Posts Tagged ‘squirrels’
Peppers- Picking
Q: I am a novice gardener. This year I planted a red bell pepper plant in the spring and I now have three large green peppers. Do I keep them on the vine until they turn red or do I...
Magnolia- Seed pods
Q: Our magnolia tree has beautiful red seed pods on it. Can I plant them to make baby magnolias? A: Get started now before the squirrels beat you to it! First, pick the seeds out of the pod. Remove the...
Japanses maple – Seed pods
Q: I have seed pods on my laceleaf Japanese maple. How do I harvest and grow them? A: Unlike, say, bean seed, Japanese maple seed germinate sporadically over a two year period. Also unlike vegetable seed, maple seed require three...
Black walnuts – Planting
Q: While walking around our neighborhood a few weeks ago, I picked up several black walnut seeds. What’s the best way to plant them? A: Nuts can be planted an inch deep in a small sunny bed in fall. Cover...
Squirrels – Eating Tomatoes
Q: How can we keep squirrels from taking a bite out of green tomatoes? They take one bite and drop them on the ground, ruining a perfectly good tomato! We have tried various things but nothing works! A: I’ve heard...
Squirrel (Wild Animal) – Keeping as Pet
Q: I have a baby squirrel I found on the ground and have been feeding milk for several days. Can I legally keep it as a pet? A: No, you can not. Despite your kind-heartedness, the Georgia DNR has specific...
Maple – Mechanical Injury
Q: I found a full looking Legacy sugar maple at a local nursery. Now that it’s in the ground I started noticing these canker looking things on some of the branches. The cankers are always on the outside of the...
Camellia – Damaged By Squirrels
Q: My thirty-year-old sassanqua camellias are being murdered branch by branch. Something chews the bark off in rings and either kills them or allows fungus to kill them. What can I do? A: You’re seeing squirrel damage. I sometimes see...
Squirrel – Damage to Bird Feeder
Q: Two of my bird feeders have been destroyed. I thought they were squirrel proof. Can a squirrel do this type of damage or could it be a deer? A: Definitely squirrel damage. They will chew through anything plastic near...
Squirrels – Getting them Off of the Deck
Q: Squirrels are eating our deck boards and gnawing on the HardiePlank siding. What can we do to stop this? A: When I was three, my mother applied a bitter liquid to my thumbs to remind me not to suck...
Bluebird Houses – Deterring Squirrels
Q: I need to give my bluebird houses a good fall cleaning. Squirrels have chewed enormous holes in them. What can I do to deter them? A: One idea is to install a metal predator guard plate over the hole...
Tulips From Amsterdam – Survival
Q: I have recently returned from a trip to Amsterdam, where I ordered tulips. Will they do well here? A: I’m sure they will bloom well next spring as long as you keep the squirrels from digging them up. Unfortunately,...
Squirrel – Feeding at Hummingbird Feeder
Q: I guess the squirrels needed to have a drink to wash down the seeds from my bird feeders. Now, they are tipping the hummingbird feeders and drinking them. They pop the “yellow” flowers out of one feeder and tilt....
Squirrels – Droppings
Q: I have been feeding squirrels in my backyard for over fifteen years but I have never seen squirrel droppings. Please note that I do NOT spend a lot of time looking for them! Do they bury the droppings? A:...
Horsetail – Control
Q: I want you to discuss horsetail. I bought some at a garden shop several years ago and made the mistake of planting in the open ground. No one warned me that it is invasive. I’ll never make that mistake...
Bulbs – Protection from Squirrels
Q: I’m on a big gardening kick this year and I want to plants lots of bulbs. People tell me that squirrels will dig them up if I don’t protect them the first year. How should I do this? A:...
