Has your once beautiful lawn been dug up by badgers? Hannah Stephenson investigates how to deter them

Walking up my garden a few weeks ago, I discovered great clumps missing from my lawn, and that the resulting holes had been used as some sort of animal toilet.

I live in a fairly rural area, and was soon told the likely culprits were badgers, territorial creatures which have no problem digging under fences to forage for food in my – and many other people’s – prized grass.

“They are the JCBs of the animal world, built for digging,” says Jack Reevey, media adviser of the charity Badger Trust (www.badger.org.uk). “It’s very difficult to deter them. If you try to fence them out, it would have to be a very strong chain link fence rather than chicken wire and you would have to dig it 2ft down because they can burrow under fences. The fence also needs to be higher than 3ft or they’ll climb over it.”

Pungent scents such as Olbas oil or citronella can deter them, he notes, but such scents will have to be re-applied regularly because they evaporate or rain simply removes them. If you are fertilising flower borders, avoid adding fish, blood and bone to them as its scent attracts them, along with the rich, loamy soil which is a haven for worms.

“Although badgers are timid creatures, light doesn’t particularly worry them and they get used to other distractions such as scarecrows or sonic devices,” he notes. “Noise doesn’t worry them either. I’ve heard of setts being made under train tracks and of one instance where a sett was found under the runway of an RAF airbase.”

If you have a particular patch of lawn where the badgers are feeding, you can place a piece of chicken wire on the offending area, pegging it down strongly, and let the grass grow through it. It should deter the badgers, who don’t like getting their claws caught in the wire mesh.

Lawns in good condition, particularly if they are well drained and free of moss, are also less likely to suffer, the Trust says.

The RHS advises replacing damaged turf by re-sowing with grass seed or laying turf in April. They add that improved aeration and drainage of a lawn will reduce the insect larvae burden too. Also the removal of moss and overhanging vegetation which both contribute to damp areas. Generally well drained and well aerated lawns are less attractive to insects as an egg laying site so less larvae result.

A badger’s diet consists of around 50% worms and the rest is made up of leatherjackets, which are larvae of the cranefly, chafer grubs and other insect larvae, the majority of which can be found in lawns and short grass.

In the vegetable patch, they love carrots but I’ve heard they don’t like parsnips or beetroot which you can plant to keep them away, and some gardeners put out peanuts (which they are fond of) in the hope it will distract them from more precious garden crops.

They will also eat flower bulbs, fruits and vegetables, and seasonal availability of these foods will often mean badger activity fluctuates with the time of year – my own badger problem tends to happen in winter and spring, with Reevey says is common.

With all this advice in mind, always seek advice before taking any action. Many badger conservation groups have a lot of experience in dealing with problems caused by badgers and your local group may be able to provide advice.

The weather is practically perfect for gardening enthusiasts in Lincoln county, however, the night-time temperatures are still cold enough to zap any prematurely planted vegetation unless proper precautions are taken.

Maria Lerma with Season’s nursery said it is still too soon to plant most plants due to risk of another hard freeze.

“Last year Ruidoso had a hard freeze on May 25th,” she said. “It is best to wait a few more weeks for most plants at least.”

Lerma said the only plants that can be planted right now and be OK are snapdragons, dianthus and pansies.

Jeanie Secor, with Zia Scapes Landscaping and Nursery, said right now is the best time to be starting seeds and amending, tilling and feeding the soil. Plants should be planted deep in the ground in case of more frost so they have a better chance of surviving. Secore recommends doing the following now.

Soil preparation

• Tilling

• Adding coco or peat moss to help hold in moisture.

• Adding earthworm castings to draw in necessary microbes and other worms, which helps keep soil healthy, turned and from getting packed in.

• Steer manure

Start seeds

• Start seeds; can use a seed starter kit

• Keep seeds near a light source

Protect plants

• Plants not ready to be planted can be put outside during the day but need to be brought in at night.

• Place a cut plastic jug over small plants or use plastic covering if left outside or already planted.

Drought conditions, lack of food and pure curiosity are shaping the local deer’s acquired tastes for plants that were once considered deer resistant.

“Deer resistant does not mean poisonous.” Secor said, “Deer are browsers and like to taste things. Deer also travel in herds, so when one tastes the rest of the herd take a taste as well.”

Secor said the using a deer repellent spray is the best option to keep deer away. Secore said repellent must be sprayed weekly, many repellents are made from natural sources and the smell of mint and peppers tend to deter the deer as well. Lerma said right now the deer are looking for water sources and food, which means they will consume what they need to just to survive. Lerma said there are still a few plants that are holding strong to their classification under “deer resistant.” These plants also are low-water plants meaning they require less water once established.

Deer resistant and low-water plants

• Marigolds (snnual)

Perennials

• Agastache

• DustyMiller

• Lamb’s ear

• Lavender

• Purple coneflower

• Shasta daisy

• Snapdragon

• Valerian — red

• Vinca

• Yarrow

Shrubs

• Apache plume

• Autumn sage

• Butterfly bush

• Barberry

• Cotoneaster

• Red yucca

• Russian sage

By Joshua Cohan

Chef Michael Symon. Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for Food Network SoBe Wine Food Festival

You know Chef Michael Symon as the co-host of ABC’s “The Chew.” But what you may not know on this Earth Day is that Symon comes from a long line of gardeners.

“My grandfather had his own garden, my father had his own garden, and I’ve had my own garden for over 20 years,” Symon said in an interview for a special edition of the ABC News Radio show “Perspective.”

“There’s something so soothing about digging in the dirt,” he said. “With the stress we all have in our day-to-day lives, there’s nothing better to me than going out in the morning with a cup of coffee and putzin’ around in my garden.”

Symon’s garden includes multiple varieties of heirloom tomatoes and chilies, eggplants and “every herb under the sun that you could fathom.”

Here are seven tips from Chef Symon that will have you gardening — and eating! — in no time:

Take a cue from the sun.
“You always need sun. The best sun is morning sun,” he said. “So when you’re planning on where to put your garden in your yard, stand outside and look where you’re getting the best morning sun. And that’s a very good place to start.”

Mix it up!
Never plant something in the same place two years in a row, Symon said. “Tomatoes take certain nutrients out of the soil that peppers may not, so you want to keep moving things around your garden. There are even parts of my garden that I leave dormant for a year or two to kind of rejuvenate the soil.”

Keep them close.
“Plants are like people. If you crowd them a little bit and they actually touch as they’re growing, they tend to grow better. You know, they’re happier. You need less water. You need less fertilizer.  And you could grow more in a compact space.”

Consider composting.
“We always keep a big compost at our house,” Symon said. “We’re using coffee grounds” and other things to create and maintain healthy soil.

Get to know Mother Nature.
“Understand what bugs eliminate other bugs,” he said. For instance, “If you have a lot of slugs (in your garden), let ladybugs in. They’re typically going to eliminate a good amount of those. Eliminate certain pests by adding other pests.”

Get the kids involved.
“It’ll make them less-picky eaters because they’ll always want to try to cook things that they’ve grown.”

Use your taste buds.
“Things that taste good together typically grow well together,” Symon said. “Next to my tomatoes will be basil or peppers or eggplant.”

Hear the full segment below:

* Note that some responses have been edited for brevity.

(Lander, Wyo.) – Are you anxious to get some color in your pots and beds? If the thought of spring storms has held you back, here’s good news: there are hardy flowers that can tolerate modest frost and snow!

Pansies, snapdragons, dianthus, nemesia and salvia can, if acclimated, survive temperatures dropping to 22 degrees. Have a handy means of covering them the first few nights outside if the forecast is for below freezing temperatures, or for any hefty spring storms that might lurk in our future. It is after all Wyoming, where spring temperatures can swing 50 degrees in less than 24 hours!

There are more annuals to fill out your pots or beds that aren’t quite as hardy, but do tolerate a light frost: petunias, bacopa, osteo’s, and million bells (a.k.a. callies or alohas). With this spread of plants, you can create combinations with a wide variety of colors, heights, textures, and growth patterns.

Want to add more color still? Geraniums can take a very light frost, so if you’re including those in your pots or beds, make sure you have an easy way to cover and protect them against spring’s crazy weather.

Plants to avoid until danger of frost has passed include heat and sun loving flowers like zinnias, marigolds, and moss roses. Hmm, it makes sense that full sun plants don’t do well with sub-freezing temperatures.

There’s no need to purchase new potting soil for your pots each year. Amend it with compost or manure, and add in a hefty dose of time-released fertilizer when you plant, and your plants will be healthy and happy. If the soil has dried out, dump it into a wheelbarrow, break up the clumps, slowly add water until all of the soil is moist. Another soil-saving tip is to place plastic bottles in the bottom to lessen he need for soil, and to make the pot lighter and easier to move. Roots of annuals on reach just a few inches deep, so no need to fill a 14” pot with soil. Yup, it’s odd for a garden center to tell you to not to buy stuff, but the truth is that soil can be reused for quite some time.

Now is a good time to trim back perennials. For ground hugging plants like sedum, meadow sage, perennial geraniums and the like, cut old flower stalks back to just above the new green growth. Thicker and woodier stalks will need to be snipped, while thinner stalks can be gently pulled by hand. Last year’s growth around irises and day lilies can also be cleaned up by hand.

Most perennials will show new growth by now, but not all. Plants like Russian sage are notorious late bloomers so wait a couple of weeks before cutting that back. When you do trim, cut back to green bud growth which could be as high as 8” on last year’s stalks. Decorative grasses are also cut 6-8” above the soil surface. Close cropping of grasses can kill the plant.

If you need one last bit of motivation to clean up the yard, Lander’s citywide clean up begins tomorrow! Pick up for north side will be Monday, April 21^st while south side pick up is Tuesday, April 22^nd. Items for pick up must be on the curb, properly prepared: tree limbs must be no longer than 4’ and bundled together no more than 1’ in diameter. All leaves and plant debris must be bagged. Pick up will take place between 7 am and 3 pm.

We at Sprouts love growing plants, and want to share our love of gardening with you. We hope that these tips help you learn, solve problems, and grow. Our intention is to address basic issues, and provide references for additional information.

You can expect a new tip from us each week on Buckrail.com! We don’t intend for the tips to be the end-all, be-all of the gardening world.

8591 Wyoming 789, Lander, WY 82520

(307) 332-3572.

 

 

What to do in the garden this week? Here are a few tips.

Don’t cultivate the soil until you can squeeze it in your fist and have it break apart easily when you open your hand. If it remains in a tight mud ball, the soil is too wet to work. Finish cleanup; fertilize shrubs, trees, and emerging bulb foliage; sow peas; apply a pre-emergent crabgrass control when yellow forsythia is in bloom, but don’t combine it with lawn seeds, or it will kill those, too. Corn gluten is the organic alternative for weed control.

Continue reading below

Q. I didn’t get a chance to plant bulbs last fall, but I notice a lot of stores, including supermarkets, are selling bulbs now. Are they to be planted now? Will they actually bloom this spring?

A. Familiar spring blooming bulbs such as tulips and daffodils are planted in the fall. The bulbs you see for sale now are different. They bloom in late summer and fall. They include cannas, dahlias, and gladiolus. They are not cold hardy and should be planted outdoors in late May. If you want to enjoy them next year, you have to dig up these bulbs in October and store them indoors for the winter. Lilies can be planted in either spring or fall. They are summer blooming and winter hardy and for sale now, too. Unfortunately they have a bad pest: the red lily leaf beetle. But if you want to try lily bulbs, plant them as soon as you buy them.

Q. I have two well established foundation rhododendron shrubs on the west side of my house. I noticed last weekend that many of the leaves — on one particularly — have “cuts” on them, it looks like someone took a pair of scissors and cut out pieces. I used Wilt-Pruf in the fall and the leaves look healthy with many, many buds. They are not brown, yellow, or wilted and I can see no sign of insects on the underside of the leaves. I also mulch my gardens. Any thoughts on the cause?

A. Your rhododendrons are probably under attack from black vine beetles. These half-inch-long, flightless insects eat notches in leaf edges at night and hide in leaf litter during the day. Their immature larvae live underground and eat rhody roots. They are resistant to insecticides, which instead kill their main natural predator, the ground beetle, so don’t spray. Instead, prune foliage so it does not touch the ground or bridge to other surfaces and place an unclimbable barrier (plastic coated with Tanglefoot, grease, or Teflon) on the main trunk to prevent adults climbing to feed on foliage. You could also introduce another of their predators, microscopic beneficial nematodes. You can find nematodes at Weston Nurseries in Hopkinton or online at www.biologicco.com. Follow the directions before release, including deeply watering the soil.

The Friends of the Madden Library and the Central Valley Water Awareness Committee will host “How to Make Your Garden Beautiful and Your Water Consumption Sensible During a Drought” on May 2 in the Henry Madden Library at Fresno State.

The event will be a prelude to the Water-Wise Plant event May 3 and will begin with a reception with appetizers and a beer and wine bar at 6 p.m.

The event is free and open to the public. The program begins at 6:45 p.m. Parking is free.

RSVP by April 30 to pawsforms.csufresno.edu/rsvp/reply with code LIBWATER. For more information, call Sharon Ramirez at (559) 278-5790 or sramirez@csufresno.edu.

The reporter can be reached at (559) 441-6679 or bvaccari@fresnobee.com.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) – Recent warmer temperatures mean many people are heading outside to plant flowers and vegetables.

Dave Huth, sales manager at Bennett’s Greenhouse in Lafayette, says after the long winter it’s a good idea to do some cleanup and pruning of plants. It’s also good to fertilize those dormant plants.

He says now is the time to plant lilies and pansies, shrubs and trees, and grass seed. Vegetables like beets, cauliflower, and cabbage can all be planted now, but he says it’s too early to start planting things like geraniums and tomato plants.

“People (have) been tired of the long cold winter. They’re interested in buying those kinds of things. It’s too early to plant the things that can’t take a frost,” said Huth.

While April showers may bring May flowers, Huth says it’s still important to help your plants out by turning on your sprinklers to supplement rainfall.

April 19, 2014

Etter’s Greenhouse: New owner ready with flowers, gardening tips

By ANNE ELGIN

Bluefield Daily Telegraph
The Bluefield Daily Telegraph

Sat Apr 19, 2014, 05:00 AM EDT

TAZEWELL, Va. —
The new owner of the former Buchanan Greenhouses in Tazewell County is hoping to carry on a tradition that has been in the community for more than 25 years.

Stewart Etter, 28, of Witten Valley in Tazewell, Va., has bought the Buchanan Greenhouses and is excited for what this spring holds.

“I am hoping to be able to put my own touch on the greenhouse this year,” Etter, a graduate of Mississippi State University with a degree in agriculture economics, said.

Etter changed the name to Etter’s Greenhouse when he bought the business from Mac Buchanan, who owned the greenhouse more than 25 years.

“He approached me about buying it and wanted to see it carried on,” Etter said. “It is nice to see young people in the community taking over businesses that have been in business for a long time. It’s like carrying on a tradition.”

Etter, who also owns and operates the Pisgah Pumpkin Patch, is excited to be expanding more into the agriculture business.

“I like agriculture in all forms,” Etter said.

All seven greenhouses at Etter’s Greenhouse are packed with a variety of flowers, trees and vegetables.

“I am interested in being able to help first-time gardeners as well the experienced gardeners,” Etter said. “I love seeing young people coming out and getting involved in growing their own gardens.”

Etter is knowledgeable about all types of plants and will be able to provide information on how, when and where to plant your flowers or gardens.

“I hope for a good season and I hope to be able to expand in the future,” Etter said. “I appreciate the support from the community and I am excited to be able to provide flowers and vegetables to everyone,” Etter said.

Etter’s Greenhouse is located at 214 West Pine St., Tazewell, Va.

Check them out on Facebook at Etter’s Greenhouse for hours and information about your gardening needs.

— Contact Anne Elgin at aelgin@bdtonline.com

Text Only

Copyright
2014
Bluefield Daily Telegraph, Bluefield, WV. All rights
reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast,
rewritten or redistributed.

0) { %

0) { %

0) { %

Feed the garden

Feed beds and borders with any good general fertiliser such as blood, fish and bone or another organic alternative. Sprinkle it on by hand all over the soil, applying it right underneath shrubs and round the base of climbers, perennials and clumps of bulbs. Trickle a line of fertiliser along the base of all your hedges – they’ll be feeling fairly starved after this winter and spring is the perfect time to feed them.

It’ll make them grow greener and stronger – which may mean a little more clipping than usual, but it’s worth it for the general improvement in condition and the “thickening-up” effect. In the kitchen garden, fruit trees, bushes and canes also benefit from a good start-of-the-season feed, so use the same general fertiliser for those too. But since they need extra potash to encourage flowering and fruiting, also give them sulphate of potash (at half an ounce per square yard). If they are growing in beds, sprinkle the feed evenly all over the surface of the soil. 

But where you have individual trees growing in a lawn, apply their feed in a circle, covering the area underneath their entire canopy of branches. This same “cocktail” is a good late-spring feed for clematis, which is a greedy plant and also appreciates extra potash. 

You could use the same mixture for roses if you want to keep costs down, but it’s worth using a special rose feed with added magnesium, which helps bring out the best in the flowers and toughens up the foliage. 

A specialist feed is also advisable for lime-hating plants such as rhododendrons and camellias – this contains the extra iron they need, and liquid formulations are available for plants grown in pots. If you grow fruit or all-year-round shrubs in containers, they’ll also be ready for a good feed. In this case, it’s best to use liquid tomato feed and apply as liberally as you would with a normal watering. 

If you really want to give plants a treat, on top of their normal April feed give them a dose of diluted liquid seaweed extract, which provides all sorts of trace elements. It’s an optional extra, but it makes the perfect start-of-the-season tonic to perk plants up after a bad winter. 

Handy tips:

Sit plant “cages” over floppy perennials and tie tall kinds such as delphiniums to stakes or canes for support. 

Clear out ivy, weeds and seedlings of sycamore or brambles etc from the base of hedges.

Don’t worry about the sudden flush of greenflies on fruit trees and roses – bluetits will soon clear them up, and any crinkling of leaves will soon grow out.

Clear netting from ponds to allow waterside plants to grow up without snagging.

Tie in the new growth of climbers.

Fully grown summer bedding plants often appear on sale in nurseries and garden centres several weeks before it’s safe to plant them out. Only buy them if you have suitable facilities to grow them undercover, where they are protected from cold nights and late frosts.