Date: Tue, 26 May 1998 11:49:07 -0400 From: "Semanchuk, Phil J" <pjs20347@glaxowellcome.com> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg1792$foo@default> Subject: RE: Raccons
Chris,
I've lost a couple plants to something - squirrels, I think - digging in the
pots. I watched a pot of Sarracenia seedlings dwindle from a dozen down to
one as a result of the soil and plants disturbed over and over again,
sometimes on a daily basis. Last winter when I bedded my plants down
outside, I used some wire mesh fencing (flexible galvanized metal laid out
in a grid of 2x4 inch rectangles) that comes in 50 to 100 yard rolls at the
local hardware store to cover my plants. I weighted down the ends with
rocks. The result kept the larger mammals out but didn't block sun, rain or
air. It worked great and wasn't even too noticeable. Occasionally a bird
would hop in and dig around in the sphagnum, but that damage is more
cosmetic than anything.
For this growing season I moved my plants from several individual pots to
two large ones. I created an open-ended cylinder out of the same wire
fencing, dropped it over one of the pots and fastened it down so it couldn't
be knocked loose. The squirrels can't get in but I can fit my hand (barely!)
through the gaps in the fencing. It also supports the taller pitchers (S.
flava) from toppling over. The downside is that it looks ugly.
Hope this helps,
Philip
URL du Jour: http://www.indirect.com/www/bazza/cps/faq/faq.html
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Tue Jan 02 2001 - 17:31:32 PST