden at work (in Concord CA), and the ground squirrels have begun the process of decapitating all of my sunflowers out there, and starting to eat the corn plants.
Even on my balcony, the tree squirrels are primary suspects in decapitating one of my sunflowers. But notice how the sunflowers are trying to survive! The one was lovely but has since closed up, so I watered with some Miracle Gro Quick Start today. The decapitated one (upper right) has started to throw some new buds, and I'm hoping they'll survive.
And the one that was happy and became depressed is also growing some new friends (lower left). We'll see what happens.
At work, I'm going to wrap the bases of my corn (I've given up on the sunflowers there) with packing tape and see if the ground squirrels continue to munch away. I was going to use duct tape, which is stronger, but I can't fine mine.
Wish me luck! Have you ever used bizarre means to protect the bottoms of plants?
17 people like this
16 responses
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
24 May 16
@JolietJake I assume that you just sprinkle the ground squirrel onto the mix.
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
24 May 16
Do the squirrels climb the stalks to get to the heads? If so, use Vaseline, so they will slide back down. I saw a video of this, very funny and frustrating for the squirrels.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (203666)
• Walnut Creek, California
24 May 16
Oh, I think I saw that video, though it was a pole and a bird feeder. The tree squirrels got my one balcony sunflower from the ledge of the railing. The ground squirrels at Ground Squirrel Gardens destroy everything from about 4" off the ground.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (203666)
• Walnut Creek, California
25 May 16
@ElizabethWallace That would probably work, but I'm not sure that I'm willing to expend that much effort. If these were my only source of Summer food, it would be a different matter!
1 person likes this
@ElizabethWallace (12074)
• United States
25 May 16
@TheHorse How about a wire cage over the garden? Would that work?
1 person likes this
@sathviksouvik (17792)
•
28 May 16
Thanks The Horse. But as I know squirels have small appetite. Can they eat your corn which looks big in the picture?
2 people like this
@TheHorse (203666)
• Walnut Creek, California
28 May 16
@sathviksouvik I let them get as big as I can on the balcony, then try to find a good place for them.
1 person likes this
@sathviksouvik (17792)
•
28 May 16
@TheHorse Thanks The Horse. I will try keeping my potted plants in the balcony away from the squirrels.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61050)
• United States
28 May 16
Here to keep squirels off the bird feeders they grease the pole but I am not sure your pots are tall enough to make that worth while.
1 person likes this
@lokisdad (4226)
• United States
23 Feb 17
Keeping critters out of your plants can be hard to do. Especially when you have a lot of plants. When we had a garden it was a pain to keep out animals during the day it was fairly easy but late at night not so much because you have to sleep and if there is more than one at a time they have better chances than you do lol. I remember watching the deer come late nights and eat off the corn in the garden and sometimes you try to scare them and they would just stand their and look at you like hey thanks for the corn.
1 person likes this
@Jessicalynnt (50525)
• Centralia, Missouri
25 May 16
looks like you might need to tack up some anti rodent netting! lol
1 person likes this
@Jessicalynnt (50525)
• Centralia, Missouri
25 May 16
@TheHorse perhaps, but if you dont, what work you do may just go to the squirrels
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (203666)
• Walnut Creek, California
26 May 16
@Jessicalynnt I think that is their destiny. But I want to see how tall I can get the corn to grow before it becomes squirrel food.
1 person likes this
@nanette64 (20368)
• Fairfield, Texas
25 May 16
Holy Crap @TheHorse , what kind of flower is that purple one? I've never seen anything like it. And what a stem size.
1 person likes this
@DeborahDiane (39965)
• Laguna Woods, California
25 May 16
We used to spray our orange tree with a mixture of a little dish washing soap and water. It kept certain types of insects off the leaves.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109865)
• Los Angeles, California
28 Aug 16
The squirrels attack the actual plant or the sunflower seeds?
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43451)
• Denver, Colorado
25 May 16
Is that thing a desk lamp or an alien pod designed to keep track of the plants?
1 person likes this
@blitzfrick (2890)
• United States
26 May 16
Those darned squirrels! I bet they love you for planting a handy pantry for them. I have tree squirrels at my trailer park. This year they've started a new habit, attacking the jade plants I have put out for the summer.
My sunflowers are just seedlings at the moment, and they're inside but will go outside in a week or two. The squirrels have so far not bothered them but every year is a new year.
The most effective predator deflector I've ever used is against slugs. I use sections (about 2") of toilet paper cores and slip them over the seedlings when the seedlings have just sprouted. Works like a charm.