I had 2 Chinook rhizomes planted in the ground, each had some 3" shoots growing, and this morning when I checked it both plants had been dug up. I couldn't look for very long, but one rhizome appears to be completely missing. The other (stronger shooted) rhizome appears intact, but the ground has been dug up around it. It looked recent (I'll take a pic soon), and it seems like a fairly large animal dug it up. Maybe a dog? The damage looks a bit large for a mole. Maybe a groundhog? Anyway, I'm buying more fence to go higher around it today, and maybe a ghillie suit & some shotgun shells. Needless to say, I am f***ing pissed.
Something ATE IT >=(
- Thread starter foonder
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Trencher
Well-Known Member
Sounds like a rabbit. Go grab the pellet gun!
cheezydemon
Well-Known Member
Some of mine have been nibbled too.
Kill and eat that sucker!!
Reminds me to move my hops. They are right next to the bird feeders, right where the rabbits were eating 2 days ago!!
Reminds me to move my hops. They are right next to the bird feeders, right where the rabbits were eating 2 days ago!!
BarleyWater
Well-Known Member
Homercidal said:
Sunflower seeds actually contain a chemical that acts as an herbacide. This is so that when the seed begins to sprout, all other plants around have their growth retarded or terminated. Sunflowers don't like any other plants in their way, so they poison them. If there are any sunflower seeds in that bird feeder, you may want to change to a feed with no sunflower seeds, or move them apart from each other.
My hops weren't exactly nibbled, the entire rhizome was removed. Here are some pics of the area:
This is what the damage looks like:
This is my new defense, fencing almost twice as high, a circular cage around the hop shoot, and I've still got about 20' of fencing to beef up this place
You might be able to get a better idea of what the damage looks like from this side pic:
Something completely removed it. It's quite strange. I zoomed over to my LHBS and bought me another Chinook rhizome, which is in a new pot as I write this. If anything happens to these hops, I'm planting land mines and claymores.
EDIT: for anyone who cares, that's a glass of Captain Lawrence's DIPA (in a Captain Lawrence pint glass) straight from a growler from the brewery. It's quite delicious.
This is what the damage looks like:
This is my new defense, fencing almost twice as high, a circular cage around the hop shoot, and I've still got about 20' of fencing to beef up this place
You might be able to get a better idea of what the damage looks like from this side pic:
Something completely removed it. It's quite strange. I zoomed over to my LHBS and bought me another Chinook rhizome, which is in a new pot as I write this. If anything happens to these hops, I'm planting land mines and claymores.
EDIT: for anyone who cares, that's a glass of Captain Lawrence's DIPA (in a Captain Lawrence pint glass) straight from a growler from the brewery. It's quite delicious.
mr x
Well-Known Member
Skunks are notorious for digging up plants. Especially if you have any kind of fragrant organic compost in there.
If you check out your local gardening center, you may find products that will repel animals. Non lead based products lol
If you check out your local gardening center, you may find products that will repel animals. Non lead based products lol
Doxology said:
Long Live The Thunderdome!!!! LOL!!!!:rockin:
But on a real note...sorry for your loss bro!! This one will be better & stronger!
Doxology said:
You joke, a good friend of mine already suggested that and I was considering it...If I post another picture of my hop garden with a bunch of charred dead animals around the fence, you'll know I did it. The Thunderdome fence structures I have should keep skunks & other bastard animals out, right?
Whoa whoa whoa!! I'm not suggesting turning the Thunderdome into a giant mammal zapper; just something that will give a little shock to deter (think along the lines of the shock a dog gets from those invisible fences)...
Although, it is kinda funny to think of sitting out on the porch with cold one and a friend on those hot, hot summer nights:
*Zaaaap!
"What do you think that was, a squirrel?"
"Nah, must have been a raccoon by the sound of that"
by the way, that chinook headstone had me seriously cracking up.
Although, it is kinda funny to think of sitting out on the porch with cold one and a friend on those hot, hot summer nights:
*Zaaaap!
"What do you think that was, a squirrel?"
"Nah, must have been a raccoon by the sound of that"
by the way, that chinook headstone had me seriously cracking up.
Doxology said:
I'm glad Someone's laughing about it
I'm not in a 'deter the animal' kind of mindset now. I might've wanted to deter them before. Now I'm out for blood. By the time I finish my improvements I should be safe. There's about 2' of wall and 2' of cage around the hop shoots themselves. I might make the ends on the top sharp so anything getting in will have trouble getting out. I'm not taking any chances now. Bastard plant eaters.
EvilTOJ
Well-Known Member
Foonder, what you need to do next is to dig some holes, and get some C4 and shape the charges into little burrowing animals....
ScubaSteve
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I'm all about the machine gun tower. Or, maybe you could set up a nice blind and use a bow and arrow Ted Nugent style....
foonder said:Where would a grounds keeper even Get C4???
From back in 'Nam!
Hey, go git Urself a "hav-a-hart" live animal trap. Set it up by the garden with some bait, so you can catch the little critter alive. Then you can spend hours torturing it before you kill it.
ilikestuff said:
I didnt' know that. I'll have to move them. I forgot again last night. But, then I thought the rabbits would probalby rather eat the corn and seed before considering my hops.
The Soft Underbelly
Well-Known Member
EvilTOJ said:
Any body else picturing Bill Murry in "Caddyshack"?
My old man puts moth balls in and around the garden. If i recall correctly the bitter taste drives off squirrels, rabbits and other various yard rats. He' also has his own thunderdoming as well though, but i believe between the two of them he gets good results.
Also....curse you people from warmer climates. I only have one of 4 rhizomes that has even broken the surface.... I'll show y'all come summer I will....gosh dangit
ddroukas
Well-Known Member
Essen Hassenpfeffer meine Hops?
It's like a rabbit farm threwup in my backyard--they're everywhere. Are they notorious hop munchers?
It's like a rabbit farm threwup in my backyard--they're everywhere. Are they notorious hop munchers?
The Soft Underbelly said:
That was the joke...
And my climate isn't that warm, we had an (albeit unexpected) frost this morning. I'm sure the tough ass chinook plant outside will be fine. Speaking of which...
REVENGE!!! I wish...I don't even Have a bow and arrow.
7Enigma
Well-Known Member
How common is this (animals eating the hops)? I have quite a few squirrels, we know there is a skunk somewhere (we can smell him occassionally), and I've seen a few rabbits as well. I did not plan on caging the area, but wonder if I should, even for a little while until it gets going?
Philip1993
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mr x said:
Read the label of any animal repellent very carefully! I sell several in my online store, and none are safe for use on/around food crops. Avoid MNK (Methyl Nonyl Ketone) products as they are not food safe and have a very short useful life.
If it were me, I would go for the electric fence first. A few stakes, some fence wire, and a charger is all you need. If an electric fence is not an option, consider an ultrasonic device like the CatStop or a motion sensitive sprinkler like the ScareCrow. The problem with the last two in your application is that not all animals will hear the ultrasonic, and non-skittish animals (like a raccoon) won't even care about the sprinkler.
mr x
Well-Known Member
I dunno, looks like a lot of damage for some little critter, and the entire missing rhizome is a little suspicious.
Any of your neighbors build a trellis lately?
Any of your neighbors build a trellis lately?
fins2rit
Well-Known Member
EDIT: for anyone who cares, that's a glass of Captain Lawrence's DIPA (in a Captain Lawrence pint glass) straight from a growler from the brewery. It's quite delicious.[/QUOTE]
"Captain Lawrence" captains reserve double IPA how nice.. I frequent that brewery often.
Can not pass up the free tasting that Scott gives out. The beer is excellent and he always has the dead playing...
Where about are you located? I'm up in Poughquag in duchess and have 12 hop plants that are starting to pop their little beautiful heads out to see the sun...
This is what I have in the ground
5 cascade
2 centennial
2 chinook
1 mt hood
2 willamette
"Captain Lawrence" captains reserve double IPA how nice.. I frequent that brewery often.
Can not pass up the free tasting that Scott gives out. The beer is excellent and he always has the dead playing...
Where about are you located? I'm up in Poughquag in duchess and have 12 hop plants that are starting to pop their little beautiful heads out to see the sun...
This is what I have in the ground
5 cascade
2 centennial
2 chinook
1 mt hood
2 willamette
Oakwoodforge
Well-Known Member
Garlic powder and HOT Thai chili powder or high BTU cayenne pepper powder keeps almost everything away. I Buy it in bulk from the local "health food" store , if you open the jar and your eyes immediately water and your throat closes / you start coughing thats the stuff you want. I live in the woods and have deer / rabbits, coons in the yard all the time, they leave alone anything that I treat with my garlic & chili mix, everything else they mow to the ground.
:cross:
Jens
:cross:
Jens
RICLARK
Well-Known Member
I don't know anything about growing hops. However would Marigolds work to keep the critters out? I know rabbits and squirrel hate to be near them from when My mom was a gardner.
I had the same problem .. i was irate when i saw my rhizomes dug up and laying in the middle of my yard... but i know the culprit... those stupid effing squirles. My advice is to buy a pellet gun and eat them.
fins2rit said:
I live in Danbury CT, and Scott is pretty awesome. He is highschool friends with the manager at the restaurant I work at, which is how I met him. I think his higher up beers are far better than his normal ones (DIPA vs Pale Ale for instance, DIPA is a supreme beer while the Pale Ale is just...good). I'm actually having another pint of the DIPA as I type this.
I hope it's not a squirrel. The damage looked a bit big for a squirrel to have done it, unless it was like the mothra of squirrels. If it is a squirrel, I'm in deep ****. Squirrels would just laugh as they climb up and into my caged in thunderdome hop area. =/Mirilis said:
The soil around the hole was very light & fluffy, leading me to believe it was done by paws and not hands, or a shovel. I am also unaware of any other homebrewers on the block, and I'm fairly certain my house has the most firearms, so I don't think anybody would want to come creeping into my hop garden. You never know though...I may have to get that ghillie suit after all.Bike N Brew said:I dunno, looks like a lot of damage for some little critter, and the entire missing rhizome is a little suspicious.
Any of your neighbors build a trellis lately?
EDIT: Yes, I am the multiquote master.
mr x
Well-Known Member
Have you seen the squirrels? It's been my experience that when a plant has been freshly dug up and chucked to the side, it's always a skunk.Mirilis said:
foonder said:
I just came here to say 2 things...
1) sorry about your dug-up chinook; that hurts to see that void there. I even discussed your trellis idea with a coworker who came up with a similiar idea without reading HBT! You're getting another rhizome though, so here's to hoping that one flourishes.
2) i'm from the philly suburbs and had never heard of captain lawrence brewery...then I heard my girlfriend's pal (the gf is from Redding, CT) that we're visiting lives next door to "a guy who just started a small brewery"...we get to the girl's house, and sure enough, its on Captain Lawrence Drive...
- visited the brewery later that night and bought a 750ml of Xtra Gold (an "aggressively hopped Belgian")...have high hopes for it but am still aging it in the closet...Oakwoodforge
Well-Known Member
JeffNYC said:
No Jeff I Just dust the edges of my garden area & plants with the hot chili powder mix after every good rain storm. The critters around here aren't too stupid, after a hit or 2 of the pepper they pretty much leave everything alone. Never had any real bad bug problems in the gardens either.
Jens
Surrounding the area with dog hair works exceptionally well. You may laugh at this idea, but go down to your local dog groomer and ask for a big trash bag full of dog hair clippings and scatter the hair around your garden. The smell of predators scares most critters off. If you can specify get the hair of the un neutered males, aparently it is the most pungent.
kinison_fan
Well-Known Member
Bike N Brew said:I dunno, looks like a lot of damage for some little critter, and the entire missing rhizome is a little suspicious.
Any of your neighbors build a trellis lately?
I saw the picture of the hole and thought the same thing-human rodent!
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