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beardedone

Day um those Squirrels and their Black Walnuts!!

BeardedOne
11 years ago

I never put 2 & 2 together till today...I have black walnut trees & I know about the toxicity of the juglone.

Knowing this I planted my garden well enough away from the trees. Never taking into consideration this scenario to unfold below....

I also have a very large population of squirrels w/ all the walnuts & acorns about the yard. Well those varmints have been digging @ the base of my Toms & hot peppers.

I never noticed any nuts being left behind just the holes till today when a nut was found, husk & all & finally added it all together in my ahha moment. Those day um varmints ( shaking fist in the air)

Well lately there has been a lot of wilting, yellowing leaves & blossoms not setting & such that I was having a time trying to figure & diagnose. Things just weren't adding up I was missing something key to the equation..Soil conditions r good not over or under watering no infestation etc etc. Not till found that nut & went back and found other nuts HAD been at the base of each of the plants affected with these dire symptoms...Am I crazy? Can anyone else confirm my placing blame on those pesky tree rats sabotaging my garden with those toxic green bombs??

Thanks for your time ..

BeardedOne

Comments (9)

  • waynewky
    11 years ago

    My own garden is well out of gravity range of any black walnut trees but I pull lots of walnut tree weeds from my garden. We also have a large population of those pesky furry tail tree rats.

  • claydirt
    11 years ago

    The neighbors have several black walnut trees. Every spring I pull walnut trees out of the garden. I pull walnut trees out of my hosta pots. Gravity is not the cause here either. I do have some yellowing of the tomato leaves, but I'm not positive it is from juglone.

    I want to rent a trencher and go along the property line with it to cut any small roots. I did buy a live trap for the tree rats, simply because I couldn't find a dead trap. I haven't started using it yet.

  • UPucker
    11 years ago

    I had a problem with the roof rats last year as well. But they stayed away from my tomatoes and completely devastated my sweet corn. I didnt get to eat any of it and I kept finding the ears hidden around the garage and on the roof. I tried squirrel stopper spray, spraying tabasco on the ears, sprinkling cayenne, and even rat traps in the garden. I only caught a field mouse. This year I have to build a chicken wire cage if I want sweet corn. Unless someone has a better idea?

  • containerted
    11 years ago

    You'll have to show them that they are not welcome. They are incapable of showing you any mercy. Around here, I slap anyone who says they're "CUTE". The only true solution to your problem is "Fried Squirrel with Hush Puppies". :>)

    Ted

  • Ohiofem 6a/5b Southwest Ohio
    11 years ago

    I wouldn't underestimate the power of the walnut tree roots to affect soil 50 or more feet away from your garden. Tomatoes are very sensitive to juglone, and the main source is tree roots. Fresh walnuts sprouting near your tomatoes are probably not that much of a problem. I grow all my tomatoes in containers because my small yard is surrounded by black walnut trees. I find walnuts buried in the potting mix toward the end of every season, but I don't think that is harming my tomatoes. I can easily pull them out. The best defense I've found to squirrels is cats. Of course, they're not so popular with neighbors.

  • ryseryse_2004
    11 years ago

    Don't worry about your tomato plants unless you are growing them within 50 feet of the actual trees. And hostas don't care at all about juglone. I have gorgeous beds of hostas under a grove of Black Walnut trees.

  • ticodxb
    11 years ago

    We don't have squirrels here in Dubai and where I am from--Colorado-- I never tried gardening so I never experenced that squirrels were a nuisance...except for the fact they teased and challenged our cats and dogs...

    So I always thought they were cute... but now that I am liking gardening I am glad they aren't around here. While I vacationed in Colorado last October/November, I did take pictures and video of squirrels frolicking in the yard because they are too darned cute!! LOL

  • DMForcier
    11 years ago

    Beardie, you needs cats. (Heck, everybody needs cats.)

    Just be sure to get fierce ex-barn cats and leave them with their mother long enough for her to teach them the killing bite.

    And / or stock up on .22 ammo.

    Dennis

    P.S. Man was granted dominion over the rodents of the earth - and of the trees. So feel not guilty.

  • thebutcher
    11 years ago

    Squirels are not innocent little varmits, about 5 years back we had a family of squirrels living above our kitchen, they got in through the deck and week after week would here more noise. The only way to remove them safely and to not hurt the animal was a "Hartz Trap" Back then it cost about $30 but worth it.

    My father and I trapped about 6-8 of the family of squirrels with 2 of the Hartz traps over a week of time using peanut butter and apples.

    Ironicly we drove them to New Jersey because I learned that squirrels have a good memory of coming back and can't swim (this advice was from an officer from saving wild animals ). I say New Jersey because I live near the border of Trenton.

    God help anysquirrel this year with my garden, my 2 traps will be ready to safely remove them to NJ again while growing Jersey tomatoes and other crops :)

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