Playing with garlic

Posted by Gail Johnson on February 16, 2011 at 7:01am

I planted some organic garlic cloves in one section of my raised bed garden.  Something is digging them up during the night.  The cloves are in tact with the sprouts on the top and the roots on the bottom just laying on top of the soil.  I covered the area with screen and it is still happening (which means it's something small getting to them).  I thought it was birds but now don't have a clue. 

 

I live north of Carefree Hwy and it's been a learning experience this year to not feed the desert critters from my garden.  Birds took most of my cherry tomatoes.  So far nothing likes my romaine, except my family. Yeah.

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Replies

  • Gail Johnson February 16, 2011 at 8:37am
    Good info.  I wonder if planting them around cactus, like indian ears, will keep them off. The desert pack rats get water from my cactus and it just grosses me out when I see them at night.
    • Denise Lindow > Gail Johnson February 22, 2011 at 9:04am

      we have them in our attic at the Cornville house...ugh.  Makes me think seriously about burning down the house...

      Denise

       

    • Richard Sidy > Denise Lindow February 22, 2011 at 1:50pm

      Get a nice pussy cat. That's the organic way to solve the rat problem! (Don't spoil your cat - it can survive outdoors all year long.)

       

      R

    • Denise Lindow > Richard Sidy February 22, 2011 at 2:00pm

      I have four lazy rascals and rascalettes... they condoned to play with a few mice, then got bored.

      In their defense, these four are pets, not working animals. I was actually thinking of rescuing some ferals from the Verde Valley area and transplanting them to our barn.  Ideally, I want a mother and a few daughters (spayed, of course) since they'll hunt like a pride.

      Thanks for the information!  It's greatly appreciated.

  • kay wunderlich February 16, 2011 at 7:51am
    I had the same thing happen in my bucket garden. Both my onions and garlic uprooted, taken out of the garden bags but not taken or eaten. I saw a desert squirrel, I call them "pack rats"as they are known to drag cholla balls and canes to build their nests, around our property. I think it was the culprit. The good news for me anyway was that after a few nights and a few different testing of different garden bags, it stopped. I now make sure I plant onions or garlic on all my perimeters.
    • Denise Lindow > kay wunderlich February 16, 2011 at 7:55am

      This is good information for me, Kay.  I'm about to start a garden up at our property in Cornville and we have tons of gophers and packrats.  So, they dug up the bulbs, but found they didn't like the smell and left them, which is why you're using them as perimeters? 

      Denise

    • Richard Sidy > Denise Lindow February 21, 2011 at 7:02pm

      Denise,

       

      Gophers can't resist garlic! I use garlic chives as bait when I set a Mcabee gopher trap in a tunnel at my place in Sedona and it works like a charm. Did anyone in this discussion consider skunks? They are always digging, looking for grubs, worms and insects. They wont eat garlic or other plants because they are not really herbivores. They are really destructive diggers.

       

      Richard

    • Denise Lindow > Richard Sidy February 22, 2011 at 9:07am

      Richard!  How great to hear from someone in my (almost) new area!  I've been dying to know when to plant what and the Yavapai Extension office isn't anywhere as sophisticated as the Maricopa Cty Extension.  So, what is a Mcabee gopher trap?  We were considering training ferrets to eat the suckers.  We actually have a Blue Heron who hunts the field, standing patiently over the gopher hole, waiting, then swallowing the unfortunate gopher whole.  Very interesting to observe. 

      Denise

    • Richard Sidy > Denise Lindow February 22, 2011 at 1:47pm

      Here is info on the Macabee Gopher Trap: http://gophertrapping.com/

      Also attaching info on planting from Master Gardeners. The U of A website has great resources for all Arizona elevations.

      N. Scottsdale to Cave Creek is 2000 - 3000 feet so you would need the chart that comes before this one. Sorry I don't have the link with me since I am away and using a portable computer. Can send it later.

       

      Veg Planting YavCo:month.doc

      Macabee Goper Trap - reliable and effective gopher trapping
      The Macabee is the best known and most successful gopher trap in existence. Amateurs and professionals alike experience total satisfaction with the…
    • Denise Lindow > Richard Sidy February 22, 2011 at 2:04pm

      Actually, that one's perfect, since our house is at 3600 ft. elevation.  Thanks!

      Denise

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