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Hedgehogs Have Taken A Fancy To My Young Peonies!

Emsy2017Emsy2017 Posts: 20
in Problem solving
I have been growing some very young peonies.  I bought 3 with some stems an a couple of leaves.  Over 3 nights, parts of them were being eaten by something.  When the security light came on one night we discovered it was a hedgehog!  Out of the three plants, two have no leaves or stems.  One has one very tall stem left.  Here's the tall stem.  The others just look like pots of compost...



My question is, can the two that have been chewed with no stem or leaves, recover?  It's been a month, no sign of growth.

The picture below, in contrast, shows some bare roots I've been growing!  Up high on my garden shelves!




Posts

  • BijdezeeBijdezee Posts: 1,484
    Are you sure the hedgehogs are actually eating the plants or eating the slugs or beetles that are eating your plants?

    Because hedgehogs dont eat vegetation as far as i know. 
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    I’d like to see the hedgehog climbing into the pot! 

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    I must admit, l have never heard of hedgehogs eating peonies, l suspect Bijdezee is right, the slugs are eating the peonies, and the hedgehog is eating the slugs.
  • Emsy2017Emsy2017 Posts: 20
    Hi Bijdezee!  Well we saw the hedgehog scuttling away from the peonies and they had been chewed when we looked in the morning.  Assumed it was them.  There are no snails or slugs around and I can't see any tell tale slimey trails but could be wrong!
  • Emsy2017Emsy2017 Posts: 20
    I didn't think they would climb either, but I've seen them move quite swiftly in the night so assumed they were a bit more athletic than they'd have us believe!  I've just done a quick google which tells me they could possibly have reached the stems but yes slugs... and the hedgehogs are eating those sounds about right?

    Does anyone have any ideas if these peonies will come back or have I lost them completely?  They'll be going higher up from the morning!
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    I think it's hard to say Emsy. All you can do is keep an eye on them and see what happens. They may well come back in a month or two as long as there's still some crown and growth points. 
    Cross your fingers too..... ;)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • BijdezeeBijdezee Posts: 1,484
    Yes hedgehogs can get a shift on when they want to.

    As far as the peonies are concerned i dont think you will get much growth this year. I think you will just have to give them some tlc and hope for better next year. 
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