Posted by TotallyHomey on June 10, 2010, 3:38 pm
My wife says the neighbor is stealing her hollyhocks. She is probably
correct. The holes are clean, like from an English hand trowel, no
foot prints around them. What is left of her seedlings in a hole
2"wide by 3" deep. They were randomly planted amidst scattered other
species. My wife is not into symmetry. So... if they were stolen by
a human, the thief had to know exactly what the baby plant looks like.
I read somewhere that baby plants are eaten down by rabbits but they
do not dig holes. Red and gray squirrels eat bulbs .. not rooted
planted as best I can tell.
So .. it seems there is an 80% chance she is correct and maybe
there is a 20% chance squirrels are doing it, but do not leave digging
mounds and not tracks?
Posted by despen on June 10, 2010, 3:50 pm
> My wife says the neighbor is stealing her hollyhocks. She is probably
> correct.
Strange thing to steal.
> The holes are clean, like from an English hand trowel, no
> foot prints around them. What is left of her seedlings in a hole
> 2"wide by 3" deep. They were randomly planted amidst scattered other
> species. My wife is not into symmetry. So... if they were stolen by
> a human, the thief had to know exactly what the baby plant looks like.
> I read somewhere that baby plants are eaten down by rabbits but they
> do not dig holes. Red and gray squirrels eat bulbs .. not rooted
> planted as best I can tell.
Were they planted long? Perhaps a deer took a bite and the whole plant
came out? They wouldn't eat the root though.
> So .. it seems there is an 80% chance she is correct and maybe
> there is a 20% chance squirrels are doing it, but do not leave digging
> mounds and not tracks?
Is this a crazy neighbor? I'd only come up with 80% for a crazy
neighbor.
Posted by brooklyn1 on June 10, 2010, 4:28 pm
On Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:50:57 -0400, despen@verizon.net wrote:
>> My wife says the neighbor is stealing her hollyhocks. She is probably
>> correct.
>Strange thing to steal.
>> The holes are clean, like from an English hand trowel, no
>> foot prints around them. What is left of her seedlings in a hole
>> 2"wide by 3" deep. They were randomly planted amidst scattered other
>> species. My wife is not into symmetry. So... if they were stolen by
>> a human, the thief had to know exactly what the baby plant looks like.
>>
>> I read somewhere that baby plants are eaten down by rabbits but they
>> do not dig holes. Red and gray squirrels eat bulbs .. not rooted
>> planted as best I can tell.
There are many small critters that dig up plants exactly as you
described... anyone so paranoid to think a neighbor would go to such
lengths when they could buy their own packet of seeds for a few bucks
is in dire need of professional help.
Posted by Bill who putters on June 10, 2010, 4:56 pm
> On Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:50:57 -0400, despen@verizon.net wrote:
>
> >
> >> My wife says the neighbor is stealing her hollyhocks. She is probably
> >> correct.
> >
> >Strange thing to steal.
> >
> >> The holes are clean, like from an English hand trowel, no
> >> foot prints around them. What is left of her seedlings in a hole
> >> 2"wide by 3" deep. They were randomly planted amidst scattered other
> >> species. My wife is not into symmetry. So... if they were stolen by
> >> a human, the thief had to know exactly what the baby plant looks like.
> >>
> >> I read somewhere that baby plants are eaten down by rabbits but they
> >> do not dig holes. Red and gray squirrels eat bulbs .. not rooted
> >> planted as best I can tell.
>
> There are many small critters that dig up plants exactly as you
> described... anyone so paranoid to think a neighbor would go to such
> lengths when they could buy their own packet of seeds for a few bucks
> is in dire need of professional help.
I'd not bother getting professional help as gardening wins and losses
occur with everyone. Reseed and perhaps success. Consider some sort of
protection but even that can fail. I plant most plants or important
plants (Read costly) surrounded by gutter guard think 5 inch fence
still critters can climb over it and have. Two legged critters for
cheap plants I'd say na.
--
Bill S. Jersey USA zone 5 shade garden
What use one more wake up call?
http://ocg6.marine.usf.edu/~liu/Drifters/latest_roms.htm
Posted by brooklyn1 on June 10, 2010, 6:37 pm
On Thu, 10 Jun 2010 16:56:29 -0400, Bill who putters
>> On Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:50:57 -0400, despen@verizon.net wrote:
>>
>> >
>> >> My wife says the neighbor is stealing her hollyhocks. She is probably
>> >> correct.
>> >
>> >Strange thing to steal.
>> >
>> >> The holes are clean, like from an English hand trowel, no
>> >> foot prints around them. What is left of her seedlings in a hole
>> >> 2"wide by 3" deep. They were randomly planted amidst scattered other
>> >> species. My wife is not into symmetry. So... if they were stolen by
>> >> a human, the thief had to know exactly what the baby plant looks like.
>> >>
>> >> I read somewhere that baby plants are eaten down by rabbits but they
>> >> do not dig holes. Red and gray squirrels eat bulbs .. not rooted
>> >> planted as best I can tell.
>>
>> There are many small critters that dig up plants exactly as you
>> described... anyone so paranoid to think a neighbor would go to such
>> lengths when they could buy their own packet of seeds for a few bucks
>> is in dire need of professional help.
> I'd not bother getting professional help as gardening wins and losses
>occur with everyone.
You miss the point, has nought to do with gardening per se... has to
do with someone so paranoid they'd think a neighbor would go crawling
around on hands and knees in the middle of the night by the light of
the moon to nab a few very ordinary seedlings. Moles will suck
seedlings from underneath leaving a perfect round hole... this year
they stole most of my mammoth sunflower seedlings.. bluejays will dig
up freshly planted beans, peas, squash seeds. etc.
XML site map
> correct.