Garden

[sue311]

I have a plant on my balcony. Yesterday when I looked outside there is dirt beside the container and a hole in the dirt. This is the 2nd time. Short of putting up a camera to record any ideas who is digging in plant and why. I saw a squirrel walk by once. I am not on the ground floor and there is a tree by the balcony. Thanks.

[FastDogWalker2]

I vote squirrel!  I have had that happen to potted plants.  It probably was burying a nut.

[ValuSkr]

It's a squirrel.  Probably burying a nut or acorn, or retrieving one it buried previously.

[Annabellethecat66]

Squirrels!  That’s an easy one!

Those @#$& varmits are constantly pulling my plants that are in planters all around my backyard railings totally out of the dirt and....throwing them onto the porch!

I used to think they were looking for the nuts they hid ( and some are).  

However, more likely they’re doing what those @#$& varmits do...that would be dig.

So we here in Va went through a few weeks without water, the dirt was dry...those things dug and dug.

I buy liquid hot pepper sauce and mix it into the soil.  It won’t kill them but it burns their face and eyes.

Just be very careful not to get it on the plant or roots as it will burn it.  

It won’t kill the squirrels but will irritate their face.  You can use it near your bird feeders too to keep the squirrels away.

Birds can’t smell or taste so it doesn’t bother them at all.

[HLP]

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@FastDogWalker2 wrote:

I vote squirrel!  I have had that happen to potted plants.  It probably was burying a nut.

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Or chipmunk, they can climb as high as a squirrel. We have corn on cob fixures on trees and they plant corn around in the neighborhood. We harvested 6 ears of Indian corn this Fall. Wait to see what comes up. I love looking around the neighborhood and seeing corn stalks coming up, and everyone lets them grow. As far as I can see I'm the only person in my immediate place that has corn feeders. 

[jlkz]

@sue311 

Try placing a fine mesh metal screen across the top of the pot....it will keep them from digging.

This works also if you are planting bulbs.  Place the grid over the bulbs and add the soil on top.  Enjoy the tulips and daffodils in spring.

[sue311]

@ValuSkr chances are it could be retrieving it as I mentioned this is the 2nd time I've seen dirt. I am going to look and see if there is a nut. Thanks everyone. This is all new to me (first time having a potted plant outside). 

[Jasmine19]

Squirrels are the reason I can't have nice things in my garden. They dig up everything and steal whatever they can carry.🐿

[PINKdogWOOD]

Squirrels - they do the same thing in our pots too, been hiding nuts for a couple of weeks now. You'd be surprised the heights they travel up into trees, roofs, tops of houses. They're great climbers and have nerves of steel.

[this is my nic]

Yes, squirrels!  I had a similar problem on my front porch, so I covered the top of the soil with pebbles and sea glass.  It fixed the problem!