AUGUST
2005
By
Beverly Shaw
Advanced
Master Gardener
Purdue University
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Q. I live in the country and have a gopher problem. They are digging
holes around the bird feeders. I have even seen them in the bird feeders.
They are digging so much that the pipes the bird feeders are on are about
ready to fall down. -- Barbara La Cross, LaOtto , Ind.
A. Begin by going to Purdue Animal Damage Control Web site at http://www.entm.purdue.edu/wildlife/wild.htm
to make sure you've identified the culprit properly. There are several
animals that are known for their burrows.
The plains pocket gopher is a small, solitary rodent. It is 5 1/2 to 9
inches long. It has large forefeet with strong claws and toes with bristles
for digging. It uses its front teeth to dig and to gnaw roots and tubers.
The pocket gopher is an Indiana species of special concern, defined as
any animal species about which some problems of limited abundance or distribution
in Indiana are known or suspected and should be closely monitored. If
you have pocket gophers, call the Department of Natural Resources hotline
at 1-800-893-4116 (within the state of Indiana ). Pocket gophers leave
soil mounds on the surface of the ground. The mounds are usually fan-shaped
and tunnel entrances are plugged, keeping various intruders out of burrows.
The woodchuck is a stocky animal weighing between 4 and 14 pounds and
having short, powerful legs, small ears and a short, bushy tail. The body
fur is long, coarse and grizzled grayish-brown in color. There are four
clawed toes on each front foot and five toes on the hind feet. The woodchuck's
short, stocky appearance gives the impression that it crouches close to
the ground as it moves about. Thus, the animal is often referred to as
a "groundhog." Around private homes, one or two woodchucks are
capable of ruining a small garden almost overnight.
Thirteen-lined ground squirrels have many common names, such as "thirteen-liner"
or "striped gopher." "Gopher" is a misnomer because
true (pocket) gophers belong to another family of rodents. True to its
name, the thirteen-lined ground squirrel has 13 light stripes with rows
of light spots that run the length of its back. The background color is
tan or brown, and the belly is white. Thirteen-lined ground squirrels
are usually about 11 inches long, including a 5- to 6-inch tail. Adults
weigh 4 to 5 ounces in the spring but gain considerable weight in the
fall as they prepare for winter hibernation. Their call, a high-pitched
trill, sounds like a birdcall but is unmistakable to the trained ear.
Thirteen-lined ground squirrels can cause problems when they create burrows
in lawns, golf courses, cemeteries, parks and earthen dikes. They also
dig up newly planted seeds, consume sprouting seeds and damage garden
vegetables.
These rodents should not be viewed only as pests. Their burrows often
provide refuge for other wildlife. They also contribute to the aeration
and mixing of the soil through their burrowing activities. Moreover, many
people derive enjoyment from watching these rodents, and they should be
controlled only when they are causing damage.
Control measures, including exclusion and "dig-barriers," for
these animals and many others can also be found on the Web site previously
mentioned. If you do not have Web access, call the DNR hotline and request
information.
(View images of pocket gophers, woodchucks and thirteen-lined ground squirrels
at http://www.entm.purdue.edu/wildlife/Wildlife%20Information.htm#Mammals.)
Q. My friend gave me a peony. It bloomed for her, but it hasn't ever bloomed
for me. Can you tell me what might be wrong? -- Thelma Waddle, Birdseye
, Ind.
A. Usually peonies do not bloom because they are planted too deeply. Cover
the uppermost buds (eyes) with only 1-2 inches of soil. If yours are too
deep, lift the plants in the fall or spring and reset them at the proper
depth. They may not bloom the year after resetting but should bloom in
following years.
Other possibilities include excess nitrogen fertilizer, which encourages
foliage growth at the expense of flower production, or insufficient sunlight.
Peonies require at least a half day of full sun.
Q. How come you never tell the people to use newspapers in the garden
to keep the weeds down? I never use plastic. I just save my newspaper,
and, when I plant my garden, I put the paper close to each plant and I
have no weeds. Over a year, the newspaper goes into the soil and makes
the soil loose. Also, it helps to retain the water so the soil doesn't
dry out so fast. I always have a nice garden, and I use what is at hand
instead of buying it at a store. -- Sylvia Jones, Shoals, Ind.
A. Mulches, including newspaper, have been suggested in this column before.
In extremely dry conditions, mulching can make the difference between
life and death for some plants. Mulching dramatically conserves water
that is otherwise lost through evaporation from the soil surface. Sites
that are exposed to heat, sun and wind dry rapidly, but even shady areas
benefit from mulch. Because the mulch prevents light from reaching the
soil surface, the ground stays cooler and most weed seeds will not be
able to germinate. A 2-4 inch layer of mulch should be sufficient to conserve
moisture and keep weeds controlled.
Many materials can serve as garden mulch, the most common being hardwood
bark, straw and rocks, but many other materials work just as well. A good
mulch is one that is clean of weed seeds, insects and other pests, easily
applied and economical.
Unwatered lawns don't generate many clippings in summer, but if you have
been watering, you could bag the clippings as you mow and spread them
in your garden. As long as the grass has not been treated with weed killers,
the clippings can make an excellent short-term mulch.
Other common materials that can be used include pine needles, sawdust
and newspaper. Sawdust, as well as some other organic mulches, may cause
a nitrogen deficiency in the soil. You may need to add a little extra
nitrogen fertilizer to the garden to offset nitrogen that is used by the
microorganisms in the soil as they break down the materials. Newspaper
can be used either shredded or in sheets, but be sure to weigh down the
paper if sheets are used.
Black plastic mulches also work well in combating weeds and conserving
soil moisture, but they cause the soil to heat up rather than cool. This
warming effect is a great advantage in spring to get a head start on the
season but is less desirable in hot, sunny weather. Most spring plantings
should have sufficient foliage cover to shade the plastic, but, if not,
a shallow layer of other mulch might be helpful in cooling the soil.
8-4-05
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