Chipmunks and squirrels are both rodents and neither one is stupid. Both will dig for things to eat. They love to eat tulip bulbs as well as seeds and nuts. They will dig whereever there is freshly dug ground. The only thing I have seen that foils them is bowl shaped chicken wire fitted over the plant or bulb and then covered in with dirt.

I once watched a squirrel get into my son's squirrel proof bird feeder. The premise was that the weight of a squirrel, standing on a bar at the bottom would close off the feeder. Well this squirrel laid on top of the feeder and worked the bar with his hind leg and ate his full.

I believe it is the MiracleGro garden soil. I planted impatiens and petunias in large pots on my porch last week in fresh MiracleGro soil. All was well for the first couple of days. I watered them on Tuesday. Wednesday morning the soil had been dug out of the pots. The plants had not been eaten, but were damaged from being flung from the pots. I watered again on Friday night. Today (Saturday) the plants were on the porch floor again along with most of the dirt just like the first time.

This morning I found that unopened bags of the same soil that were stacked near a flower bed had been torn open in several places.

Until I saw the torn bags, I thought that it was the watering that had caused an animal to dig into the planters or, secondly, it was something in the composition of the soil. Now it seems more likely that it is some odor in the soil that is attracting whatever it is. Squirrels seem to be the best suspects.

Holly, how many other brands of potting mix did you experiment with?

In my case, I never, ever, ever use MiracleGro but the little rodents continue to dig in my containers unless I take precautions to prevent it.

It wasn't exactly an experiment. I have had nothing but good experience with MiracleGro. I use the liquid form every year and am very pleased with the results.

Two things happened this year. First, Lowes had MiracleGro garden soil on sale for $2 a bag. Second, the soil in my pots was on the second or third year of use. I replaced all of it in all four pots. I dumped the old into a flower bed just below the front porch. I set a couple of petunias out in the new soil in one spot in that bed. Those were the only plants that were touched along with the ones in pots.

I think that the little scoundrels are attracted to the fresh potting mix, not MiracleGro, in particular. X

A word of caution - MiracleGro garden soil is NOT potting soil and shouldn't be used in containers. In fact, it says so right on the label. Like rhizo, I never use MG potting soil either (don't find it holds up at all well and compromises drainage much too rapidly), but that is a far better product to use in containers.

Thank you for the comment. However, that is a finer point on the bigger issue. My problem is that squirrels that are attacking my plants whether in pots, the ground and the bags that it comes in. I don't really expect a solution. It was just a question as to whether anyone else has experienced this or not.

I found that a mothball or two per pot seems to keep them away --- that is, if you don't mind the smell of camphor

Using mothballs in that way is illegal and mothballs are a known carcinogen. That smell of camphor can give you lung cancer.

Miracle Gro Garden soil is not really soil but is an soil amendment. It is composed of peat, processed forest products, coir and/or compost, sphagnum peat moss, fertilizer, and a wetting agent. Essentially the same thing as any potting soil.

Squirrels, chipmunks, etc., like to dig in loose soils, or something similar to the potting soils. That they may dig in any potting soil is not an indication that it is more or less attractive to them.

kimmq is kimmsr

..."Using mothballs in that way is illegal and mothballs are a known carcinogen. That smell of camphor can give you lung cancer."

OMG! Who'd have thought it???!!! I had 8 spinster aunts who always smelled of mothballs; none of them died of cancer, but it apparently was a husband-repellant.

Eeeek, not a good idea, brink. Mothballs are highly toxic...not just to wildlife and pets, but you! They are not intended to be used other than in an enclosed area to kill insects. Actually, the fact that they can be deadly to non target animals that may ingest them is why they need to be removed from public use.

Holly, my favorite tip is to sprinkle cayenne pepper liberally where those critters dig. I buy a big canister of it at Costco every year and use it generously. It helps keep them out of seed beds, new garden plantings, and my containers for cuttings and flowers. Has no effect on birds, so you can even use cayenne in birdseed to keep the squirrels at bay.

I have a couple of wooden propagation boxes that I use for cuttings and divisions and I don't want anything walking around in there! I lay hardware cloth on top of the box and weight it with heavy rocks!

So, yes.....wrangling the squirrels and chipmunks are an annual event for me.

I just came to the same conclusion that squirrels love potting soil. For years I've kept a close eye on mums for their first year in the ground b/c they were always getting uprooted. But I just bought a whole bag of mg potting soil and I am literally having to show them away. I'm sure it can't be the fertilizer b/c I think I've used it before. Just something in there...

Funny...I got some potting soil--probably Miracle Grow--and my dog tried eating it. He normally sticks with food. Creatures that weren't my dog kept digging it up at night before I put any plants in it. (We have squirrels, rats, mice, opossums, raccoons, and skunks.) Thought it was interesting that the dog ate it.