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crenda53

What is eating my Flapjacks?

Crenda 10A SW FL
9 years ago

I have about 40 babies that I removed from my Kalanchoe luciae last June. Those that were good size and had good roots, I planted in the ground. Those with meager or no roots are in small pots.

Most of those in the ground are doing well. All are in a mix of our sandy soil and grit - either perlite or real gritty mix worked into the soil. They are at the top of a slope, so do not get water puddling around them from summer rains.

3 or 4 of these plants have terrible stems! At first I thought it was rot. I cut the top of one off - actually it practically fell off. The flesh looks green and healthy and it even had a few roots starting. The tops of the plants look fine and the leaves are not marred.

So is this rot? Are snails eating it? Could this be from rats?

Comments (9)

  • Crenda 10A SW FL
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Here is another view of this stem. I'd like to resolve this before I plant any more of the babies.

    Thanks for any advice!

  • wantonamara Z8 CenTex
    9 years ago

    Do you see any slime trails from slugs or snails. It is NOT rot. It is animal of some king. It looks like sizable bites for a sug or snail so I am voting for squirrel or rat. Got any other plant waiters in florida. Rabbit? vole.

  • Crenda 10A SW FL
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I know there are snails, but I don't see any evidence of slime or shells. And I also thought this looked too big for slugs or snails.

    I thought rats because we have palm rats in the neighborhood. I have fought them for years. Unfortunately, my next door neighbor does nothing about them and she has an untamed jungle. Rats have even eaten large parts of her garage door!

    I haven't seen any squirrels, but we have opossums and even skunks (I have smelled these guys!). I don't think the various lizards - anoles, iguanas or monitor lizards - will eat the plants.

    My sedums and aloes are fine. Maybe I can set the security camera to record out there and I can catch a glimpse of what is doing it. Worth a shot, I guess.

    Thanks! I didn't really think it was rot, either.

  • rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
    9 years ago

    Crenda,

    I did catch a field mice chewing on leaves of some of the succulents, so I wouldn't be surprised if it was a mice or rats.
    Squirrels & chipmunks usually just dig, and bury seeds they find.
    Good idea about setting security camera - just to see the culprit in action. If you do, pls. post here...

    Rina

  • rina_Ontario,Canada 5a
    9 years ago

    Crenda,

    I did catch a field mice chewing on leaves of some of the succulents, so I wouldn't be surprised if it was a mice or rats.
    Squirrels & chipmunks usually just dig, and bury seeds they find.
    Good idea about setting security camera - just to see the culprit in action. If you do, pls. post here...

    Rina

  • Crenda 10A SW FL
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I never did catch what had eaten my flapjacks, but whatever it was must have moved on. I cut the top off and rooted it. I was lazy and didn't remove the eaten-up stump. Voila! It is giving me babies! I guess that's a will to survive.

  • wantonamara Z8 CenTex
    9 years ago

    YUP, thats what they do. I have had mine come back from the base 4 times. They get so many babies coming from the base that I pull off all but 3 or 4 after they are well formed the following summer, and root the rest to give them away. But , then again having many of them might be a distraction. they eat one and leave the others alone. There is hopeful thinking for you.. Maybe if you stop calling them Flapjacks the squirrels will leave them a lone. That's a joke, honey. or more hopeful magical thinking.

    This was it AFTER it got frozen to the base and recovered. It hit 27 degrees one night that I was out and the tops were all damaged but they came back from the roots.

    {{gwi:2125396}}

  • Maryl (Okla. Zone 7a)
    9 years ago

    Wow. Is that a pretty thing. I love the colors on it. Don't know beans about "flap jacks", but if that's the colors they come in I will investigate more. I've seen them around at the box stores, but not as vividly colored as in your picture. Even so, they've always tempted me....Maryl....

  • wantonamara Z8 CenTex
    9 years ago

    Winter sun makes the plants turn red. The setting sun also made the plant vivid.