patandchickens
Deeply Rooted
As I have already whined about on another thread, I seem to be suffering from a bad case of hungry rabbits. Well okay probably just one hungry rabbit but boy is it hungry (we now have about 14" of snow on the ground plus drifts, and no, that is not normal for this area this time of year!).
It has reduced an Aronia chokeberry bush, of which I was extra fond because it's the first thing I planted when we moved here and because it's the first thing I see when I look out the bedroom window in the morning, to not much more than a cluster of gnawed-off stubs. Made a good start on several bridlewreath spireas, a buttonbush, and probably other things possibly including our young apple trees (haven't been out to look, as we just got back in town yesterday).
We do not normally have rabbits on our property, on account of an oversupply of coyotes, hawks, feral cats, speeding gravel trucks, etcetera. So I am entirely unprepared.
What the heck am I supposed to do to keep this rabbit from girdling or chopping down every small woody plant in the yard? With my luck I bet Mother Nature won't catch up with the darn critter til it's levelled everything. Do I cage at-risk plants, and if so, with what size mesh and how high? And what about things that are too spreading and arching to be able to cage, e.g. our other bridlewreath spireas. Short of measures requiring ammunition, is there anything else that you folks have found that helps?
Aaargh,
Pat
It has reduced an Aronia chokeberry bush, of which I was extra fond because it's the first thing I planted when we moved here and because it's the first thing I see when I look out the bedroom window in the morning, to not much more than a cluster of gnawed-off stubs. Made a good start on several bridlewreath spireas, a buttonbush, and probably other things possibly including our young apple trees (haven't been out to look, as we just got back in town yesterday).
We do not normally have rabbits on our property, on account of an oversupply of coyotes, hawks, feral cats, speeding gravel trucks, etcetera. So I am entirely unprepared.
What the heck am I supposed to do to keep this rabbit from girdling or chopping down every small woody plant in the yard? With my luck I bet Mother Nature won't catch up with the darn critter til it's levelled everything. Do I cage at-risk plants, and if so, with what size mesh and how high? And what about things that are too spreading and arching to be able to cage, e.g. our other bridlewreath spireas. Short of measures requiring ammunition, is there anything else that you folks have found that helps?
Aaargh,
Pat
they came back. I really need to get another doggie......
