This time of the year, we are busily cleaning up flower beds and garden plots and our plants start shooting up, we need to think about keeping the plants safe from "predators". Deer, rabbits and rodents like to eat them and dogs and cats like to sit on the tender developing plants or dig them up. There are quite a variety of animal repellents on the market. Some are based on an unpleasant taste and some on an unpleasant or feared smell.
Skoot is one type of animal deterrent product you will see on garden section shelves. Read the label carefully! Unlike the Green Earth Animal Repellent, that I mentioned in my last blog post, this one is poisonous! In my haste to get something, anything, to use to deter the porcupines that were regular visitors to our yard this past winter, I missed the skull and cross bones logo on it.
It wouldn't have worked this winter anyway, as I also missed the part about only using it if the temperature was NOT below 4C. Have you seen very many prairie winter days where that's a realistic temperature? There's so much fine print on the container, some of it in bold letters, but no where does it say anything about "not using it on a windy day" nor does it recommend wearing gloves or long sleeves. This morning I was considering applying Skoot to my nibbled daffodils, but carefully read the whole long label (this time!)
"Because of unpleasant side effects, alcoholic beverages should be avoided for 24 hours before or after using Skoot". That's a direct quote from the label! What??!!? That got my attention! I had that glass of wine last night... what would happen?
I called the 1-800 number on the label and I was taken aback by the company's out going phone message: "If this is a medical emergency for either a human or a pet, press 1. For any other concerns press 2." ( I'm dead serious! OMG! ) I left a message along with my phone number.
A few hours later I got a call back and was given some interesting information by a very pleasant woman: inhaling the fumes of the chemicals in Skoot could enhance the effects of alcohol in the users system! Wow!
Not only that, although it is on store shelves right now along with all the other spring gardening products, it should NOT be used on growing plants at all! (Dormant only!)
I have decided that Skoot is not for me! Sounds far too dangerous!
What is also strange, the harmless "Green Earth Animal Deterrent" made from black pepper oil is made by the same company as Skoot! Go figure!
Maybe I will stick to the messy mixing of "Plantskydd". Plantskydd is a blood based product that people can't smell but animals do so they stay away from the plants. ( But after you mix the powder with water, don't keep it any longer than the label recommends or it DOES start to smell bad to humans, too!) Plantskydd works for up to 6 months and doesn't wash away with the rain or heavy watering as many other products do... It worked well last year to deter the wild animal munchers wandering through our acreage, so why mess with success?!
Showing posts with label Plantskydd. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Plantskydd. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Where Oh Where are you, Spring???
Where oh where has our spring gone; where, oh, where could it be? With the sun so warm and the days just right, and no more snow anywhere in sight, we long for you with our hearts delight; Oh please will you come back to me! :D
We got more snow on Thursday (April 14) and Saturday (April 16), but now I think it's supposed to be warm for the next 8 days, sunny and plus temperatures during the daytime... Okay call me a skeptic, I will put away my winter boots and snow pants when I see it! LOL!
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| Tulips sprouting at east side of the house |
On the positive side, my tulips are up about 3 inches in the bed at the side of the house, and so are the bearded irises and my oriental poppy; (all next to the house.)
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| Oriental Poppy |
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| Bearded irises making an appearance |
My flower beds down in the middle of the yard are still covered in snow! It'll be a while before anything starts happening there!
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| Middle of yard flower bed |
I also planted some flower seeds; Red Durango marigolds, calendulas, bachelor buttons, perennial poppies and some hollyhocks. The bachelor buttons and the marigolds are showing signs of greenery.
My Firebird dahlia (which I planted from a tuber on March 28) is so huge now that I have to keep cutting it back! The 2 red cactus dahlias which are 6 years old that I had brought with me from northern Manitoba, just sprouted in their pots 2 days ago. So far, no sign of life in the canna lily pots... Canna tubers are tricky to over winter. They need to be kept moist, but not too much or they will rot. I'm afraid that my 2 canna tubers might have dried out...
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| Soon it will be time to put the goldfish back out into the pond |
The snow is melting quickly by the pond. Soon it will be time to clean it out for another season and put the goldfish back into their summer home.
Happy Easter!
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Juniper Wreath Creations and Porcupine invasions
Not much happening in the gardening department anymore... A bit more clean up, that's about it.
We vigorously clipped our huge juniper bush as it has grown so large, it was making it difficult to walk down the steps beside the rock garden. What to do with the multitude of clipped branches?
I found my wire wreath frame in the shed and got out the horticultural wire, then proceeded to wire some of the branches to the frame. I have discovered the hard way that I need to wear gloves for this procedure. In the past I had come away with an itchy rash on both wrists where the juniper branches have touched my skin. I had no idea until then that I was allergic to the resin in the juniper branches. But they make such a beautiful wreath that I can't stop using them.
Some of the branches have beautiful small blue berries on them so I tried to use as many of those as I could... ( I have no idea if the berries are edible by any sort of wildlife, bird, mammal or insect. They look very attractive, if nothing else.) I also tied 3 branches together in sort of a Juniper bough and will put a Christmas ribbon around one end, then hang it on one of the posts of the deck. Next I have to sort out the wreath decorations and put some of them on the juniper wreath, and then it will be ready to hang up by the front door.
I googled 'Juniper berries' and discovered that Juniper Berries are used in Northern Europe and the United States in marinades, roast pork, and sauerkraut. They are used to enhance meat, stuffings, sausages, stews, and soups. Who knew!
We recently had a young porcupine wandering through our yard again. I had surprised it on the deck a few nights before, when I went to let the dog out. It was lurking around the dog's water bowl next to the pump, but made a quick exit, 'stage left' when it heard me. The dog was curious at the time, but stayed a safe distance away from it.
A few days later the porcupine was back and this time the dog herded it up towards the deck, right by the Juniper shrub. I was surprised to see a small porcupine standing motionless with its nose touching the bottom of deck railing and it's little tail towards the dog's direction, right near where I was standing! It had hardly any quills on it's back, only what appeared to be long bushy looking hair, but it did have 6 or 8 short little quills on its tail.
I read recently that porcupines don't 'shoot' their quills, but rather whack the offending predator with their tail, impaling them with the quills. Then it takes 10 days to 3 months for the quills to grow back.
I quickly called the dog and brought her in the house! She has been zapped by porcupines twice already, once the first fall we were here and then again the very next spring, resulting in 34 quills embedded in her chest and legs the first time and 52 in her muzzle, neck, legs and chest the second time. My husband and I yanked them out with pliers both times, he wielding the pliers and I sitting next to the dog and with my arms wrapped around her to hold her still and give her needed sympathy. Luckily none of them resulted in any infection, but I'm sure the dog was in some pain and discomfort both times. Since then she has learned to keep her distance from porcupines, even when they invade our yard, her territory. Smart dog!
Now I'm starting to wonder if the porcupine is residing under our deck! That would certainly explain the chewed off bark on my plum trees! (And does it eat Juniper berries?!) I did spray the plum branches generously after that with an animal repellent just in case. So far we have had no precipitation to wash the spray off, but that should be happening in the next few days according to our weather forecast. I guess that means I will have to get out the Plantskydd powder once more and mix up another batch to spray on the trees and shrubs.
Plantskydd is supposed to work for at least 3 months no matter what the weather. I'd better spray my 3 little spruce trees behind the house as well. I noticed that something has been nibbling on them and I suspect it's the deer. We did put some wire fencing around them, but we ran short and one of the tiny spruces is still quite exposed.
I know if I tell people about porcupines in the yard, they usually say something like, "You should get a 22 and shoot it. Porcupines are a nuisance."
I don't understand that kind of thinking. I could never do that. We bought this place out here at the lake because of the wilderness around here. So how can a person complain if you have exactly what you paid for right outside your door?! I noticed today that it is leaving the plum trees alone (for now, anyway) and is eating the bark off some of the wild saskatoon and chokecherry saplings nearby. And as long as the dog and the cats aren't in danger, I'm going to let it be.
We vigorously clipped our huge juniper bush as it has grown so large, it was making it difficult to walk down the steps beside the rock garden. What to do with the multitude of clipped branches?
I found my wire wreath frame in the shed and got out the horticultural wire, then proceeded to wire some of the branches to the frame. I have discovered the hard way that I need to wear gloves for this procedure. In the past I had come away with an itchy rash on both wrists where the juniper branches have touched my skin. I had no idea until then that I was allergic to the resin in the juniper branches. But they make such a beautiful wreath that I can't stop using them.
Some of the branches have beautiful small blue berries on them so I tried to use as many of those as I could... ( I have no idea if the berries are edible by any sort of wildlife, bird, mammal or insect. They look very attractive, if nothing else.) I also tied 3 branches together in sort of a Juniper bough and will put a Christmas ribbon around one end, then hang it on one of the posts of the deck. Next I have to sort out the wreath decorations and put some of them on the juniper wreath, and then it will be ready to hang up by the front door.
I googled 'Juniper berries' and discovered that Juniper Berries are used in Northern Europe and the United States in marinades, roast pork, and sauerkraut. They are used to enhance meat, stuffings, sausages, stews, and soups. Who knew!
We recently had a young porcupine wandering through our yard again. I had surprised it on the deck a few nights before, when I went to let the dog out. It was lurking around the dog's water bowl next to the pump, but made a quick exit, 'stage left' when it heard me. The dog was curious at the time, but stayed a safe distance away from it.
A few days later the porcupine was back and this time the dog herded it up towards the deck, right by the Juniper shrub. I was surprised to see a small porcupine standing motionless with its nose touching the bottom of deck railing and it's little tail towards the dog's direction, right near where I was standing! It had hardly any quills on it's back, only what appeared to be long bushy looking hair, but it did have 6 or 8 short little quills on its tail.
I read recently that porcupines don't 'shoot' their quills, but rather whack the offending predator with their tail, impaling them with the quills. Then it takes 10 days to 3 months for the quills to grow back.
I quickly called the dog and brought her in the house! She has been zapped by porcupines twice already, once the first fall we were here and then again the very next spring, resulting in 34 quills embedded in her chest and legs the first time and 52 in her muzzle, neck, legs and chest the second time. My husband and I yanked them out with pliers both times, he wielding the pliers and I sitting next to the dog and with my arms wrapped around her to hold her still and give her needed sympathy. Luckily none of them resulted in any infection, but I'm sure the dog was in some pain and discomfort both times. Since then she has learned to keep her distance from porcupines, even when they invade our yard, her territory. Smart dog!
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| Even dried flowers and plants have a certain beauty! |
Now I'm starting to wonder if the porcupine is residing under our deck! That would certainly explain the chewed off bark on my plum trees! (And does it eat Juniper berries?!) I did spray the plum branches generously after that with an animal repellent just in case. So far we have had no precipitation to wash the spray off, but that should be happening in the next few days according to our weather forecast. I guess that means I will have to get out the Plantskydd powder once more and mix up another batch to spray on the trees and shrubs.
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| Dried 'bunny tails' ligularis Ovatis |
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| Harley, enjoying the sunshine |
Plantskydd is supposed to work for at least 3 months no matter what the weather. I'd better spray my 3 little spruce trees behind the house as well. I noticed that something has been nibbling on them and I suspect it's the deer. We did put some wire fencing around them, but we ran short and one of the tiny spruces is still quite exposed.
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| Lexy surveying her domain |
I know if I tell people about porcupines in the yard, they usually say something like, "You should get a 22 and shoot it. Porcupines are a nuisance."
I don't understand that kind of thinking. I could never do that. We bought this place out here at the lake because of the wilderness around here. So how can a person complain if you have exactly what you paid for right outside your door?! I noticed today that it is leaving the plum trees alone (for now, anyway) and is eating the bark off some of the wild saskatoon and chokecherry saplings nearby. And as long as the dog and the cats aren't in danger, I'm going to let it be.
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| Spirit |
(Another porcupine on the deck again a while ago. They are after the water in the dog's bowl over by the pump. It is mostly frozen, but partially melts during the day. It rained a bit this evening which may turn to snow over night. I suspect that once we have snow on the ground, the porcupines and other wild creatures would eat snow to get their fluids? Maybe I should remove the bowl anyway, just to deter them from coming around.... )
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