Wildlife damage recovery

Mike Rummerfield via pbs pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net
Sat, 11 Mar 2023 12:14:18 PST
Brian,
I would guess your Camassia will bloom this year, though with less vigor
(vigour) , as long as the emerging terminal flower buds have not been
nipped off.  The embryonic flower buds have already developed within the
bulb the season prior to blooming (late summer?, Autumn?, Winter? -not sure
of the exact timing) before they emerge in the current season.  It will
likely affect next year's bloom to a more or lesser extent as the grazing
will have cut down on the plant's ability to photosynthesize.

*Camassia leichtlinii* is native here in western Washington, USA, and can
be quite abundant in some areas, but it is still grazed at my place in a
rural location - some years cut to the ground repeatedly, some years just
nipped.  It is the aggravating, giant rats fickle deer doing the damage.
They will leave a plant (plants) untouched for ten years or more, and then
for some reason that is obscure to me, they will graze (feels more like
attack) the plant with relish, only to leave it untouched the next season.
- I can feel my blood pressure rising right now.

The only solution I've found that works reliably for me is fencing.  They
will spend their days looking for a way to get past or over the fencing,
but if the fencing is adequate and secure it prevents them from entering.
If there's a weakness anywhere in the fencing, they *will* find it.  This
doesn't count the times I have forgetfully left the gate open, which they
invariablY see as a sign - WELCOME! DELECTABLES HERE. COME IN!  (However, I
cannot vow for the literacy of the local deer.)
Fencing is the best and only solution I've found so far.

The only bulbs that have been left untouched (so far) in the open meadow
are Galanthus and Cyclamen (but then, the slugs go after those, especially
the blossoms).  Irids and the Scillas are also grazed, but to a much, much
lesser extent.  Crocus tommasinianus, though always grazed on, seem to
somehow survive (barely) year after year - ditto on slugs.

This is all based on my own amateur, personal experience.
Have no clue or experience with Badgers.

Chin up!  Cheers, and good luck.
Mike
Western Washington, USA
cool mediterranean, zn. 7


On Sat, Mar 11, 2023 at 10:04 AM Brian Whyer via pbs <
pbs@lists.pacificbulbsociety.net> wrote:

>
> Hi
> For 10+ years I have grown Camassia leichtlinii subsp. suksdorfii
> 'Electra' to the extent I was worried about the numbers. It doesn't seed
> but is a vigorous grower and my original single bulb from Avon Bulbs is
> now 2+ square meters of dense growth, after separating out a few years
> back and replanting. Last year I had a little spring damage on the new
> growth but hardly noticeable when they were in flower, this year nearly
> all the early growth has been eaten down to the ground/mulch. Deer
> (which we have) are not supposed to eat Camassia but a few nights back I
> happened to see a security light had been triggered during the night. I
> now know we have visits from Badgers too; nice to watch, BUT!. There is
> a well worn track along the hedge on the road side of our garden,
> outside the chain link fencing. Now i know why; but it is turning the
> corner we live on and coming in the open gateway presumably. Can't see
> any tunnels; yet.
>
> My question is will they recover enough to flower this year, assuming no
> more grazing? I have put plastic imitation chain link over them at
> present held up a bit by empty pots. Don't really want to fence that
> bed; but I could. Another plant in the same bed loses its flowers each
> year to grazing. (forget name; like evergreen grape hyacinth) Time to
> think about a secure garden ??
>
> Brian, SE UK Chilterns
>
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