So my [url=https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=251618#251618]volunteer pumpkins[/url] were chugging along, all by themselves, and doing pretty well without any care or water.
Then on Sunday I decided to help them out a bit, so I watered them all. 9 out of 10 reacted like this:
[img]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3552590/HealthyPumpkin_w.jpg[/img]
That pumpkin looks like it grew a few inches the next day.
But this guy reacted like this:
[img]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3552590/SuddenPumpkinDeath_w.jpg[/img]
I've never seen anything like. If I dig it out, am I going to see a big gopher tunnel underneath?
- TheWaterbug
- Greener Thumb
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- Joined: Mon May 02, 2011 5:15 pm
- Location: Los Angeles
- TheWaterbug
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1082
- Joined: Mon May 02, 2011 5:15 pm
- Location: Los Angeles
I don't see any obvious cutworm damage above the soil. Tomorrow I'm going to dig it out and do an autopsy
If there's a gopher tunnel underneath I'm going to stomp up and down and use some harsh language. I may even shake my fist a few times.
I do have a few birds of prey in my area. Is there a way to "trap" a gopher above ground so that it can't dig back down, but so that a bird can swoop down and pick it up? Would that be considered cruel?
If there's a gopher tunnel underneath I'm going to stomp up and down and use some harsh language. I may even shake my fist a few times.
I do have a few birds of prey in my area. Is there a way to "trap" a gopher above ground so that it can't dig back down, but so that a bird can swoop down and pick it up? Would that be considered cruel?
- TheWaterbug
- Greener Thumb
- Posts: 1082
- Joined: Mon May 02, 2011 5:15 pm
- Location: Los Angeles
Well, I'm pretty sure it was a gopher. I went to look around the base of the plant, and it was gone. The whole base of the plant was gone:
[img]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3552590/PumpkinRemains.jpg[/img]
I couldn't even tell where the roots had been.
Then I looked around the garden and saw a drooping sunflower, and its base was submerged in a hole
[img]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3552590/MurderedSunflower.jpg[/img]
The bottom of the stem looked pretty grim:
[img]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3552590/MurderedSunflowerDetail.jpg[/img]
A few days later I was about 10 yards away, and I heard a "crunching" sound. I turned around and watched some scrub brush being pulled backwards into the earth!
I think I'm going to amend my signature.
[img]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3552590/PumpkinRemains.jpg[/img]
I couldn't even tell where the roots had been.
Then I looked around the garden and saw a drooping sunflower, and its base was submerged in a hole
[img]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3552590/MurderedSunflower.jpg[/img]
The bottom of the stem looked pretty grim:
[img]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/3552590/MurderedSunflowerDetail.jpg[/img]
A few days later I was about 10 yards away, and I heard a "crunching" sound. I turned around and watched some scrub brush being pulled backwards into the earth!
I think I'm going to amend my signature.